Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Did you see the new building that opened at the Ski Village?”

“Oh, I read about it in the newspaper! The, uh… Everyday Phoning Facility, right?”

“Yeah, that one! I wonder what it’s for. Like, they closed down the Sports Shop to build it, it’s gotta be important, right?”

“I don’t know, man… they said it wasn’t gonna be anything too exciting. It’s probably just a normal building.”

“Oh, come on, now. This is Club Penguin; since when is anything around here not exciting?”

Blue held back a smile as she walked by the two penguins talking, lowering her head to hide her face with her hat.

She had been getting her breakfast at the Coffee Shop that morning when the red light on her Spy Phone started blinking - and it took all of her self control to not immediately run outside.

She already knew the reason for that light to turn on again after so long; but just in case she didn’t, it came with a message as well.

‘Attention, agent. As you may know, the PSA was destroyed by Herbert P. Bear. Thanks to our agents no one was harmed. The EPF is stepping up to keep the island safe - and we need your help. Please report to the Facility to take the Test.’

It was enough to make her smile.

“About time.” she said quietly to herself, casually leaving the Coffee Shop with only a short not to the Barista.

Weeks had already passed since the popcorn explosion. The reconstruction had just ended two days before, and while most of the island’s population was still confused about the purpose of this strange new building, the former PSA agents could barely contain their excitement.

This was what they all had been waiting for.

She reached the Ski Village, noticing the place was still fairly empty. Perhaps they hadn’t called all the agents just yet, then. With barely a glance to the sign above her, she moved towards the Everyday Phoning Facility.

Blue walked through the door, closing it behind her, and found herself staring at a very… gray place. There were large pillars in all four corners of the room, with a fuse box in one of them. The shadow of a huge fan spinning lazily on the ceiling was projected on the floor. A quiet, metallic noise reached her ears, and she looked up to see two cameras on opposite walls, both already following her movements as she waddled towards the center of the space.

And, of course, the most obvious detail: the big black phone booth on one of the walls. The only object sitting in the empty room.

And after a few seconds of silence, it started ringing.

Blue held back a small laugh, feeling the excitement starting to bubble in her chest. Whatever this Test was, she was sure it was about to start. It felt good to finally be back in action.

She picked up the phone and held it to her ear, waiting. For a moment, there was only silence on the other end of the line; and then a ‘click’, followed by the dial tone. However, she heard something else in the room with her - a noise coming from above the phone booth, in fact.

Putting the phone back on the hook, she raised her eyes to notice a snowball target had appeared on the top right corner of the wall, right next to one of the pillars.

She huffed a quiet laugh. “Good one to start with.”

The snowball she threw hit the target right in the center, making a ‘ding’ sound echo through the quiet room. The target slid back into the wall, disappearing behind it.

And this was the moment things started to get truly interesting.

The phone booth was raised from its place, sliding up the wall before rotating on its axis. The phone disappeared inside the wall - and its place was taken by a huge monitor. After a second of static noise, words started to appear on the screen.

‘You hit the target! Good work!

We’re looking for skilled penguins… Let’s see what you can do.’

Blue simply raised a brow. Well, she was determined to impress.

The bottom-right pillar was suddenly raised, revealing a green square on the floor under it.

‘Walk to the green square.’

Feeling at ease, Blue obeyed. As soon as she stepped on the green area, a small fence appeared from the floor, boxing her in - though it wasn’t tall enough to stop her from simply jumping over it, if she really wanted. On the opposite side of the room, the bottom-left pillar was also raised, revealing a similar square on the floor; a red one, this time.

‘Run to the red square. As fast as you can.’

A start and a finish line appeared next to the two squares. A race! Blue smiled, getting ready to run - this was very different from what joining the PSA had been like. And a lot more fun, if she had to be honest.

‘Ready, set, GO!’

As soon as the fence was lowered to the floor again, a timer appeared on the screen. Without hesitating, Blue dashed across the room. She’d done her fair share of running before, during both training and missions - she was confident in her speed.

Right as her feet stepped on the red square, she turned to look at the screen. The timer was frozen at 4.96 seconds.

‘That was fast! Great job.’

With a grin, Blue returned to the middle of the room.

‘How well can you hide?’

She raised a brow, already intrigued. A stealth test? She watched as the two raised pillars were brought back down to their original places, metal bars appeared in front of the door that led outside, and, with a quiet metallic whirr, the two cameras in the room stopped moving.

‘Cameras off. Find a hiding place. You have 20 seconds.’

As the timer once more appeared on the screen, this time counting down, Blue started looking around the room. A place to hide… her eyes turned towards the cameras, and she could almost hear Dot’s voice in the back of her mind. Find a blind spot.

Turns out, there were none. The only way she could possibly hide in the room would be to sit behind one of the pillars, but if she hid from one of the cameras, the other would always be able to see her. They were placed perfectly to compensate for each other’s blind spots. Trying to blend in with her surroundings was out of the question in that room as well.

Luckily, she had another option - disabling one of the cameras.

Choosing to stay behind the pillar with the fuse box, which would hide her perfectly from camera one, Blue turned to camera two and threw a snowball at it. Somehow, it managed to stick to it, covering the lens completely and rendering it utterly useless.

She still had ten seconds left in the timer. With a confident smile, she crossed her flippers and leaned her back against the pillar. No camera would find her there.

Soon, the cameras turned back on. Blue could hear the noise coming from camera one as it tried to scan the room, searching for her; and she could see camera two turning wildly from left to right, unable to see anything beyond the snow covering it. It was almost enough to make her laugh - almost. But she did not utter a single sound.

After a few more moments, the timer disappeared from the screen.

‘Very impressive! Camera 1 can’t see you. Camera 2 can’t see anything! Perfect!’

Blue grinned, taking that as her cue to step out from behind the pillar. She returned to the middle of the room as camera two finally managed to shake the snow off itself.

‘Time for the final test. How clever are you?’

Once more, the room started changing around her. Blue had to admit - the whole thing was really cool. The EPF really had gone above and beyond.

The metal bars at the door disappeared once more, and the fuse box turned on for the first time, emitting a low blue light. The top-left pillar was raised, showing a similar blue square underneath it, which was also barely glowing.

‘Walk to the blue square.’

Just like the second test, then. She took a step towards it - and then, hesitating, she stopped. Something felt off about this one.

She turned her eyes to the fuse box. Based on the colors, it was clearly related to the square - but why was it there this time, and not for the other squares on the previous test? Why could she possibly need to access the box? Perhaps she would need to deactivate the blue square, somehow.

‘You’re not on the blue square yet.’

Which meant that, if she stepped on it, it would probably trigger something that she wouldn’t like very much. Looking at the bottom of the raised pillar, she noticed several metallic circles near the edges, evenly spaced from each other. Not too unlike the bars that had previously blocked the door. A trap, then?

Well. She’d have to test it to find out.

Instead of stepping into the blue square, Blue took another snowball and threw it at it. The moment it touched the floor, the circles above the square activated, encasing the area with blue lasers and turning it into a cage. If she had obeyed and stepped into the blue square, she would be trapped now.

‘Trap activated! But you’re not in it! Nice throw.’

Blue smirked. “Wanna see it again?” she asked, turning to the fuse box. This time, the snowball hit it with enough force to leave a dent on the metal, bending it all out of shape. A rain of sparks escaped the box, and the blue light dimmed out just as the laser cage on the other side of the room also disappeared.

‘Trap deactivated. Great work! That takes care of the trap.’

She let out a slow, relieved breath. According to the screen, that had been the final test - now what?

‘Let’s add up your scores.’

The trap pillar returned to its original position, and four empty bars appeared on the screen. Each one represented a particular skill: aim, speed, stealth, and problem solving. Blue watched, not that surprised, as they each got filled to the max, one by one.

‘You got a perfect score. Welcome to the Elite Penguin Force.’

The top-right pillar was then raised, revealing a metal door hidden behind it. On it, the EPF shield was engraved.

Blue grinned - the old changing room hidden entrance had its charm, but this one was really cool, too.

‘Please enter the elevator.’

An elevator, then? Cool! The metal door opened as soon as Blue got closer, and closed itself automatically after she got in. The walls inside were illuminated by yellow lights and moving arrows pointing down, and she felt the elevator start to move, going lower and lower underneath the Everyday Phoning Facility.

And then it stopped, the door opened once more, and Agent B stepped into the EPF Command Room for the first time.

Compared to the PSA HQ, it was like walking into a whole different dimension. The Command Room was far larger than the HQ had been - and far more colorful, too. Even though the room was clearly unfinished, and a lot of stuff was still being built and put into place, Blue could already tell that the end result was gonna be super cool.

Still, she didn’t get to see much beyond that before she got jumped by a familiar group of penguins.

“Blue!” Rookie nearly yelled, running to her with a huge grin on his face. “Finally! We’ve been waiting for hours for you to get here!”

“Rookie, we only started rolling out the recruitment messages 30 minutes ago. You’re just impatient.” Jet Pack Guy said, greeting Blue with a small smile. “Yo. Good to see you, Agent B.”

“Good start, Ace! A perfect score on the test?” Dot beamed, impressed. “You’re not even giving the rest of us a chance, huh?”

“It was very impressive, yes.” Jet agreed. “I only managed to get a perfect score at the aim and speed tests.”

“Well, I only got one in stealth.”

“Uh, wait, you guys got perfect scores?”

Blue laughed. “Well, what can I say? I’ve had good coaches.” she smiled at them. “It’s great to see you guys again. How are things around here?”

“Well, as you can see, still a lot of work to be done.” Dot smiled, waving around at all the equipment that had yet to be assembled. “But as the new agents arrive, we’ll get this Command Room up and running in no time.”

“We only just started sending messages calling the old PSA and EPF agents. You were one of the first!” Rookie grinned. “And once we get everyone here, we’re gonna start to recruit new agents, too. It’s gonna be so cool!”

“It sure sounds like it.” Blue crossed her flippers. “But actually, hold on a moment, you guys said you took the test? You were already EPF agents before, what gives?”

Jet shrugged. “Everyone is taking the test, even agents that were with the old EPF. We want everyone to start the same way.” he said. “It helps us understand the skill levels of all our agents as well.”

“This is a new beginning for everyone, even those of us who were never PSA.” Dot smiled. “It makes sense.”

“... yeah, I guess it does.” Blue smiled.

“Alright, you three, I think that’s enough bothering our newest agent for now.” a new voice startled them, and they turned to see G approaching them with a grin. “We need to get this room into a more presentable state before more agents start to arrive. You can talk more some other time.”

“You got it, G.” Jet said, while Dot not so stealthily rolled her eyes.

Blue swallowed a laugh and waved as the three penguins turned away to resume their work. G turned to her with a smirk. “Excellent work up there. For a moment I really thought you had fallen for the trap trick.”

“What, so you all were just watching me while I was taking the test?” she raised a brow at him with a grin of her own.

“We wouldn’t miss an opportunity like that. The recording would be perfect to show as an example to our new agents.” he laughed. “But we can discuss that later. For now, I suppose I should give you an official welcome.” he turned a proud smile to her. “Good work, Agent B. Now, you are officially part of the Elite Penguin Force.”

“It’s good to finally be here.” Blue smiled back.

“How about a tour of the Command Room?”

“Oh yes please!” she excitedly agreed. “This place is awesome!”

G chuckled. “Well, it will be even more awesome when we’re done and fully operational. But I can show you what we have so far.” he said, dodging around an orange cone to begin walking around the room. Blue followed him closely.

Moving between cardboard boxes full of old files, cables, lightbulbs, keyboards and other tech gadgets, G introduced Blue to every part of the Command Room. From the screens that would show the security feed of the cameras around the island, to a new, far more advanced map that would show the areas affected by future emergencies. Two new main central computers - on the right, the one with information and mission assignments for every single secret agent; on the left, a whole terminal dedicated to scanning and protecting the EPF systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

G tried to talk her through all the new protective measures he had developed to secure their main servers, and the plans he already had for future improvements - and even though most of the technical terms he used went way above her head, she understood the core of the message: no polar bear would be able to crash their systems with just an old gift shop computer.

From there, they walked down the stairs (the Command Room had stairs!), briefly stopped by some cabinets in the corner (“So, there’s no secret room hidden behind this one anymore, right?” “No, Agent B. Now it is only an ordinary cabinet for storing case files.”), and the door to the new and improved Gadget Room (“Do the glasses still…?” “They do. But keep that to yourself, yes?”). Before going back up the other flight of stairs, they stopped to look at the meeting table.

“That’s one large screen.” Blue pointed out.

“Indeed. It will be used by the Director whenever a meeting is held here. As well as to show pertinent mission information.”

“Really? That’s super cool.” Blue smiled. “Definitely a step up from that tiny screen we had at HQ. And from using flipcharts.”

G grinned. “This is actually how it was back at the old Command Room. Most of the things in this meeting area - the desk, the screen and the cabinets - were made to recreate the old ones. …though we did get entirely new chairs. These are far more comfortable.”

“Should I be happy I never got to experience the old chairs, then?”

“Probably. I’ll be honest with you, we mostly held our meeting with everyone standing up.”

That earned a loud laugh from her. They went up the stairs, ending up once again right next to the Command Room entrance. “So, you didn’t tell me what’s up with all the green tubes.” Blue asked, pointing at the large, still unfinished structure next to the elevator, made of what looked to be a large, see-through greenish tube.

G smiled mysteriously. “Well, you see, this is part of a small personal project of mine - something I was actually working on for quite some time, now, even before the PSA was finished. Of course, I had to make some changes to the plans… it’s both a way of training new agents and a means of historical preservation.”

“Wow, you talked a lot and still managed to tell me nothing.” Blue laughed. “What’s this personal project?”

“Agent B, I assure you: when everything is ready, you will be the first to see it.” he smiled.

“Fine, Gary. Keep your secrets.” she crossed her flippers and turned her face away with mocking disdain, before breaking into a smile. “So, that’s the end of the tour, then?”

“Indeed. There’s only one more thing before we’re done.” he said, taking a small device from one of his coat pockets.

Blue frowned, before her eyes widened with recognition. “Is that…?”

“The new Elite Spy Phone.” G grinned. “Your most important tool as an agent. Though we will probably just continue calling it a Spy Phone.” he chuckled. “It has a few new gadgets and functionalities that I’m sure you’ll enjoy.”

“Cool!” she smiled, reaching her flipper to get it from him - but then G moved the phone out of her reach. “What?” she asked with a frown.

“Before I give it to you - I’ll need you to hand over your PSA Spy Phone, Agent B.”

“What?!” she repeated, surprised. “... I don’t get to keep it?”

“Director’s orders are to collect the old device from every former PSA agent. It is a matter of security.” G explained.

“Oh.” Blue muttered, taking the old blue phone from her suit pocket. She looked at it with a sigh, one last time, before letting G take it.

In return, he handed over the new Spy Phone to her. “Do you want a tutorial, or do you want to figure out the features by yourself?” he asked.

Blue chuckled, turning the phone on. “As long as there’s no risk I’ll accidentally explode something, I’ll figure it out by myself.” she smiled, looking at the new icons on the screen - the phone had a huge screen! A touch screen!! The teleporter was there, there was a tool to recruit new agents, an app for something related to the Elite Puffles - and some very promising empty spaces still waiting to be filled. “So. There’s still ways to go before the Command Room is up to speed - how can I help?” she offered.

G’s smiled widened. “I’m glad you asked!” he said, putting a flipper on her shoulder and guiding her towards one of the computers. “The others are busy with cleaning and organizing the old case files - I could use an assistant to help me finish setting up our main systems…”

G started rambling about firewalls and databases, and Blue listened to him with a smile. The next few days would be quite long.

Blue pressed the power button and waited impatiently as the computer booted up.

“Is it working?” G asked from where he was finishing installing a keyboard a few meters away.

“Well, it turned on, I guess that’s a good sign.” she chuckled, watching as the large screen and the small monitor above it both started displaying images as well. “Yep, looks good. Finally. This one was a huge headache.”

“We’re done with the computers, then.” G smiled. “Good job, Agent B.”

“Nice. Only took us what, a week?” she joked, packing up her small tool kit and putting it in her suit’s inside pocket. Upon finding out that the new Spy Phone did not come with the same tools as the old one, Blue had pestered G until he relented and gave her a portable tool kit that she could carry whenever she went. She’d been saved countless times before by the Spy Wrench, the Spy Scissors - and yes, even the Spy Comb, and she was not willing to part with them just yet. “Now what?”

“Help me carry all these laptops back to the Gadget Room, will you? No point in leaving them all around.”

“Got it.”

Together, they picked up the laptops that had been used to set up and transfer information to the EPF computers, and began taking them to the Gadget Room.

In the days that had passed since Blue took the test, the Command Room had become far more lively, with more and more agents arriving every day. She smiled and nodded as she walked by some of them, and stopped for a moment to watch Rookie, Jet and Dot talking to a group of new recruits on the other side of the room, showing them around with no small amount of excitement.

“Agent B?”

“Coming, G!”

She dodged around an agent who was busy storing some files into the wooden cabinet at the right side of the room and waited while G unlocked the Gadget Room door before they could both enter.

“Just leave them on the desk right there.” G nodded as they stepped inside, and Blue looked at the desk that barely had enough empty space to accommodate for the laptops she was holding.

“Quite a lot of agents here today.” she casually said. “Pretty sure I never saw this many at the same time back at HQ. And I can’t imagine the old Command Room was this popular either.”

“It wasn’t.” G stated, moving towards his new Raoul 3000. “Hot chocolate?”

“Yes, please.” she smiled. “Still - we’re really gonna recruit even more agents than we have right now?”

“We are. It feels busy around here mostly because the Command Room is brand new, and we’re still finishing up some things. But soon activity levels will return to normal, and if we want the EPF to operate at full capacity, we are gonna need more agents.”

“Wow. What else are we missing before we can start working for real, then?”

“Well, I do still need to finish installing the tubes system.” G grinned, holding out a hot chocolate cup for Blue while he waited for his own coffee. “And we’re working on some new equipment for our agents as well. So, still a few weeks to go before we reach that point, I believe.”

“Sounds promising.” Blue smiled. “Dot and the guys really weren’t kidding, huh?”

G frowned. “About what?”

“The EPF. Everything so far has been really different from what the PSA was.” she said. “And I mean, I knew that, but seeing for myself is something else. And we haven’t even started operating yet! It really does feel like… I don’t know.” she shrugged. “Like we’re building something else, entirely new. Starting over.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” he smiled. “Still, our goals are the same. And even if our methods change, the skills we expect from our agents will remain the same. So don’t worry, you probably won’t have to completely overhaul your ways of working on the field.”

“Eh. Even if I did, I’d still do a great job.”

“I don’t doubt it. And speaking of changes, have you seen the new digital mission report system yet?”

“The what? Oh, this is the greatest day ever.”

Around a week later, in the middle of the night, the screen on Blue’s Spy Phone started blinking. She was still up - of course she was -, so she quickly changed into her uniform and pressed the button at the bottom of the phone to teleport straight into the Command Room.

Upon arriving, all she found was a mostly empty room. G was the only penguin there, and he was proudly standing right next to the mysterious large green tube, which seemed to be finally finished. Above what seemed to be an entrance, there was a large, bright sign with the words ‘tube transport’ on it.

“So, what’s this now?” she asked him.

G grinned. “I told you that when it was finished, you would be the first to see it, Agent B.” he nodded towards the entrance. “Go ahead.”

Raising a brow, she walked towards the tube. “If you’re using me as a test subject again, you better tell me now, G.” she joked as the door opened before her.

He laughed, standing next to her as they stepped inside. “Don’t worry. This time, everything has already been tested. It’s perfectly safe. Get ready!”

G pressed a button next to the door, and Blue started hearing a quiet sound; it started low, but kept getting higher and higher. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and then - she didn’t quite know how to describe what happened. Her stomach lurched, and it felt as if she was both being dragged upwards through the tube at an extremely high speed, but suspended in midair at the same time. The feeling lasted for less than a second, and then it stopped - her feet touched the floor again, and she found herself facing a completely different room.

She turned to G with wide eyes. “What the-?”

“Faster than the elevator, wouldn’t you agree?” he grinned. “A very efficient method of transportation overall.”

“I think I’d probably get motion sickness if it took more than a second for us to get here.”

“The test subjects agreed - which is why we’ll keep the normal elevator up to the Everyday Phoning Facility.” he chuckled. “Now, let’s step outside.”

They stepped outside the tube, and the wall closed itself behind them. Blue looked around the room - it was… definitely a weird place. It was completely empty, and the walls were made of metal squares with small green lights in the corners. The only thing in the room was a huge computer with a large screen, sitting on the opposite side from the entrance.

“Uhh… so, what is this, G?” Blue asked, confused.

“This is what I like to call the VR Room.” he confidently said, pointing at a small panel right next to the entrance. “Short for Virtual Reality. Go on, press one of the buttons.”

With a frown, she took a closer look at the panel. There were several buttons - and other than the ‘reset’ button, all of them were labeled ‘HQ’, followed by a different date. She turned an incredulous look to G. “Is this…?”

He motioned at her to go ahead, still smiling.

With a frown, Blue picked one of the buttons and pressed it - the closest date to when she’d first joined the PSA.

In response, the room around them started to change. The lights dimmed until it got nearly pitch black, and only the green dots on the walls were still visible; for a second, the green lights flashed, revealing the outlines of a familiar room.

And then the normal lights returned to their usual brightness, and Blue found herself standing in the old PSA HQ - exactly the way she remembered it.

Stunned, she turned her head to look around. Every single detail, from the I.S.E.E.U. to the chairs, from the coffee machine to the EPF cabinet - it all looked just like the real thing had. It was uncanny. The only notable difference was the large computer, which was still there, for some reason.

Blue found herself having trouble breathing. It had only been a few weeks since she stood in that room for the last time before it was destroyed - but, being there again made her feel like it might as well have been a lifetime ago. “G…” she turned to him, speechless. “What-?”

“What do you think?” he asked in a low voice, no longer sounding as cheerful as he had a moment before. In fact, he even sounded a bit nervous. “The EPF had this old gadget, the Command Coach - I began working to upgrade it with a Virtual Reality Training Program a while ago, and during the reconstruction I thought it would be a good idea to create… this.” he waved around with both flippers. “A way to keep our history as the PSA alive. So our new agents can get to know it - and our old agents can remember it.”

“That’s…” Blue smiled, feeling her chest heavy with emotions. “G, this is so - every detail is just right, it’s incredible! How did you even manage to make it this…” she struggled to find the right words.

He gave her a small smile. “There’s not a single penguin alive who has spent more time in this room than me. Just like the Gadget Room, I could recreate it with my eyes closed.”

Still at a loss for words, Blue slowly walked back to the control panel. This time, she pressed the earliest possible date - the HQ just after the PSA was created.

Just like before, the lights dimmed, and green outlines surrounded them - she watched as the walls seemed to physically move closer to them, as the room became smaller and smaller; and as the lights returned to normal, the two penguins found themselves at the first PSA Headquarters.

G let out a quiet, nervous laugh. “I should change the settings later so the walls don’t move like that. It is quite a bit unsettling.” he admitted.

Blue barely heard him. She was expecting the early HQ to be different from the one she knew - but she was not prepared to see just how different it was. “Are you kidding? This was the HQ you guys had at the beginning?” she laughed. “This looks like the inside of a closet! Actually, nevermind that - the old Command Room was literally inside a closet and I’d bet even that had more space than this one.”

It was a gray, boring room. A single gray door, a TV on the wall in the upper corner, a single lamp hanging from the ceiling, and a black chalkboard. Not even a chair or anything. It was really hard to imagine the former most important agency in the entire island had this for headquarters.

“We had humble beginnings, Agent B.” G told her with a solemn voice. “We did get a Mancala board later for a while, though.”

“Wow. I am so sorry for you guys.”

“You better not let the Director hear you disrespecting Mancala like that.”

With a small smile, Blue returned to the control panel once again. There was only one more thing she wanted to see. Holding back a sigh, she pressed the button with the most recent date.

Just like before, the lights blinked around them, and soon they were standing in the HQ after the popcorn explosion. Even knowing it was just a hologram, seeing it like that again made Blue’s chest hurt.

“A reminder.” G said quietly. “Of what we lost. And that we must be better, to prevent this from happening again.”

Blue nodded, not trusting herself to speak through the knot in her throat. Silently, she pressed the reset button on the panel, and the room returned to its original empty state.

“G…” she finally managed to say. “This is incredible. You really went all out for this one.”

“Hold on a moment, that’s not all, Agent B.” he smiled, motioning for Blue to follow him as he walked towards the large computer. “This is what I wanted you to see.”

Blue stared at the computer screen, where the PSA shield was proudly flashing. G pressed a button on the keyboard, and it was swiftly replaced by a list and a text box with information about each item. She frowned at the names on the list. ‘The Case of the Missing Puffles’, ‘G’s Secret Mission’, ‘The Case of the Missing Coins’...

“Hold on, G, are those my missions?” she turned to him with wide eyes.

“Well noted.” he smiled. “I did tell you this was a Virtual Reality Training Program, right? The idea is to allow new agents to go through the missions completed by our top PSA agents; both for training purposes, and so they’re aware of the history that led us here.” he calmly explained. “Your missions reports are very well crafted, Agent B, but I think a more practical experience wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

Blue blinked, still looking through the list. “So… you recreated my missions based on my reports?” she asked, still shocked. “And other agents are gonna be able to play through them with virtual reality?”

“That’s the plan, yes.” he confirmed. “I was actually considering asking you to play test them for me, but - well, it is understandable if you do not wish to go through some of those a second time.”

“... unbelievable. Technology never ceases to impress me.” she muttered. “But, uh - are the other agents gonna know that… these are my missions? Like, will they be able to identify me, or is anyone gonna call me by name, or…”

“Don’t worry.” G assured her. “I made sure to not put in any references to your name or code name, and some of the more personal conversations between you and other penguins were removed as well. For this purpose, the missions are as generic as they can be.” he smiled. “I thought you would appreciate the anonymity.”

Blue let out a relieved sigh. “I do, yeah. Thanks, G.”

“Anytime. Now, the VR Room will be open for all agents starting tomorrow, so feel free to revisit it anytime if you wish. Now, it’s getting late - even for you - and I think we both could use a good night’s sleep.”

“What is happening here?!” Blue nearly shouted as soon as she got out of the elevator, her eyes widening in shock.

The Command Room was in a state of pure chaos - what looked to be like dozens of puffles were bouncing around, too fast for her to be able to count them; they jumped over computers and other sensitive equipment, effortlessly dodging the few agents who were running around trying to catch them.

“Agent B!” Rookie shrieked, dodging the snowballs Bouncer, the blue Elite Puffle, was throwing at him. “The Elite Puffles woke up feeling more mischievous than normal today - they’re out of control!”

Blue looked around, shocked, but barely had time to process anything else before three fur balls - black, yellow and green - launched themselves at her. She managed to catch them as they jumped into her flippers, letting out a small chuckle. “Heya, Flare. And… Chirp and Flit, right?” she tried to recall the names she read on the Elite Puffles files before. “Good to see you guys.”

With a bounce, Flare jumped up to stand on her shoulder, while Flit took flight again and hovered nearby. Chirp beamed at her, but stayed just where she was.

“Has anyone contacted PH yet? Is she on her way?” Blue asked, turning back to her coworkers. If anyone would be able to get the puffles back under control, it would be PH.

“Uh, haven’t you heard?” Dot asked, hopping to get closer to Blue while struggling with the jump rope tied around her body - Loop’s work, no doubt. “PH left the EPF.”

“Wait, she what?!” Blue asked, her eyes widening once more. “Since when?”

“She quit soon after it was decided we’d become the island’s main security agency. Decided she wanted to focus more on exploring the Wilderness and training and caring for puffles, instead of secret agent work.” Jet Pack Guy explained, walking closer to them. Flit immediately flew over to him, landing on top of his head and earning a tiny smile from the normally serious penguin.

“I- I mean, fair enough, but…” Blue turned to watch the chaos unfolding around them once again. On the other side of the room, Blast used a cannon to launch himself over a row of computers. “Who handles the Elite Puffles now?”

“PH has trained a whole specialized team dedicated to work with the Elite Puffles before leaving. Though we plan on expanding that so their skills are available to all agents.” G stated, as the bubble he was trapped inside slowly floated towards them. “We have already contacted one of the handlers, and they’re on their way. And hopefully they’ll get here sooner rather than later - we could really use a Puffle Whistle before these little creatures destroy the Command Room.” he muttered, watching as Chill froze the whole water dispenser next to the meeting table.

Blue raised a brow. “Well, a Puffle Whistle isn’t the only way to get to a puffle.”

“You have a plan?” Rookie asked, shaking the snow off his cap as he approached the group.

“I’ll be back.” she said, grinning as he took her Spy Phone from her pocket. “With treats.”

It still took some chasing the puffles around the Command Room for a while, but now armed with food and with three of the Elite Puffles on their side, soon the agents managed to get the situation back under control and group all the rogue puffles together next to the meeting table.

“Seriously, you guys can’t start misbehaving like that just because PH isn’t around.” Blue sternly told them - though her attempt at being stern was utterly foiled by how adorable all of them looked while eating. They didn’t even have the decency to look guilty. “You are EPF agents, and you need to act like it.”

“Man, these little dudes sure are a wild card, huh?” Rookie smiled. “We should get you a Puffle Whistle, Blue. You’d be even better at handling the puffles then.”

Blue chuckled. “Yeah, well, I don’t think puffle handling is really for me, actually. I always did things my own way - and don’t plan on changing it.”

“Ah, Blue! It’s great to see you!” Dot jumped at Blue as she walked into the Command Room, a huge grin on her face. “Me and the boys need your opinion on a very urgent matter!”

Before Blue could ask what was up, Dot grabbed her by the flipper and dragged her towards the meeting table. Rookie, Jet and G were already waiting for them there, as well as the Director - and wow, their presence was even more intimidating when their silhouette was being shown on a huge screen instead of a tiny monitor.

Dot sat down on one of the empty chairs, motioning for Blue to sit down as well. She obeyed, trying not to look too confused as she looked at the others.

“Glad you could join us today, Agent B.” the Director greeted her. “We are preparing to get the Elite Gear available to our agents over the next months. Our plan is to allow the EPF members to specialize and improve their skills in their preferred field.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about that. The Classes, right?” Blue asked. “Though I don’t know much about it yet, to be honest.”

“We’ll be making more information about them available in the future, according to the training progress shown by our agents.” G stated. “For now, we just wanted to introduce you to the initial gear designed for each Class. Dot, Jet Pack Guy, Rookie and I will each be responsible and act as the lead for one of them.”

Blue’s brows shot up, and she turned to look at her friends. “Wow, look at you guys, getting promoted and not even telling me. Congrats!” she grinned, earning an eye roll from Dot and an even larger grin back from Rookie. “I’m interested. Let’s see what you got.”

“Well, since clothing and accessories are my specialty - I’ll go first.” Dot smiled, getting up. The metallic center of the table retracted, and from the hole came out what looked to be like a mannequin wearing some gear. “The Stealth Gear Set consists of a pair of Dark Vision Goggles, a Canister Camouflage powered by a high-tech Blue Power Cell - thanks for the help with that, Gary - and a pair of Sneak-ers.” she grinned proudly. “It’s the perfect gear for infiltration missions and for when you’d need to go unnoticed. Nobody would pay any mind to a trash can.”

“Excellent, Agent D.” the Director sounded pleased. “Surely the Stealth agents will greatly benefit from this Elite Gear. G, proceed.”

He got up, cleared his throat, and fixed his glasses. “I have prepared a set of basic equipment for our Tech specialists.” he smiled, as the mannequin in the center of the table was lowered back down and then replaced by another. “An Optic Headset for info and comms, the Tech Satchel and Tech-book 3000 for every gadget and functionality they could need while on the field - and a Tech Coat, for comfort and practicality.” he stated. “Perfectly designed gear so our Tech Class will be able to fully take advantage of EPF technology.”

“Remarkable, G. They will be capable of much under your lead.” the Director stated. “Jet Pack Guy?”

Serious as always, he stood up, his back completely straight. The mannequin on the table changed once more. “As Tactical lead, I propose a gear set that will be useful to our agents working on dangerous field missions. A H2O Pack, a Range Finder, Tactical Gear, and Tactical Boots.” he stated in an even voice. “All designed to protect our Tactical agents and assist them in efficiently performing their duties.”

“No jetpacks?” Blue couldn’t stop herself from quietly commenting. At her side, Rookie snickered.

Jet turned a serious look at her, raising a brow - though his mouth was pressed together to hide a barely-contained smile. “It was in my first draft. The Director vetoed it.”

“Thank you, Jet Pack Guy.” they interrupted. “Your tactical expertise will be very useful in training our new agents. Now, Rookie?”

He excitedly got up. “Hey! As Comms lead, I got some really cool new gear for our agents!” he said, pointing at the new equipment on the desk. “A Comm Helmet, for quick communication between agents, a Sat-Pack, to facilitate coordination while on the field, and Comm Gear and Comm Boots to complete the set! With all this gear, our Comm agents won’t let anything in the island go unnoticed.”

“You guys are really bad with names.” Dot joked. “You don’t have to put the class name on every piece of gear, you know?”

“Very good, Rookie.” the Director said. “Outstanding work, all of you. We’re ready to begin development and production of the Elite Gear.”

“These were only the prototypes, then?” Blue asked, confused.

“Still only projects.” G confirmed. “But we’re ready to move forward with them now. As the Director stated previously, our projection is to make the final versions available to all agents within the next few months.”

“Oh. Right.” Blue said, frowning. “So… with all due respect, why was I invited to this meeting again?”

The Director let out a short chuckle. “The others requested your presence.”

“So you can already start thinking about which Class you’re gonna join!” Rookie said, beaming.

Blue’s eyes widened. “Uh, say what?”

“We talked about this already, agents.” G confidently said. “Agent B has been training under me since her first PSA assignments, and has shown great skills while dealing with gadgets and technology. Her creative thinking and problem solving are perfect for a Tech agent.”

“Sorry G, but you didn’t see what she was like while I was giving her some stealth classes.” Dot interrupted with a grin. “It’s promising, I’ll tell you that. With just a little more training, she would turn into a prime Stealth class agent.”

“You’re both wrong.” Jet Pack Guy stated. “Agent B is at her best on practical field missions - and she’s the best snowball slinger we have on the force. She’s been training for that for just as long - her place is with the Tactical class.”

“Ooookay, but - what if she joined the Comms?” Rookie turned to her with a smile. “... I don’t really have any arguments for it, but it would be cool, right, Blue?”

Blue merely blinked, her eyes moving from one agent to the other. Well… this was awkward.

“Agent B does not have to decide anything right away. We’ll give our agents more info over the next few weeks so they can decide which path they wish to follow.” the Director interrupted the discussion, their voice leaving no space for arguments. “For now, the gear prototypes will be moved to the Gadget Room, and development will begin soon. Meeting adjourned.”

With four short nods, the other agents got up and walked away from the table - G went straight for the Gadget Room, while the others went to different places.

Blue, however, remained seated, with a frown on her face. She raised her eyes up to the large screen - and to her surprise, the Director hadn’t left, either.

“You seem to be pondering something, Agent B.” they stated, seeming interested. “Do you have any input regarding the Elite Gear or the agent Classes?”

“... you know, I think I do, actually.” she admitted. “Having those specialized classes is fun and all, and I’m sure they will be greatly beneficial for the EPF, but… maybe we should, uh. Have an option for the agents who don’t want that?”

There was a brief pause, and Blue began to wonder if she’d said something wrong. “Elaborate.” the Director requested.

“I mean. Back with the PSA, I trained as many of my skills as I could. Tech with G, physical training with Jet, and even stealth with Dot later on. I don’t want to choose just one of these to focus on; I like being a combination of all that. I think it makes me a better agent.” she argued. “And I mean, I know I’m not gonna be the best at any of them, but - I get to be flexible, you know? Be prepared for anything. I don’t want to limit what I can do.” a small pause. “And I think there are other agents who would agree with me.”

The Director leaned their head to the side. “And what do you suggest as an alternative?”

“... well.” Blue hesitated, already thinking about what she wanted to do. “If you’ll allow me - and if G and Dot are willing to help me out…” she smiled. “I would like to propose the creation of a fifth Class.”

“I really shouldn’t have expected anything else coming from you, Agent B.” G commented a few days later, with a smile, as they watched the agents around the Command Room begin to wear the first Elite Gear sets made available to them.

The Basic Sets Alpha & Delta were quickly becoming popular as the uniform of the Agent Class - the new starting Class of every EPF recruit.

“We really should have guessed from the start that you would want to remain flexible as an agent.” G continued, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Still. Can’t believe you’re this bad at names too, Ace.” Dot teased. “Agent Class? Seriously?”

Blue laughed. “It’s a good name! It describes our job perfectly.”

“We should probably refer to them as Generalists. Just to differentiate from ‘agent’ as a broader term.” G suggested.

“... well, I can agree with that.”

The new uniforms were basically a modernization of the old PSA suits - just like the Generalists duties were most similar to the ones of the previous secret agency. Blue was glad that, even after everything, she managed to hold on to this small piece of familiarity.

“But yeah, I have to admit, this was a genuinely good idea.” Dot continued.

“Indeed. Having agents with a broader skill set around will be just as valuable to us as having specialized agents.” G agreed. “Even if it is a shame I won’t have Agent B on my team.”

“Or mine.” Dot laughed.

“As if you guys would even need that to make me work for you.” Blue snorted. “Regardless of Class, I’m still at your command, bosses.” she did a mocking salute.

“... speaking of bosses.” D said quietly. “The Generalists are gonna need a lead, too, aren’t they?”

Blue frowned. “I mean, that’s the Director. They’re the leader of all agents. And you guys too, technically - we’re gonna take orders from all leads. If anything, we have too many bosses.” she joked.

Dot blinked. “No, I meant - actually, nevermind.” she sighed, shaking her head with a smile. “Say, Blue, aren’t you gonna change your uniform as well? You’ve been wearing that same hat and suit for over a year now - don’t you want a change of pace?”

“Oh no no no - no redesigns for me, Dot. I’m perfectly happy with my outfit, and I’ll be wearing it for as long as I can.”

Soon after that, the Field-Ops started.

With the Command Room finished, all systems in place, and the agents well trained and equipped, the Elite Penguin Force was, finally, fully operational.

And sure, they still had plans for improvements and upgrades, to make sure they would always be up to the task of defending the island - but now the foundation was set in place so that the protectors of Club Penguin could finally work at full efficiency once again. The EPF agents were ready to go out on patrols, work on missions, help penguins, and fill in reports - digital reports, this time.

The hole the PSA destruction had left behind was finally filled.

“I’m proud of you all, agents.” the Director told them all from their screen, as every single EPF agent gathered around the Command Room to listen to their words. The Class leads were sitting at the meeting table - from the crowd, Blue watched them with a grin. “Everyone has worked superbly to get us to this point. From today on, the EPF will be ready for any challenge that crosses our way. So feel free to celebrate - this is all thanks to you.”

As the agents around her cheered and congratulated each other, Blue’s eyes crossed with her friend’s. She grinned at them, and they returned proud looks of their own.

“We’ll continue to fulfill our duties. And remember, everyone: be resourceful, be remarkable, be ready.”

The Elite Penguin Force was ready to go.

Chapter Text

“... and that’s why I was banned from playing Puffle Roundup ever again.” Rookie solemnly finished his story, taking a huge bite out of the pizza slice he was holding.

“I’m having trouble even imagining how that happened.” Jet Pack Guy admitted, staring at their table with a focused look on his face. “That’s so many puffles involved - and how did you get that much cotton candy to begin with?”

“It was during The Fair!”

Blue chuckled, finishing a slice of her fish shrimp pizza and immediately reaching for another one. “The Pet Shop Clerk is a cool dude. I’m sure they’ll forgive you soon, Rookie.” she assured him, looking around the Pizza Parlor. The table the four had picked gave her a good advantage point to watch over the whole room.

Not that it was necessary - the place was busier than usual, but nothing seemed suspicious or out of place. Besides, it was their lunch break.

“And you could always find a disguise if they don’t.” Dot casually suggested, sipping her cream soda. “Can’t ban you if they don’t recognize you.”

“Dot, why are costumes and disguises your go-to solution for every problem?”

“I mean, they never failed me before!”

Blue opened her mouth to counter, but a quiet buzz coming from her pocket silenced her. And based on the looks on the other’s faces, they’d felt the same thing.

“Did you guys also-?” Dot asked quietly.

“Yes.” Jet said, the casualness he’d shown over the past few moments slipping from his attitude. “We should go.”

“Aw, can’t we at least finish our food first?” Rookie whined, looking at the two half finished pizzas that were still on their table.

“Don’t think so.” Blue replied in a low voice, looking at the phone she took out of her pocket, carefully keeping it hidden from the view of the civilians around. “It’s the Director. Seems fairly urgent.”

“Then let’s go.” Dot said, already getting up and motioning for the others to do the same. “We can find a better place to teleport outside.”

As they walked towards the exit, Blue’s eyes crossed the ones of the Pizza Chef, who was standing behind the counter. He looked at her friends, then at the table they’d just left, with the pizzas still on it, and then turned back to her with a discreet but sure nod.

Blue contained a smile. There were at least some privileges to having the island Pizza Chef know her secret identity as an agent - she was sure that, somehow, their leftovers would find their way to her igloo later that day.

-

The four agents arrived at the Command Room to find the place eerily silent - and completely empty.

Frowning at each other with confusion, they waddled towards the meeting table and sat down on the chairs.

“I wonder what’s going on here.” Jet muttered quietly.

“I’m hoping it’s a party.” Rookie grinned.

“Somehow I really doubt it, Rookie.” Blue said. “But I am curious, too. The Director didn’t say much.”

“Whatever it is, I’m guessing it’s just the four of us.” Dot said, looking around the room, as if expecting someone else to appear at any moment.

At that moment, a loud noise came from the large screen next to them as it turned on, and the Director suddenly appeared before them. “Greetings, everyone. Thank you for coming.”

“Director.” they all greeted back. Blue nodded shortly, and Rookie saluted with a smile.

“Allow me to explain why you’re here. Considering your skills and your positions in the EPF, each of you has been selected to participate in an important test.” they stated. “You are all here because you are the best of the best. And we need the best...”

Blue straightened her posture. That sounded serious. “For what? What’s going on?”

“We are creating a new team within the EPF, whose only job will be to stop Herbert.” the Director announced.

Her brows raising the slightest bit, Blue took a quick glance at her friends. Nobody seemed particularly surprised. After what happened to the PSA, it was only natural that Herbert would be one of the EPF’s main priorities.

It made sense why she was called with everyone else, now. She wasn’t a lead, but dealing with Herbert had basically been her job ever since the bear first started causing trouble on the island. She doubted working on this new team would be too different from what she was already used to.

The Director’s next words, however, got her attention once more. “The purpose of today’s test is to select one of you for the job of Team Leader. Any questions?”

Many, actually. “What sort of test will we need to do?” Blue asked, trying not to sound too eager.

“The details of the tests will be kept secret until you decide to take them.” the Director stated in a very serious voice.

“What happens if we don’t get selected to be leader?” Rookie asked, a small trace of worry in his voice.

“Although only one of you will be selected to be leader, you have all proven yourselves to be highly skilled. Regardless of how well you do, we want you four agents on the team.”

“So we’re all gonna work together on a team again? Awesome!” he cheered. “The Waddle Squad is back!”

Blue frowned. “Waddle Squad?”

“Yeah! That time we teamed up to capture Herbert with the fake golden puffle, remember?” Rookie enthusiastically told them. “That was our team name! I came up with it myself.”

Jet and Blue looked at each other. “I don’t remember that name ever being mentioned.” he admitted.

“Me neither.”

“Really?” Rookie frowned, confused. “I could swear I told you guys about it. I put it on my report - it was on the files!”

Blue made a mental note to check that out later. “Still, it’s not the same. We have Dot now, too.” she reminded him.

“Well, in that case…” Rookie grinned. “Waddle Squad 2.0!”

Dot grinned. “Whatever the name, I’m glad to be part of the squad with you guys.”

“I mean, if we’re going back to that, then why isn’t Agent B leading the team again?” Jet asked the Director respectfully. “She did great last time. Why the test now?”

Four pairs of eyes turned to the screen. “I’m sure I do not need to tell you our current circumstances are far different than they were back then. Besides Agent B, all three of you are EPF leaders now.” ouch. “All of you are more than capable to lead a squad - but the test will show who has the skills the Team Leader will need for the missions you have ahead of you.” there was a small pause, and when the Director spoke once more, their voice sounded amused. “You shouldn’t forget that this is Agent B’s first official mission as an EPF agent. The tests will be a good warm up, I believe.”

Blue nearly smiled. First ‘official’ mission, yes. But she’d already been warmed up and ready to go for a long time. “Well, in that case, I’m ready to give you guys a run for your money.” she turned a challenging smile to her friends.

“Sorry, Ace, but I’ve been doing this for far longer than you have, and I’m not ready to start taking orders from you yet.” Dot shot back at her, the grin in her face showing she had accepted Blue’s challenge.

“I think I’m perfectly capable of leading this team as well, and I’m ready to prove it.” Jet crossed his flippers, looking at the two of them.

“Well, what are we waiting for, then?” Rookie grinned.

The Director interrupted them. “The EPF needs your decision. Will you join this special unit, do your best to prove yourselves, and help stop Herbert?”

“Yes, Director. Without a doubt.”

“I’m in it! Or on it… I mean, yes!”

“Just point me at the first test. Ready for lift-off.”

Blue confidently smiled. “I’m in, Director”

“Excellent. We shall begin immediately.” the Director said, clearly pleased. “You will now be teleported to the testing facility. Good luck, everyone. Be resourceful, be remarkable, be ready.”

And, in a flash of blue light, the four agents disappeared from the Command Room.

-

Blue suddenly found herself in a much darker place. She blinked a couple of times, and as her eyes got used to the sudden darkness, she realized she was in a cave. Possibly at the Mine? A quick glance around confirmed the others had been teleported there as well. It was nice to know she wasn’t alone.

“This is the ‘testing facility’, then?” Dot looked around. “Just a mine cave?”

There were tubes high on the walls, right next to the cave ceiling, and several passages around them were blocked by metal doors. “Well, it’s clear that the EPF has done some work around here.” Blue told the others. “You guys didn’t know about this?”

“Not at all!” Rookie said. “They kept it a secret even from us. I wonder what we’re supposed to do here?”

“I guess figuring it out is part of the test.” Jet muttered, also looking around.

“This cave seems familiar…” Blue said quietly. Besides all the locked doors, there was only one path for them to move forward. “Should we go ahead?”

“Absolutely! Let’s go, guys!” Dot said, determined, leading the way. Sharing a brief glance, the others followed her, all four penguins eager to see what challenges awaited for them ahead.

They all had some guesses - but none of them were expecting the large underground river that appeared in their path, stopping them from moving forwards.

“Whoa! Look at the size of this river!” Rookie said loudly, clearly impressed, as he leaned forwards to take a better look at it. “I wonder where it leads…”

Without taking her eyes off the water, Dot put a flipper on Rookie’s shoulder and pulled him back from the river’s edge. “I think the point is not to find out, Rookie.”

“... so, is this the first test, or do we need to cross it to get to the actual test?” Blue wondered out loud with a small smile. “Either way, it looks fun.”

At their side, Jet Pack Guy laughed quietly. “Well, I don’t know about you guys, but I’m outta here.” and without another word, he took off, flying over the river and landing on the other side without any effort. He turned and waved at them.

“Hey! No fair! He never takes that jet pack off!” Rookie whined. “I even saw him swimming laps with it on, once…”

Dot shook her head. “He should come back and help us across too, instead of just sitting there looking smug about it.”

“Nah. We can cross this river our own way, too.” Blue said, looking around and spotting a cardboard box and a pile of several items in the corner nearby. Probably left there for them to use. “Come on - let’s figure something out.”

“Hmm… What’s a disguise gal to do?” Dot muttered to herself, looking through the contents of the box. “I wonder if I could make an effective suit from this stuff…”

“Ooh! I’ve got a rubber ducky! I’m using this for sure!” Rookie celebrated.

Blue frowned at them. “Are you guys planning on just… swimming through the river?” she asked them, looking back at the water. The current seemed pretty strong - not impossible to go through, but it would be unpleasant.

“The right disguise does wonders for a penguin’s mindset, Ace.” Dot said. “You should try it sometime.”

“Noted. But for now, I’m gonna look for a dryer solution.” Blue joked.

Looking at what was left in the box after Dot and Rookie were done, she managed to find two leftover items that could still be useful - a hook and a rope. And sure, a grappling hook wasn’t really gonna help her cross the water, but the item had helped her through enough situations that she wasn’t gonna pass the opportunity to get one.

Other than that, though, there wasn’t much left - only a disassembled jackhammer. And although the idea of digging a tunnel under the river to the other side crossed her mind, she wasn’t really keen on the idea of making the others wait for her for the hours it would take to dig something like that.

She looked at Dot and Rookie, still busy with their own plans, and then at Jet, who was no longer pretending to mock them about his victory and was just watching the three of them carefully. Well, good to know he’d come to the rescue if one of them was taken by the current, at least.

Running out of ideas, she just looked at the river. She noticed some small stones above the water surface - they were pretty small, but close enough that she would probably be able to jump between them until she reached the other side of the river. It would just be, you know, very hard and extremely risky.

Blue didn’t spend all those hours on Puffle Rescue for nothing, though.

Holding her new grappling hook on her shoulder, she approached the water and, without hesitating much, jumped to the first rock, managing to hold herself up with a single foot on it. From there, she jumped to the second rock, and then the third. Even if she couldn’t turn to look at them, she noticed the moment Dot jumped on the water, followed by Rookie. She also noticed Jet not so subtly moving closer to them all, seeming ready to take off at a moment’s notice.

Still, everything went swiftly, and Blue was the second one to reach the other side of the river. Wiping the sweat off her forehead, she turned to Jet, laughing at the aghast look on his face.

“I genuinely can’t tell which one of you three is the crazier one.” he deadpanned.

Blue chuckled, turning to watch Dot arrive. She seemed just fine - apparently, swimming through the river didn’t tire her at all. And she was also somehow wearing a very well made Fluffy costume. Blue had to wonder how she even managed to make it only with the items they had down there.

“I told you.” Dot grinned in response to Blue’s surprised look, tapping her head as she moved to take off the costume. “It’s the mindset. If you believe you’re a Fluffy, then it all makes sense.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

And this was when Rookie finally reached them, exhausted and gasping for air after all that swimming, holding onto the rubber duck for dear life as he threw himself on solid ground.

“Gah… I…” he wheezed, tapping the duck. “I did it…”

Blue shook her head with a smile, moving to get her friend fully off the river and helping him sit down next to the others. “You good, Rookie?” she asked, keeping a flipper on his back as he tried to catch his breath.

“Yeah, ‘course…” he vaguely waved a flipper at her. Still, he did seem like he was gonna be fine.

And this was the moment Jet decided to get back to gloating. “Looks like I came in first.” he let them see a small, satisfied smile.

“Yeah, because that was totally deserved, Mr. Jet Pack.” Dot called him out.

“Well, I’m not the only one whose equipment is ‘fishy’.”

“Was that a joke, Jet?” Blue grinned in delight at him. 

“A really bad one.” Dot laughed. “I’d leave the jokes to someone else, Guy.”

“Noted.”

“I just need… to catch… my breath…” Rookie said, still heavily breathing.

Blue patted his back lightly. “You know, it is quite impressive that you managed to swim across the river with just a rubber duck. Dot’s suit at least was a proper swimming suit.” she noted. “Still, we should probably try to figure out something less risky next time. That was a little dangerous.”

“Like skipping over tiny rocks wasn’t?” Jet questioned.

Blue shrugged. “I had it all under control.”

“I’ve seen her rescuing puffles on the Ice Levels a few times before. Blue’s very good at jumping on platforms like that.”

“See? Thanks, Dot - wait, hold on, when exactly did you see me there?”

“Disguise Gal, Ace. I can be everywhere.”

“Okay… I’m good.” Rookie interrupted them, getting up almost without using Blue for support. She was relieved to notice that his breathing had mostly returned to normal.

“Right, let’s move, then.” Dot said, turning serious once more.

Blue turned to Jet with a mischievous look in her eyes. “You can lead the way this time, since you’re so much better than the rest of us non-flying mortals.”

He huffed, pressing his mouth to hide a smile as Rookie started chuckling. Still, he did as she said and led the way, with the other three following close behind.

Soon enough, however, they found themselves at a dead end - or at least what seemed like one at a first glance. Blue looked up, and even in the dark cave she managed to see the top of the wall, way above them; they probably had to reach it to move on.

“Aww man! How are we supposed to find the next test with this cliff in the way!” Rookie complained.

Dot chuckled. “I think this IS the next test, Rookie.”

“Looks like we need to reach the top…” Jet said, not even trying to hide his smile anymore. “You know, these tests are a lot easier than I was expecting. See you guys at the finish line.” and once more, he took off and flew to the top of the cliff without even looking back.

The other three penguins watched him go, not even knowing how to react.

After a moment, Dot sighed. “You know, I’m beginning to think I chose the wrong thing to be good at…”

Blue shook her head. “This is just like training with him used to be. Jet’s way too competitive for his own good.” she said, but there was a smile on her face despite her words. She raised her voice, yelling after the flying agent. “A Team Leader will need more than just a jetpack!”

“You have to admit it’s impressive, though.” Rookie grinned. “Like, one time I saw him trying to breakdance with that jetpack on! That takes skills.” he chuckled. “Talk about setting the dance floor on fire!”

“Still, Blue’s right. Guy’s a great pilot, but we’ve got our own skills.” Dot smiled. “We can do this, too.”

“You guys still have the items you picked up from before, right?” Blue asked them. “You could try making something out of it.”

“Oh, I already have some ideas.” Dot grinned.

“Let’s do it!” Rookie cheered - but immediately interrupted himself with a sigh. “I wish I could fly like Jet Pack Guy…”

Blue chuckled, stepping closer to him and raising a flipper to his cap, tapping the propeller to make it spin. “I’m sure you’ll figure something out.” she winked, watching as Rookie held his cap with both flippers, a thoughtful look on his face.

“And what about you?” Dot asked.

Blue grinned, picking up the grappling hook from before. “I already have my way up.” she laughed, stepping closer to the cliff. “Good luck, guys - see you up there!”

She began climbing, the action very familiar to her by now. As she approached the top, step by step, Blue felt her confidence growing - not only in herself, but in her friends, as well. She knew how resourceful Dot and Rookie could be; they’d be able to reach the top as well.

Once more, she arrived at second place, and was greeted by Jet offering a flipper to help her get all the way up the cliff. “If I win, my first act as Team Leader is gonna be to confiscate that jet pack of yours. Then we’ll see how well you do.” she jokingly threatened him.

Jet raised a brow. “I’d like to see you try.”

They stood there for a few more moments, waiting for their friends. Blue was the first to hear the rustling approaching them, and turned to the cliff only to freeze at the sight of a huge, hairy spider climbing to the top. It took her a moment to realize that it was Dot wearing a disguise.

“Great climb!” Dot smiled at them, patting one of the spider’s arms. “I found this costume really inspired me to go faster.”

“That’s great! Now please take it off.” Blue asked with a strained smile and in a slightly-too-high-pitched voice, taking a step back and ignoring the scream that had gotten stuck in her throat the moment she saw the other agent. She did not like spiders.

As Dot moved to do exactly that without complaining, they heard something moving fast through the air, and turned once more to see Rookie appear; he was using his propeller cap to float graciously through the air - except his cap now had a huge propeller. With a… fish stuck at the end, for some reason.

He landed right next to his friends, looking very proud of himself. “This fish gave me the idea to make my propellers bigger so that I could fly.” he announced.

Blue crossed her flippers, raising a brow at him. “The fish gave you the idea?” she asked. Rookie merely grinned at her. “Well, nevermind that. It looks like the competition is close so far.”

“Definitely. I haven’t come in first or last yet.” Dot said.

“Woohoo! Time for a strong finish! Rookie’s still in the game!”

“I came in first literally every time so far - how is the competition close?” Jet crossed his flippers.

“Well, as far as we know, nobody said the point of the test was to finish first.” Blue pointed out with a smile.

“What else would they be testing?” he raised a brow at her.

She shrugged. “Creativity? Resourcefulness? Teamwork?”

“Ooh, if that’s the case, then I have bad news for you, Guy.” Dot lightly elbowed him. “You’re probably behind even Rookie over here.”

He scoffed. “That would never happen.”

“Hey!”

“I’m just saying… I doubt the Director would just make every part of the test rigged to favor jetpack pilots.” Blue wondered, tapping her beak. “There’s more to this test than that.”

“So, what’s next?” Dot wondered.

The four agents turned to study their surroundings. At this point, Blue finally recognized where they were - this was the old mine cave where she’d rescued G after he had an accident with a minecart. Apparently the EPF had decided to take over those tunnels after the incident.

She waddled over to the path they’d taken back then to move forward - the other three followed her, and they soon found themselves looking at a locked gate. “Hmm… looks like we need to find a way through these bars.” Jet suggested.

“Why don’t you try flying through them?” Blue joked, earning a glare in return.

“I don’t suppose you could disguise yourself as a thin piece of paper or something, Dot?” Rookie suggested.

“Oh I could, for sure, but I don’t have the right materials…” Dot grumbled.

Blue leaned closer to the gate to take a better look. “We should work together for this one. What do you guys got? Any ideas?”

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing. I didn’t even pick up any items, and we left that box behind…” Jet sighed. “Bad idea.”

“Maybe I should try disguising the door… as an open door?...” Dot mumbled. “No wait, that’s silly.”

“Maybe I can make something that will scare the bars away… What are bars afraid of?”

“Steel bars aren’t really afraid of anything, Rookie.” Blue shook her head. “Okay, let’s try something else, then. What items do you guys still have with you?”

“Uh- here, take this pole.” Rookie smiled, giving her the stick he’d used to make his propeller bigger, sans fish. It actually just looked like a broomstick. “The fish went home.” he casually explained.

“Yeah, because that makes perfect sense. Dot?”

“Hmm… I guess combining our items will definitely open up new options. Here, take this belt.” Dot said, holding out a leather belt to Blue. “It’s the most useful item I have. And I know you have experience with using those to creatively solve problems.” she laughed.

Blue rolled her eyes. “Let’s not talk about that right now.”

“All I’ve got now is my jetpack.” Jet said, already moving to take it off. “Here, take it - it’s not really helping me at this moment.”

The four agents made a circle around the items they managed to gather, staring at them intently.

“I can’t think of a good disguise to make out of these.” Dot admitted.

“Do you have a plan yet?” Rookie turned to Blue. “I sure don’t!”

“Hold on, I’m thinking.” Blue muttered, looking from their small pile of possible solutions to the gate. Unlocking the door wasn’t really a possibility, so they would need to go through the bars - either removing or bending them to make enough room for a penguin.

The leather belt was very strong and resistant - that she knew by experience. The broomstick also seemed fairly sturdy, and the jetpack had plenty of fuel left. If she could tie everything together the right way, perhaps the jetpack’s speed would generate enough force to bend the metal bars and allow them to go through.

Well, it was worth a shot. “Alright, I’ve got an idea. Let me try something.” she said, gathering the items and waddling over to the gate as the other gave her enough room to work.

She tied the belt around the gate’s two metal bars, used the jetpack’s strap to tie it to the end of the stick and then passed it through the belt horizontally. Starting the jetpack, she took a step back and watched as her weird contraption started rotating around the belt, making it twist and pull the two bars it was tied to closer together with some impressive force. When she turned off the jetpack, the bars were touching each other in the middle, and there was enough space on both sides for all four of them to go through.

“Whoa!” Rookie stepped closer with wide eyes, taking a better look at the belt. “I’d have never thought of doing that!”

“Great job, Ace!” Dot smiled, giving her a pat on the back.

“All in a day’s work.” Blue chuckled. To be fair, even she thought this was a bit of a reach - but thankfully, it still worked just fine. “Thanks for the help with the extra items, everyone.”

“Sure! You can buy me a new belt after we’re out of here.”

“Oh, come on, now.”

“Let’s go.” Jet called them, retrieving his jetpack from the now useless gate. “We’ve already completed three challenges…”

“Do you think the next one might be the last?” Dot wondered.

“What are we waiting for, then? Let’s get moving!” Rookie cheered, excited.

Blue smiled. “Alright, come on then.”

Blue was the first to walk through the gate, aware of her friends right behind her. After walking for a few minutes, they found themselves face to face with another wall - a metal wall, this time, with the EPF shield engraved on it.

“Oh my.” Dot muttered, staring at a sign to their left. “We need to get over the wall without any equipment.”

“Well, that doesn’t sound so bad. We’ll just fly over!”

“No equipment, Rookie.” Jet reminded him.

“Oh, right. Umm… I’m outta ideas.”

“This one is tricky. What am I supposed to do without my disguises?”

“Or my jetpack?”

“Or my rubber ducky! He’d know what to do…”

“Stay calm, guys.” Blue said, looking around - but the room around them was empty. No items anywhere. “If there’s a problem, then there’s a solution. We’ll figure this one out.” If they couldn’t use items, then all they could count on were their own skills.

“If I can teach the wall how to speak, then we could ask it nicely to move out of the way…” Rookie wondered quietly to himself.

“I don’t think the wall is sentient, Rookie.”

“Maybe the wall isn’t as strong as it looks. Maybe it can be pushed over?” Dot suggested, walking up to the wall. Putting her flippers on the metal, she pushed with all her strength - but nothing happened. The wall didn’t even move an inch. “No, I guess not…” she stepped back with an embarrassed chuckle.

“Yeah, I’ve got nothing again.” Jet grumbled. “This would be so easy with my jetpack. But I guess that’s the point.” he sighed. “Me and walls just don’t get along…”

Blue looked between her friends and the wall, thoughtful. It was too smooth to climb, and too tall for a penguin to be able to get over it alone.

That’s when it clicked. She blinked, looking at the others. They had more than just their own skills, after all - they still could count on each other.

“Maybe this is a door in disguise… nope, guess not.” Dot sighed.

“What if we wait here for the Director to get bored and come find us?” Rookie suggested, sounding way too honest about it.

“Guys, I’ve got it.” Blue smiled. The others turned all their attention to her, Jet muttering a ‘thank goodness’ under his breath. “If we climb on each other’s shoulders, we should be tall enough to reach the top.”

They stared at her in silence for a moment. “... I’m game to try it.” Jet finally said.

“Aha! The wall’s only weakness… teamwork!” Rookie yelled, earning chuckles from the others.

“Okay, let’s figure this out.” Blue said. “Rookie, you’ll climb on Dot’s shoulders. Jet, help me lift them up - I’ll stay here at the bottom. Let’s do this!”

It took them a few minutes, but the EPF Agent Tower was a success. At the top, Rookie easily jumped over the wall; Dot managed to grab it at the top and pull herself up over it. Jet tried to do it as well, but couldn’t quite reach it - Dot came back and reached a flipper to help pull him up. With all her friends over the wall, Blue smiled - before realizing a small problem with her plan.

“Arg! Sorry, Ace! You’re too far out of reach!” Dot called out from the other side of the metal wall.

“Wait here! We’ll find a way to get you over!” Jet promised.

“Hey, what does this button do?” Rookie wondered.

A quiet ‘click’ echoed through the wall, and then the metal wall slid away to the side, allowing Blue to walk through. The others were waiting for her with satisfied smiles.

Blue walked to them, letting out a snort as she lightly elbowed Dot. “Hey, you were right after all - it really was a door in disguise!”

Dot laughed as well, but before they could say anything else, a screen slid down from the ceiling and the Director stood in front of them once more. “Congratulations, Agent B. You successfully solved the final challenge.”

Blue blinked, staring at the screen. “Wait, but everyone got over the wall. How did I solve it?”

“The final challenge was not just getting over the wall.” the Director explained. “It was figuring out a way to do it, and doing what was best for the team. During all the tests, you demonstrated great thinking, and a willingness to help your teammates over yourself.”

Blue took in a sharp breath. To be entirely honest, that… wasn’t really what she was trying to do at the wall - it was more a miscalculation than a conscious decision to stay behind for the others’ sake. And sure, she would do it without hesitating if it was necessary, but - well, regardless, this was not the best moment to bring any of that up.

Thankfully, the Director didn’t seem to notice anything weird with her reaction, moving on with their speech. “And that’s just the kind of penguin we need leading this team.”

At those words, Blue blinked, snapping out of her quiet though spiral. “Wait, are you saying…”

“Agent B. For quick thinking, superb teamwork, and for putting your team before yourself, it is my honor to award you with the rank of Team Leader of the Elite Penguin Force.” the Director announced, with a smile in their voice.

“Well done!” Dot grinned.

“What a surprise.” Jet commented. “You’re the one who got us through the hardest parts. Definitely deserved.”

“It must have been close…” Rookie tilted his head at her with a cheeky smile. “But I guess you did do better than I did.”

That earned a snort from Blue. “Told you guys I was gonna give you a run for your money.”

“The rest of you will now be reporting to Agent B as your mission leader.” the Director ordered. “Your mission will be starting very soon, for we believe that Herbert is up to something. Something big. Be ready to move out at any time.”

Without a word, the four agents straightened up their postures, each giving the screen a determined nod.

“Any words to add, Agent B?”

Blue gave them all a confident smile. “Let’s catch us a polar bear.”

Chapter Text

Blue was called over by the Director to the Command Room the very next day. When she arrived, they were already on the screen waiting for her, while her team, as well as G, were sitting on the chairs around the meeting table.

She joined them, sitting down at the empty space they’d left for her.

“Welcome, Agent B.” the Director greeted her. “Now that everyone is here, your team’s first mission begins immediately. Are you ready?”

“Yes, Director.” she replied in a formal manner - before giving the others a grin. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“First, we need more info on Herbert.” they stated. “Your orders are to find his base, and discover what he is up to.”

“Remember that no matter what happens, protecting the secrecy of the EPF is your number one priority.” G told the team with a serious voice.

“Indeed. Herbert must not know we’re after him.” the Director confirmed. “With the PSA being destroyed, he likely thinks he’s safe, and is planning something big.”

“So keeping him in the dark about the EPF’s existence is gonna give us a tactical advantage.” Jet pointed out, earning a nod from Dot.

“Herbert is both very resourceful and very lucky. If we intend to capture him, we need the element of surprise.” G concluded.

Blue nodded, following the explanation so far. “I see. Find his base and don’t let him catch us. So… do we have a plan?”

“Considering your set of skills, we believe you would be the best agent to act on the field for this one, Agent B.” the Director informed her. “So, to help keep yourself secret, you will need a disguise. Agent D?”

Dot smiled, turning to Blue. “For this mission, the Director asked me to get something special for you, chief.” she chuckled. Blue stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the nickname.

From the metal circle at the center of the table, something appeared. It was big, very red, and didn’t seem to have any distinct shape at first - it took a while for Blue to realize it was a large crab costume.

“This disguise will make you look just like a Clubpenguinus crabus.” Dot explained.

“Ahh! A common Club Penguin crab!” G grinned, apparently realizing the plan. “Quite clever.”

“When we locate his base, the only other creature Herbert will allow inside is his friend - Klutzy the crab.” Dot continued her explanation with a proud smile. “So if you run into him, you’ll just need to convince him you’re Klutzy, and he won’t suspect a thing.”

Blue stared unblinking at the costume. “Uh, can I ask you some questions about this idea, Dot?”

“Sure, chief! Go on.”

“Right. So… I’m sensing a few problems with this.” she began. “I can’t really imagine that Herbert will fall for it. As dumb as he acts sometimes, he is quite clever, and Klutzy is his only friend. Surely he’ll realize something is off. Also, I’m way too big to pass for a common crab!”

Dot merely continued smiling, not at all troubled. “We’ve taken all of that into consideration, don’t worry. Remember, Ace, most people don’t really notice all that’s going on around them. Nobody will notice you’re not really a crab, trust me.”

Blue didn’t feel very reassured. “Right, well… what if I run into Klutzy himself, then?”

“As far as we can tell, Klutzy is even less observant. Not the brightest crab around.” Dot chuckled. “If you can mimic his movements, you might just convince him he’s looking at a reflection. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

Well, this was a very much insane plan - and Blue had to admit she was beginning to get excited. If the others believed the idea, then she was willing to try her luck. “Alright, then. How is this gonna work, exactly?”

“Well, this is your first undercover operation, so think back to those lessons I gave you before.” Dot grinned. “What’s more important than the looks of your disguise?”

Blue had to think for a moment before remembering the answer. “The way you act.” she said, realizing.

“That’s right! Go on, put on the disguise and I’ll show you how to move like a crab. I spent some time studying them recently, they’re fascinating creatures.” Dot said with excitement, very obviously happy to talk to someone about her skills as a disguise expert.

“Oh, so that’s why I’m using a crab disguise, then. Now it makes sense.” Blue teased her. “Okay, let’s do this.”

Ignoring the jab, Dot moved to help Blue put on the disguise. It was a very complex costume, so it took them a few minutes of work - and Blue was already having second thoughts halfway through. This was, by far, the most ridiculous thing she’d ever done as an agent. And she’d thrown a feather duster at a giant robot once.

“You guys better not laugh.” she threatened, turning to face her friends once the costume was fully in place. She could barely see - the holes made on the costume for her to see through were a little bit too small.

“Amazing! Quite a convincing illusion already, Agent B!” G commented, not at all being successful in hiding his laughter.

“Can I try that costume next, Blue?” Rookie asked excitedly, a huge grin on his face. “I’ve been considering becoming a crab.”

“Show us how a real EPF member scuttles, Agent B.” the Director ordered, for once not trying to hide how amused they sounded.

A muffled laugh sounded through the room - Blue didn’t even have to look to know it was coming from Jet Pack Guy.

“I hate all of you.” Blue said without any heat, her fake glare unseen thanks to the costume. She turned to Dot. “Come on, let’s show these guys that disguises are a serious matter.”

“For sure, chief!” Dot agreed, clearing her throat - it was painfully obvious she was trying hard not to laugh, too. “Well, you look like a crab already - now I’ll show you how to move like one, too.”

And for the next thirty minutes, Blue went through a long, tiring, and honestly quite funny, lesson about how to move like a crab. It took a while for her to figure out how to scuttle to the side, but moving the huge claws was easier, at least - the costume even had a whole system to mimic the clicking of a crab. Before long, Blue was moving around the Command Room like a true crab.

“Definitely… the most ridiculous thing… I’ve ever done.” she muttered to herself through a smile, striking different poses with her claws while leaning from side to side.

Dot smiled at her, both proud and amused. “I think you got it. Excellent work, Ace!”

“I must say you had me quite convinced for a moment there…” G admitted, impressed, no longer finding the costume so ridiculous.

“Well, if it can fool Gary, then perhaps there is a chance it will fool Herbert as well.” Blue said, hopeful. “And I have to admit that it is pretty fun to go around like this.” she faced the others, holding back her laughter as she noticed everyone’s gaze fixed at a point above her head - they were staring at the costume’s eyes instead of her own. “Thanks, Dot. This disguise is pretty awesome. Even though it is very hot in here.”

“Oh, you’ll get used to that after a while.” Dot laughed.

“For this mission, G also has a new spy gadget for you.” the Director said once Dot was done.

“Indeed.” G cleared his throat. “Our first order of business is to determine what Herbert is planning. And for that, I have this: the Spy Camera 3000.” he announced, taking the small device from one of his coat’s inside pockets. It looked like a normal camera, just… smaller. And tech-ier.

“Cool!” Blue grinned, moving closer to take a better look at the camera. It took Jet’s turning away to hide his laughter once again for her to realize that she was still moving like a crab - but oh, well. It was the easiest way to move while inside that costume, anyway.

“When you locate Herbert’s base, use this camera to take pictures of anything that looks interesting.” G continued, giving her the device. “I’ll examine the pictures and determine what his plans are. Here, try it out - take my picture.”

After struggling a bit with the costume’s claws, Blue managed to get a hold of the camera and press the right button. “Say cheese!” she joked.

The photo came out alright - even though G looked mildly uncomfortable while staring at the camera and Jet ended up with half of his body out of frame. What caught Blue’s attention, however, was the way the battery icon in the corner of the camera’s screen changed - it plummeted down, losing about a quarter of the full power all at once with the picture.

“The pictures are super high res, which will give me lots of info to work with.” G explained. “But be careful - because of that, the camera uses a lot of power. You won’t get many shots before the battery runs out.”

“Oh.” Blue stared at the camera. “Maybe we… shouldn’t have wasted the battery with this picture of you, then?”

“... now that you mention it, it seems like it was a miscalculation, yes.”

“... should we plug it into a charger for a little bit before I leave, or…?”

“No time for that.” the Director interrupted. “With everything ready, you’ll lead your team on a search. Check Herbert’s old campsite behind the Ski Lodge. Look for anything that might lead us to his new base. Leave no stone unturned. Any questions?”

Blue turned her gaze to her teammates for a moment, before looking back at the Director. “We’re ready to go.”

“Good. Give the other agents their assignments. Good luck, Agent B.” and with that, the image on the screen changed, now showing nothing but the EPF shield.

“I’ll stay in the Gadget Room - but feel free to contact me if you need anything.” G assured her.

“Got it.” Blue smiled - though, again, thanks to the costume, G didn’t see it before moving away.

Finally, she turned to the three agents remaining. They all looked at her with eyes full of expectation.

“So, now what, chief?” Rookie asked with an easygoing grin.

Blue stopped to think for a moment. So, according to the plan so far, she would be the only one actively searching for and infiltrating Herbert’s base. What could the others do to help her out with that?

“Okay. Jet,” she began, turning to him. “I’ll need your eyes in the sky. When I manage to find where Herbert is, I might need support, so stay in position and look out for anything unusual in the meantime.”

He crossed his flippers with a short nod. “You got it, boss.”

She nodded back. “Rookie,” she continued. “I need you to make your rounds around the island. Keep an eye out for any suspicious activities and tell me what’s going on, especially if it seems like it’s Herbert related. And if you see the bear himself: yes, that is important information, you keep yourself safe and let me know immediately. Got it?”

“Got it!” he confirmed, saluting with enthusiasm.

“Dot, I, uh- I guess I need you to stay here in the Command Room.” Blue continued, sending an apologetic look to her. “I might need to contact you if I need any help with the infiltration, so you have to be ready in case that happens.”

“No worries. I’m at your command, chief.” Dot smiled calmly at her.

“Okay, then.” Blue grinned at her friends. “Let’s do this thing.”

-

With everyone in position, Blue stepped once more into Herbert’s old campsite. She hadn’t been back there ever since Operation: Spy & Seek - considering the bear had abandoned the place shortly after he found their hidden camera, there hadn’t really been a reason to investigate it further. Until now, at least; and even if it by now it was a cold trail from months ago, Blue would still try her best to follow it.

It was immediately very clear to her that nobody had stepped foot in that area in a very long time. Any trail that could have been left on the ground was long gone, and most of the objects still around were partially covered in snow. Even if Blue knew no penguin had any reason to go waddling so far this side of the pond, it was still a small relief to know nobody had accidentally stumbled into Herbert’s base.

Following her orders, Blue began searching. She dug into snow piles, searched on top of trees and under bushes, looked into, behind, above and below any objects she could put her flippers into. It was a long process, but it wielded results in the end: scattered here and there, she found ripped pieces of paper with scribbles on them - most likely some of Herbert’s plans.

She hoped they would give her at least a hint about what the bear was up to, and she was not disappointed. “... an underground base, huh, Herbert?” she muttered to herself, looking at the crudely drawn image of Herbert and Klutzy hiding in a hole under the ground. “Not bad. I wonder what G would think of this?”

Picking up her Spy Phone, she called G and quickly relayed her findings to him. He took a moment to think, humming quietly to himself. “Hmmm… if he is underground, that means Herbert could be hiding anywhere. That complicates matters.” he sighed. “Is there any other information on those plans you found?”

“Well, he drew some trees in there.” Blue shook her head. “Not very helpful.”

“... actually, it could be. You should expand your search to the Wilderness, Agent B. It is an area he is familiar with and sufficiently isolated; if he is confident in his underground base plan, he would likely attempt to build it there.”

“For what seems like an educated guess, you sound very confident.”

“It is an educated guess that has a high probability to be true, based on the information we have on Herbert.”

Blue chuckled. “I’m on it, G. Over and out.” she said, hanging up and then immediately calling Jet Pack Guy. If she was going to go towards the Wilderness once again, then she wanted to have someone to watch her back.

“Hey boss.” Jet greeted as soon as he picked up the call, earning an unseen wince from Blue. “I still haven’t found anything. Whatever Herbert’s up to, he’s not leaving many clues behind…”

“Well, I’ve had better luck over here. I found some of his plans, and long story short, we need to make our way into the Wilderness.” Blue informed him. “And I could use some backup.”

Jet huffed with amusement. “Right on. Meet at Herbert’s old hideout?” he suggested. That cave was a familiar enough spot for both penguins.

“Alright. I’ll go down the Ski Hill. See you there.”

Hanging up the call, Blue got ready to move towards the Wilderness. At least she would be able to take her time with the Test Run for a change.

-

“Orders, boss?” Jet asked as soon as Blue arrived at the cave entrance. He was leaning against the stone, as if he’d been waiting for her for a while now.

Blue sighed. “Alright, first order: stop calling me that.” she shook her head in defeat. “Too weird.”

He nodded. “Got it, B.”

“Well…” she looked around. “Fly around the area and look for clues. Any signs of recent movement, anything suspicious at all. And keep an eye out for Herbert, too.” she paused. “Also, I’ll take a look inside the cave, so watch over it for a moment, just to be sure. I’ve gotten trapped in there more times than I’d like to at this point.”

A small chuckle escaped him. “On it.” he assured her, taking off immediately.

Blue watched him go with a smile. Having Jet around was enough to make any penguin feel safe. Knowing he’d warn her if anything happened, she waddled into the cave to take a look around.

Because, even if Herbert had abandoned this hideout a long time ago - long enough that even the Test Robots had used it for a while -, if he’d returned to the Wilderness, then it was likely that he’d at least stopped by. And if he had, Blue would find his tracks.

The cave was just like last time she’d seen it. The walls still covered by the remains of Herbert’s intervention, tracks left on the ground by the Snow Trekker, scratches and bits of stone chipped away by the entrance where she’d used the vehicle to push a giant boulder away. She couldn’t help but smile at the memories - good times.

Focusing back into her current investigation, Blue searched around the cave - after a few minutes, she ended up finding two things that stood out to her. The first was a large rock that didn’t really fit with the other stones in the cave and that, upon further inspection, revealed itself to be fake; and the second was a pile of ashes in the corner, from which Blue managed to recover a small piece of paper that hadn’t burned all the way. There was a drawing on it - a 3x3 grid with a pattern scribbled on it, shaped like the letter H. It reminded her of a keypad, or something of the sort. Maybe a code, or a password?

Blue stood there, thoughtful. She’d bet money both things were related to Herbert, but she couldn’t quite figure out how. Still, if the bear was trying to hide something, then the best thing Blue could do was talking to someone who was an expert in hiding. Picking up her phone, she called Dot.

And the other answered nearly instantly - it seemed like she’d taken her assignment seriously. “Hey, chief. Can I help at all?”

“Yeah, actually.” Blue said, looking aimlessly around the cave - but there was nothing else. “I’m investigating Herbert’s old hideout - well, his old old hideout. The cave in the Wilderness. I found some interesting stuff - some fake rocks, and some kind of secret code. I don’t know if G updated you, but we believe Herbert’s hiding underground. Any idea of how these things relate to each other?”

“G did tell me, yeah. An underground base…” Dot hummed, clearly in thought. “Well, he clearly had to disguise it somehow - the entrance, at the very least. Trust me, that is my specialty.” Blue could hear her smile through the phone. “Look for clues in the Wilderness - if he’s using those fake rocks you mentioned, then the base might be hidden in plain sight!”

“Huh. Yeah, that sounds like him alright.” Blue muttered. The code made sense, too, if she thought about it - even if his base was disguised, Herbert likely wouldn’t dare leave it unprotected. “Guess I’m out to look for some rocks, then. Thanks, Dot, you’re the best.”

“Call again if you need anything else. Good luck out there, Ace.” Dot said, before hanging up.

Blue left the cave (without anything going wrong this time!) and, after a quick chat with Jet where she told him to look out for any suspicious rocks, began waddling around the Wilderness. Her knowledge of the area proved itself useful; in only a few short minutes, she’d already found the fake rock she was looking for. It looked just like the one she found in the cave, and was sitting on the ground only a few steps away from the tree stump where she’d met Flare.

Grinning, she inspected the fake rock; it was thankfully a lot lighter than a real rock. Under it, she found a keypad with nine buttons - just like the drawing she’d found. Without hesitation, she pressed seven of them to form the letter H.

To her immense surprise, the tree stump then moved to the side, revealing a metal hatch underneath it. The tree stump was also fake? Since when?! Was it always like that, or did Herbert replace it with an identical fake one to hide his base recently?

Ignoring those questions for later, she leaned closer to take a better look at the hatch - and nearly had a heart attack when her phone started ringing.

It was Jet calling. “Good job, B. I can see from up here you’ve found the door to Herbert’s base.”

“That I did. I’m going in now.” she smiled. “Could you let the others know for me? And keep a close eye out here, I may need your help later.” she asked.

“You got it.”

Hanging up after receiving his confirmation, Blue focused on the larger issue now - the hatch was locked. There was a small keyhole on it, but she hadn’t seen anything that resembled a key anywhere.

Stepping closer to take a better look, Blue felt something weird under her feet. Frowning, she looked down - the snow right next to the hatch was too soft, and it almost felt like there was something buried right under it. Leaning down, she tried to swipe some of the snow away, and it didn’t take too long to find what she was looking for.

A welcome mat - or, in Herbert’s case, an ‘unwelcome’ one, most likely. There was a ‘no penguins allowed’ symbol on it, and there seemed to be a small lump underneath it. Blue lifted the mat, finding a small gray key under it.

“Really now, Herbert?” Blue muttered to herself, shaking her head before moving to unlock the hatch.

She opened it and, without hesitation, slid down the wooden ladder that led into the base. This was the third hideout she broke into since her first encounter with Herbert. A cave, a campsite, a hole on the ground - what would the next one look like?

Like nothing, she corrected herself almost immediately. There wouldn’t be a fourth one, because this time they would catch Herbert, and that would be the end of that. Herbert’s next home would be an EPF cell.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t as dark down in the cave as Blue was expecting, for some reason - she still could see everything fairly clearly. Before she could start looking around, however, her Spy Phone rang once more - and okay, alright, she needed to put that thing on mute immediately. Swiftly, she answered Rookie’s call.

“I did it! Agent B, I did it! I did it!” he whisper-yelled the moment the call connected, his voice full of excitement.

“Did what, Rookie?” she whispered back, concerned.

“I found Herbert!” he announced, sounding very proud of himself. “He’s at the Ice Rink right now! It looks like he’s measuring something…”

Perfect. That would likely give Blue all the time she’d need. “Great job, Rookie. Keep a close eye on him while I search his base. Stay safe, report to G if you haven’t yet and update me if he leaves at any moment.”

“Aye aye, Commander!” he said, hanging up immediately after.

Finally silencing her phone, Blue started to look around the bear’s hideout. It looked a lot like the first one had - though maybe that was only because they were both caves. This one seemed to be far more advanced, technologically speaking; and it made sense, considering all the gadgets and electronics Herbert had managed to get his paws on since then… with a wince, Blue moved on and looked around the main room.

Wires running on the walls, electronic doors, security cameras; tools, parts, bits and bolts, and even a few fully built prototypes - in any other situation, Blue would have found the first version of Herbert’s old earthquake-causing drill very amusing. A small golden key on the ground that she promptly picked up, tropical decorations, and…

“... is this an ice statue of Herbert?” she whispered to herself, astounded, staring at the half-finished sculpture with wide eyes. The tools he was using were on the floor right next to it, as well as countless bits of ice. “Seriously?!”

Shaking her head, Blue used the camera to take a picture of the room, trying to get as much information in frame as possible. She looked at the battery she had left - it would probably be just enough for two more pictures. She’d need to choose wisely what to take pictures of.

Done with this first room, she approached one of the doors. It was locked, but there was a small metal panel on the wall right next to it, and they were connected by a bunch of wires. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.

Getting even closer, she got the wrench from her tool kit and used it to unscrew the panel and reveal the wires inside. It took looking at them for less than half a second for Blue to also get her scissors from the kit and cut the wires. The door unlocked with a ‘clic’, and no alarms were tripped - so far, so good. Without stopping to think, she moved to the next room.

It vaguely looked like a living room - and, despite being a wet and dark underground cave full of trash, it somehow managed to look surprisingly comfortable. There was a fireplace (although Blue doubted Herbert would manage to lit a fire in there), an armchair for Herbert and an old puffle bed for Klutzy, a few picture frames, a mug that said ‘#1 bear’ (who knows where he even found that one), some books, an attempt at an indoor garden, and a desk with some chemical stuff and a few diagrams.

It was very… Herbert.

Blue swiped a small bronze key that was sitting on top of the fireplace (seriously, what was up with all those keys everywhere?), took a picture of Herbert’s work desk, and pulled a lever right next to the door that disabled the security cameras and unlocked the second door. Smiling confidently, Blue returned to the main room and moved towards the new door. She was making good progress.

Or, at least, that’s what she thought before finding herself face to face with Klutzy as soon as she entered the new room.

The crab froze when he noticed her, and the two stared at each other with wide eyes. Or, well… Blue stared at Klutzy; Klutzy stared at the lifeless eyes of the crab disguise she was still wearing.

Guess it was time to see if Dot’s theory would be proven correct. Holding her breath, Blue waited for Klutzy to move; the moment he raised a claw, she also raised a flipper, trying to synchronize her movements with his. It seemed to work well at first, and Blue was thankful for it; if it wasn’t for the ‘How To Move Like a Crab’ lessons, she doubted she’d be able to pull it off.

“Click click click.” Klutzy clicked.

She continued to follow his steps on that weird dance. No matter what Klutzy did, Blue was able to imitate him perfectly. After about a minute, he was apparently convinced enough; turning his back to his ‘reflection’, he left the room without another worry.

As soon as Klutzy was gone, Blue let out a huge sigh. She was sweating - both because the situation was very stressful, and also because that costume was still way too hot. Maybe if she just left it behind for Herbert to wear, he’d stop complaining so much about the cold all the time.

Anyway - with that unexpected encounter out of the way, it was time to continue the investigation. This new room was full of parts and materials; batteries, random doodads, pipes, pieces of wood; a wooden shelf full of random things - including a key, that Blue also took, and some leftover Super Corn, that she winced upon noticing. In a corner, there were some beach items - a parasol, a chair, and a cooler for drinks.

Blue took a picture of the room - and her camera instantly ran out of battery. Guess that was all she would be taking out of here with her, then; but the investigation wasn’t over just yet.

There was a second door in the room. A door with three different keyholes - and Blue had picked up exactly three keys in the cave. What a coincidence.

Using them to unlock the door, she moved in. Before she could take a good look around, however, she felt her phone vibrating in her pocket - someone was calling.

She was starting to think that relying on the Spy Phone for communication during missions like this was very inconvenient. She should bring that up with Rookie and G later so they could try to come up with something better.

For now, though, she rushed to answer the phone. “Agent B! I think we’ve got a problem…” Rookie whispered as soon as the call connected. He sounded pretty worried.

“What is it?” she asked back, worried as well. “Did Herbert see you? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine! He didn’t see me, but he finished whatever he was doing here at the Ice Rink, and he’s heading towards the Wilderness. He looks quick for a big guy…” he nervously told her.

Blue winced. Her time was running out - but she wasn’t going to leave just yet. “Thanks for the warning, Rookie. Keep on Herbert.”

Ending the call, she quickly looked around the room. Smaller than the others, it actually looked like some sort of ‘hall of fame’ on Herbert’s war against the PSA. Blue spotted the remains of the old flipchart he had the first time they met, the stolen Gift Shop computer he had used to invade and destroy their old systems, a shelf full of miniatures and mementos - she could see a tiny Ski Lodge, Electromagnet, wood cutter, drill…

The main attraction, however, was a huge white board filled to the brim with information about the old Penguin Secret Agency. Notes, pictures, details - things that Herbert would only manage to find out if he’d been spying on them for a very long time. Even the old Binoculars 3000, the same ones she’d left behind a long time ago, were there as well.

“Hard to believe we never noticed him doing all this.” she muttered, her eyes running through the board. Among other things, it looked like Herbert had been trying to figure out their secret identities as well - it was a relief to know that those secrets were still safe from him, at least. “I really wish I could take a picture of all this.”

But the past didn’t matter as much as Herbert’s plans for the future - and time was still of the essence.

On the wall next to the board there were some blueprints. They looked recent - the plans for Herbert’s next weird and destructive gadget, no doubt about it. That was definitely information that G should have. But, again, she couldn’t take any more pictures.

Without hesitating, she took the blueprints from the wall and hid them inside her costume. That was the end of the investigation, for now; all that was left to do was get out of there quickly before Herbert arrived.

Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on her side. As soon as she walked through the door back to the other room, Blue found herself staring at one very grumpy polar bear. She struggled to hold back her shout of surprise; this was the worst possible scenario. Holding her breath, she waited for him to do something.

… and it wasn’t at all what she was expecting. “Ahh, Klutzy. What are you doing in here? I was looking for you.” he casually greeted her, his voice sounding more friendly than she’d ever heard from him.

Inside the costume, Blue blinked, flabbergasted. No way. Did Herbert really fall for this? The disguise worked?!

His expression changed, and she realized he was still waiting for an answer. Alright, she would have time to be surprised about this turn of events later. Quickly, she used the disguise’s claws to reply. “Click, clicket click click.”

And it was then that she realized this whole plan had one fundamental flaw.

Blue did not speak crab.

“Huh? Why did you just call me ‘Jim-bob’?” Herbert asked, his eyes widening with surprise and confusion.

Oh no. Oh, this was very bad. Dot should have included some ‘talk like a crab’ lessons with the disguise. Holding back a wave of panic, Blue tried again. Eventually something she said had to make sense, right? “Click click click CLICK!”

“I most certainly will NOT wear a running shoe on my head! What are you talking about?”

“Clickety clickety click clickety click.”

“Wait… did you just say you were a banana?”

“Click! Click clicket click!”

“What? No, Klutzy, you’re not made of pizza dough…”

“Clicket clicket click clicket click.”

“Well, no one is forcing you to wear a tutu, so that’s not my concern.”

“Click ka-click click click click!”

“Don’t ask me, I have no idea why you spell it with a ‘K’...”

“Click.”

“Klutzy! I don’t know how to speak lobster! What are you saying?” Herbert stared at ‘Klutzy’ as if he had two heads. “Wait, start from the beginning, Klutzy. You’re not making any sense…”

Blue wanted to scream. This was torture.

“Click click click.”

“I see. But it could take days before you find enough string and glue sticks to make one…”

So far, so good. “Ka-click! Ka-click click click.”

“Hmm, that’s a good point. But where am I going to find an umbrella large enough to hold my weight?”

“Click ka-click click click click!”

“You’re right, it’s a beautiful day out. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got important work to do.”

Blue took the opportunity to scuttle out of the room as fast as she could.

This had been, by far, the weirdest conversation she’s had in her entire life. And that Herbert had found any sense in any of that made her very curious about what he and Klutzy normally talked about. (Also, had Herbert just admitted it was a beautiful day out? On Club Penguin? Herbert???)

Still… it was very weird seeing the island’s number one enemy, and the guy who threatened her and made evil speeches every time they met, having a normal- well, a relatively normal conversation with someone. Weirdest yet was being one half of it. A conversation between Blue and Herbert that did not involve any threats, ironic commentary, provocations or promises of capture and destruction was quite the change of pace - even if Herbert didn’t really know it was her.

In any case, she needed to get out of there fast. She didn’t really want to spend any more time than strictly necessary in the same space as the bear.

Blue had nearly reached the exit when Herbert’s angry voice echoed through the cave, coming from the room furthest away.

“What? WHAT?! Klutzy! Intruder alert! Someone has stolen my secret plans!”

She froze, the blueprints she’d taken from the wall suddenly a lot heavier where they were sitting inside her costume. In a hurry to take all the info she could and leave quickly, Blue did not stop to think that Herbert would definitely notice if his most recent plans disappeared out of nowhere.

She was supposed to get in and out without alerting Herbert - but now he knew something was up. That… wasn’t good.

Before she could try to move for the exit again, it was suddenly blocked by a large metal door that slid down from the ceiling, followed by a red, blinking light and a very loud alarm. Apparently Herbert had been prepared for emergencies and now the hideout was on lockdown. That was even worse.

Instinctively, Blue got her Spy Phone and attempted to teleport outside - no luck. It wasn’t working. Whether it was Herbert somehow blocking the teleporter signal or an underground cave in the Wilderness was just too out of the way for it to work, she didn’t know.

Still, it was a good thing she picked up her phone anyway, because otherwise she would have missed Jet’s call amongst her growing panic. “Right on time!” she whispered, answering immediately.

“Talk to me, Agent B, what’s going on down there?” he asked in a rush, his voice barely betraying his worry.

“I’m trapped. Herbert’s got the whole place locked down!” she whispered, keeping her eyes on the doors and wishing with all her might that Herbert wouldn’t return to the main area anytime soon. “Even the teleporter isn’t working.”

Beyond the faint noise of a jetpack, there was silence on the other end of the line for a few seconds. “Alright, I think I’ve got the answer to your troubles.” he stated. Blue heard him landing. “I found a hidden grate out here, and I can hear the alarm through it. It’s your way out - look for some kind of opening in the roof!”

Blue held back a relieved laugh. “You rule, Jet. I’m on it!”

Now that she knew what she was looking for, it wasn’t very hard to find it. The sunlight streaming through the opening in the ceiling was very obvious - that was why she could see down there without any other sources of light. Now it made sense.

She reached the skylight with a single jump, and with her wrench already in her flipper, she started unscrewing it to get it out of the way. Right as she finished with the last bolt, she saw Jet approach on the other side of the grate. Together, they removed it and he helped her crawl through the opening - even as the huge Klutzy costume made it a bit of a hassle.

Finally, she made it outside, letting out a heavy sigh of relief. “Well, that was quite stressful.” she nervously chuckled.

Jet didn’t smile just yet. “Glad to see you’re safe. Come on, let’s get out of here before Herbert decides to check outside.” he said, already waddling towards the end of the Test Track. Blue followed him closely. “Rookie followed Herbert here to the Wilderness, he’s waiting for us to regroup up ahead.”

She raised her eyes and indeed, Rookie was waiting for them near the cliff she was very used to falling from. He was bouncing on his feet and looking around, clearly nervous, but gave them a huge smile as soon as he saw them. “You guys are okay!” he cheered, quickly moving towards them and giving Blue a quick (and clumsy - his flippers didn’t really reach all the way around the costume) hug. “We got really worried when Herbert went inside his base and we didn’t hear anything from you anymore.” he said, sounding really agitated.

Blue grinned. “You guys won’t believe the story I have this time.” she laughed, earning a sigh and a head shake from Jet as he finally relaxed a little. “But it can wait. Let’s get back to the Command Room - I really need to get out of this costume.”

“The mission was successful, then?” Rookie asked with an excited grin.

Her smile falling a little, she looked back towards Herbert’s base. They could still hear the alarm faintly in the distance. “... I guess we’ll see.”

Sitting around the meeting table, the others listened attentively as Blue told them with details how the mission went - now finally wearing her usual uniform once more. Dot was delighted to hear that the disguise had really fooled Klutzy AND Herbert, and Rookie laughed so hard while Blue was retelling her ‘conversation’ with the bear that he nearly fell off his chair.

“You told him THAT?” he wheezed, wiping a tear from his eye. “Oh man. This is the best, I wish I’d been there to see his face.”

“Click click.” Blue deadpanned, sending him into another laughing fit.

G, on the other hand, was looking over the pictures and the blueprints with a glint in his eye. He seemed fascinated and worried at the same time - not a good combination, when it came to Herbert’s plans. “This is excellent, Agent B. You did a great job collecting information, I’m sure with this I’ll be able to figure out exactly what Herbert has planned in no time at all.”

“Still, I’m really sorry for blowing my cover.” she smiled sadly. “I should have been more careful. Now he’s probably aware something is going on.”

“It’s alright. I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but based on what I’ve seen so far, this matter seems serious enough that you were justified in taking those blueprints as well.” G muttered. “You made the right call, Agent B.”

“Nice one, boss.” Jet called, smirking at her playful glare.

“You did it, Ace!” Dot smiled proudly. “Awesome work!”

“Man, that whole thing was intense!” Rookie sighed, finally recovered from all the laughing. “I need a glass of water or something…”

“Excellent work, EPF.” The Director praised them, sounding very pleased. “The mission was a success. Well done.”

Blue nodded with a confident grin. All they could do now was wait for G to figure out their next steps - and when he did, her team would be ready to jump into action once more.

Chapter Text

The very next morning, Blue was woken up too early for her taste by a loud alarm blaring from her Spy Phone. Whatever it was, it sounded urgent, so she just took the time to put on her uniform and give Nebby some food before teleporting straight to the Command Room.

There was nobody else around, so she sat down at the meeting table to wait. A few minutes later, Rookie, Jet and Dot arrived.

“Hey, Blue!” Rookie smiled, giving her a cup of hot chocolate and a cookie as he sat down on the chair next to her.

She took the food, confused. “Uh, thanks? What’s this?”

“We were in Town when we got the call, and figured you’d probably skip breakfast to come straight here.” Jet simply said, hiding his amusement.

“Oh.” she muttered, a little embarrassed, taking a sip of her drink. “Thanks.” she repeated.

“Do we know what’s going on?” Dot asked her.

“I’m guessing G figured out what Herbert is planning.” Blue said. “We should wait and see.”

They didn’t have to wait long. Soon enough, G left the Gadget Room and waddled straight to the table, looking deeply disturbed.

“Are you finished with your calculations, G?” Jet inquired as he approached them.

“By the look on his face, whatever Herbert’s up to, it can’t be good…” Blue muttered, earning a worried nod from Rookie.

“I am afraid I have very bad news, agents.” G told them, sitting down at the head of the table. “Listen closely, for time is of the essence. Club Penguin is in terrible danger. The EPF is on Red Alert.”

Every pair of eyes around the table grew wider. “Whoa! Red Alert! We’ve never gone to Red Alert before!” Rookie nearly shouted, sounding a little terrified.

“What?! What’s Herbert going to do?” Blue asked, concerned. G somehow looked even more troubled than he had during the mission that resulted in the PSA’s destruction - and that was a very bad sign.

G pulled out a remote from his lab coat and pressed one of the buttons - on the large screen next to them, an image of the island appeared. “According to my calculations, Herbert is looking for a way to superheat the entire island of Club Penguin.” he explained. “His plan is to use some sort of device to melt all the snow and ice.”

“No!” Dot exclaimed, shocked.

“That polar bear’s gone too far this time.” Jet shook his head, sounding concerned underneath the irritation.

Blue held back a sigh of frustration. Another one of Herbert’s crazy ideas… she was already tired. “Why can’t he just wear a scarf like everyone else…”

“What Herbert doesn’t realize, however, is that his plan could spell certain disaster.” G muttered. The image on the screen changed, their beloved snowy homeland changing into a tropical beach island. “He believes his plan will turn the island into a tropical paradise, but my calculations show something much worse.” he hesitated, turning to look at them. “Superheating the island is more likely to cause enormous cracks to form, to ice to melt, or even to burn a hole straight through the ice.”

Blue could not get her eyes off the screen. The diagrams illustrated G’s explanations well - one of them showed a huge crack in the ice that went through the whole island, breaking it apart. The next one, however, was even worse: it showed Club Penguin, quite literally, sinking into the ocean.

“This could cause ocean water to flood the island.” G said. “And once enough water comes through…” they all stared as the island in the screen disappeared under the waves. “No more Club Penguin.”

“But that’s where I live!” Rookie panicked.

“This is bad…” Blue muttered. “This is awful! What do we do? What are our orders, G?”

“For this mission, Agent B will be directing the team from the Command Room.” G began to explain.

… hold on, what?!

“The rest of you will be splitting up and searching for Herbert. We need to find and stop him immediately - it is, quite literally, a matter of life and death.”

The others nodded, though it was clear that they were all still a bit confused - Blue most of all. “Um, G-”

“This device is my latest invention-” he interrupted her, pulling something from another one of his coat pockets. “I call it the Heads-Up 3000. It will allow you to see and hear the rest of the team. I made it in response to some… concerns that were brought up yesterday in regards to communication between agents during field missions.”

Despite the gravity of the situation, Blue held back a laugh at that.

G gave each of them their own Heads-Up 3000. It looked like a normal headset - with a microphone, an antenna, and a small display covering one of their eyes. Quite straightforward, but as long as it worked, Blue wouldn’t complain.

“Use it to tell them where to search, Agent B.” G instructed her.

Blue blinked. “Yeah, about that-”

“Sweet! Cool gadget, G!” Rookie beamed, putting on the headset over his propeller cap.

“Oh, thanks!” G smiled proudly at him. “I was going to call it the Remote-Agent-Control-Monitor 3000, but that’s a bit of a tongue-twister.”

Before anyone else had the chance to say anything, the Director appeared on the large screen.

“We must focus all our efforts on stopping this catastrophe, and then arresting Herbert once and for all.” they ordered.

Without waiting any longer, Rookie, Dot and Jet got up from their seats and picked up their Spy Phones. Before teleporting, each of them gave Blue a knowing look, as she remained seated and watched them leave with a sense of longing.

She was supposed to be going with them - staying behind was… definitely a weird feeling.

“Say, G, why can’t I go with them, again?” she finally asked.

He frowned. “I thought I said that? As Team Leader, you need to direct your teammates and tell them where to go to investigate and look for Herbert.”

“Well, couldn’t I do that from the field?”

“We’d rather you didn’t try to divide your attention between tasks, Agent B.” the Director told her. “Trying to coordinate your team and investigate by yourself at the same time would surely lower your performance on both accounts.”

“I guess…?” she reluctantly said. If she was being honest, Blue would have preferred to be out there investigating instead, then. “Couldn’t G do the coordinating part? It’s always been kind of your thing? Being our guy in the chair?”

“Most of the time, yes. But this is your team now, Agent B. You need to start fulfilling your role as a leader.” he smiled encouragingly at her. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it.”

“Get used to it…?”

Before she could follow that train of thought, however, the center of the meeting table opened to reveal a holographic miniature map of the island, showing every building, as well as the real-time location of her friends.

“Use this special map to view the other agents, and tell them where to search next.” G instructed.

“Once they locate Herbert, have them all move into position and wait for backup.” the Director added.

“Good luck, Agent B.” G nodded at her.

Blue returned the nod, focusing all her attention on the map before her - though it was just a little bit difficult to concentrate with G and the Director looking over her shoulder like that. Regardless - she had a mission to accomplish.

She put on her headset and tapped the microphone. “You guys hear me?” she asked, and was immediately answered by three different voices.

“Positive.”

“Yeah, we hear you.”

“Hi!”

Blue smiled. “Alright, let’s begin.” she told them. “Jet, you take care of the west part of the island. Start investigating at the Ski Hill and make your way down towards the Beach. Dot, do the same in the east rooms, start from the Dojo. Rookie, you take the south - go from the Plaza towards the Town. Let me know if you see or hear anything weird, alright?”

The other three agreed with the plan, and soon Blue saw them begin to move across the map. She watched them go, feeling a little impatient.

“Being the guy in the chair sucks.” she complained loudly after muting her microphone.

G chuckled. “You’ve been doing it for less than five minutes.” he reminded her.

“Yeah, but - come on, G, I should be out there too!” she pouted, putting her face in her flippers.

“Give it a chance, will you?” he tried to calm her down.

“Landed successfully on the Ski Hill. Nothing suspicious around here.”

“Same at the Dojo. And I don’t think my snowman costume fooled Sensei at all…”

Blue unmuted herself. “Right. Keep moving, guys.”

“Hey, Blue, did you see the Pizza Parlor has a new pizza flavor? Twice the toppings for a limited time! Dude, I should go there and grab a bite-”

“Rookie. Rookie, focus.” she interrupted him. “Concentrate. Investigation.”

“Oh, right. That first. Food later!”

“You got it.”

G watched the map too, noticing the others moving around. “You have a good eye for this kind of thing.” he complimented her. “And you’re doing a good job keeping them motivated.”

“They’re top agents.” Blue countered. “They’d be doing great even if I wasn’t sitting here talking in their ears.”

“Ski Village also free of polar bear sightings - though there’s some strange movement at the fishing pond. Moving towards the Beach now.”

“I confirm the rumors regarding the pond, chief. Found a fisherpenguin near the Mine Shack - he said he left the pond because of too many penguins ice-skating there.”

Blue frowned. Why would the penguins be ice skating there? “Noted. Keep going to the Forest, Dot. Get your tree disguise ready - and try no to move this time.” she said with a laugh.

“Meanie.”

“Investigation at the Plaza was a success, captain! I focused really hard this time! Nothing to report, though - everything’s cool here.”

“I hear you. Go on, Rookie.”

“The Beach is cleared, Agent B. Nothing weird here - but I did overhear some talk about weird saw noises coming from the center of the island.”

“Hm…” Blue thought about it. “Keep going for now, Jet. We’ll be moving towards the center of the island soon.”

“Forest’s all good! And I’ll have you know that I didn’t use the tree disguise. I was feeling more like a rock today.”

“Just got to the Snow Forts, B! There are a lot of penguins with ice-skates talking about heading towards the pond.”

“Okay, there’s definitely something wrong about this.” she tapped her beak. “Rookie, go towards Town to finish your route - Dot, can you head over the Ice Rink and take a look at what’s making the penguins leave? Jet, Rookie, head over there once you’re done as well.”

“On it, chief.”

“Dock’s clear. Going there now.”

“You seem anxious, Blue.”

Blue muted herself once more and turned to G. “That’s because I am! I want to go out there and help them find clues!”

G sighed, no longer as amused as before by her complaining. “That’s understandable. But this part of the mission requires coordination and communication between the team members, and we need you to be doing this.” he insisted. “They can handle finding those leads by themselves.”

Blue sighed as well. “I should appoint Rookie as my guy in the chair next time.”

“Do you think he would do a good job?”

“If we could get him to focus for long enough? Yeah, absolutely.” she said with certainty. “Rookie’s our comms guy, isn’t he? He’d be fine.”

“Agent B! I swear I just saw a UFO in the sky! Maybe I’m just seeing things…”

Rookie’s shout in her ear made Blue turn her attention back towards the map. She watched everyone move towards the Ice Rink, thinking about what they had so far. Something going on there; weird saw noises, and a UFO…

“Landing on the Ice Rink now. You know, if Herbert’s been traveling around, he sure hasn’t left any tracks in the snow…”

“I think I just figured out what the problem is, chief. The reason the other penguins aren’t ice skating here is because there’s a HUGE hole on the ice. Right in the middle. A perfect circle, too.”

“Hey, this is where I saw Herbert measuring the ice yesterday! Did he do this?”

“What would Herbert want with some ice?” Blue muttered to herself.

“It’s likely. Let’s search around for some clues - he couldn’t have gone far.”

“Hey, what’s that in the sky?”

“Wait- WATCH OUT-”

Blue nearly ripped the Heads-Up out when her friends’ voices were drowned out by a very loud static noise, loud enough to make her ears hurt. Before she could do anything, however, it was followed by dead silence.

“Hello?!” Blue called into the microphone, getting up from her seat. “Rookie? Jet, Dot?! Report!” she nearly shouted. There was no response.

“We’ve lost contact with the other agents!” G stated, back to being nervous. Lights all over the room were now flashing red - Red Alert, indeed.

“Herbert must have been ready for us, and laid a trap.” the Director said, their voice even.

“How? He doesn’t even know the EPF exists!” Blue was really panicking now. What did Herbert do to them?!

“It’s possible that he figured out there was some opposition working against him when his plans went missing.” G muttered. “We should have seen something like this coming.”

Blue froze. “So it’s my fault, then.”

“Now, Agent B, that’s not what I said-”

“That doesn’t matter right now!” she shook her head, stepping back from the table and taking off the headset. “I need to go out there and help my friends!”

“The Heads-Ups have gone offline, so we can’t use them to track the team.” G said, burying his agitation under a professional front. “Fortunately, I have a backup plan.”

“Which is?!”

He grinned. “For emergency use, I installed a tracking device in Rookie’s hat. You know he tends to get lost from time to time.”

Blue let out a relieved laugh. “Well, it’s gonna come in handy now! How does it work?”

“I’ll send the tracking app to your phone.” he said, already moving towards the computers. “Just follow the arrow - the signal should get stronger as you get closer to him. Stick to open areas, it doesn’t work well inside buildings.”

“Got it. Let’s hope Rookie didn’t lose his hat anywhere.” she muttered, the worry still pooling inside her stomach.

“Keep a sharp eye on the signal, and search quickly but carefully.” G said.

“Good luck, Agent B.” the Director’s silhouette nodded. “Only you can save your team.”

Blue returned the gesture with a shaky nod. She would do that - she’d find them, and if that polar bear had hurt them in any way, he was really going to regret it.

Without saying anything else, she ran out of the Command Room; keeping one eye on her surroundings and the other on her phone screen, as she followed the tracker arrow in a desperate race to save her friends - and save Club Penguin.

-

Blue had run past the Dock and was nearly reaching Town when she spotted the weird flying thing in the sky. Probably the ‘UFO’ Rookie spotted earlier - it was way too high above the island, but it looked like a… hot air balloon? Was Herbert up there? The arrow on her phone screen was pointing towards it; just what was going on?

As she moved past the Night Club, she noticed a civilian penguin looking at the sky with fascination. “I just saw a polar bear flying in a hot air balloon! Now I’ve seen everything!”

Well, that answered some of her questions. “Did you see where it was headed?”

“It looked like it was going towards the Forest.”

That matched the tracking app. “Got it, thanks.” without any time to waste, Blue continued to run forwards, following the balloon across the island.

When she reached the Forest, the balloon was flying low enough that she finally managed to properly see Herbert for the first time, as well as the large net tied to it. Even if she couldn’t see through it, Blue had a pretty good guess of just who was inside that net - and it made her very angry.

“HERBERT!” she shouted at him as the balloon began to rise once more.

She had only a second to see the snarky grin he sent her way, followed by a laugh she couldn’t hear, before they were flying away once more and leaving her behind.

“Oh, no, you’re not getting away.” she muttered through gritted teeth, dashing after the bear once more. It would be hard to miss the large, bright yellow balloon floating in the sky, and she also had the tracker telling her where to go - she’d follow Herbert for as long as she had to.

As she ran past Town once more, the same penguin from before called out to her. “You still looking for that hot air balloon with a bear in it? It floated towards the Ski Hill!”

She couldn’t stop, but she still flashed them a quick smile as she ran past. “Thanks!”

Blue arrived at the Ski Village just in time to see Herbert fly over the Ski Hill and towards the Wilderness. “Oh, come on…” she muttered, running up the hill and grabbing a sled to go down the Test Track. “I’m pretty sure by now I’m a record holder for going down this stupid track too many times.”

After reaching the end of the track, she ditched the sled and ran across the Wilderness on foot, always following the balloon in the sky. She leaped over the river - barely making it to the other side - and continued the chase, until she finally saw Herbert land on top of one of the mountains.

Blue ran until she reached the foot of said mountain, finally stopping and catching her breath. It was a very average-sized mountain for the island - the Tallest Mountain got it beat by a long shot, height-wise -, but it still looked challenging enough for her to climb. And, unless she had some proper climbing gear, would just be straight up impossible.

With a groan of frustration, she picked up her phone and called G.

“Agent B, what’s the situation?” he asked immediately upon answering the call.

“Herbert’s flying over the island in a hot air balloon. He just brought the other agents to a mountain in the Wilderness.” she explained. “The climbing gear I used on that test the other day is inside my locker in the Command Room. Think you could-?”

“It will be with you in a second.” he assured. “Good luck. Keep us updated.”

He hung up, and a bright blue light flashed on the ground next to her for a second - when she turned to look, the familiar hook and rope were sitting there, ready to be used.

She picked it up with a chuckle. “All this time has passed since my first mission as an agent, and the climbing gear is still as unsafe as ever. Honestly I’m too used to it by now.”

And, without hesitating, she began to climb. The rope wouldn’t get her all the way to the top in one go, but it still cleared a good chunk of the mountain. And who knows, maybe she’d find something useful on the way.

She finished the first part of the climb without much trouble, reaching some sort of pathway that went around and up the mountain, and had just picked up her climbing gear once more when a familiar voice reached her ears.

“Hat! Get back here! I can’t rescue anyone without you!” Rookie whined, standing a short distance away from her.

“Rookie!” Blue shouted with relief, running up to her friend. “Are you alright? What happened? Are you hurt?!”

It was only then that she noticed the situation he was in. Rookie was trying to reach his propeller cap - which was tied to the end of a fishing pole… which was tied to a backpack on Rookie’s back. Every time he tried to reach his cap, it moved away, forever out of his reach. What even…?

“Blue!” Rookie shouted back. “I’m so glad to see you! There was some kind of trap! It caught all of us in this big net or something! I think I bonked my head, because the next thing I knew I woke up here! And now I can’t get my hat under control!” he spoke in a hurry, the words rushing out with his panic.

“Rookie, it’s okay. Take a deep breath.” she ordered, putting her flippers on his shoulders and trying to get him to calm down. “I’ll get your hat for you.”

As soon as she managed to get Rookie to stand still for a moment, she helped him take off the backpack and pulled the fishing pole from it. Removing the propeller cap from the line, she gave it back to Rookie - but insisted on checking his head before allowing him to put it on.

“Thanks, B.” he mumbled with a sigh of relief, holding the cap on his head with both flippers. “I feel completely helpless without my hat.”

“You had a bump on the back of your head.” Blue pointed out with worry. “Are you sure you’re feeling alright? Any headaches, blurry vision, anything?”

“Uh, I guess my head is hurting a bit. But I’m okay!” he insisted. “I’m feeling just fine! Especially now that I have my hat again.”

“Well… just let me know if it starts getting worse, alright?” she asked him with a frown, earning an enthusiastic nod in response. “We still have to look for Dot and Jet. You wouldn’t know where they are by any chance, right?”

“Sorry, commander. No idea.”

“It’s fine. Let’s keep going - after we’re done here, I’ll be sending all of you to the EPF medics.”

They moved on, Blue leading the way and looking out for Rookie, who followed her closely - still carrying the fishing pole, for some reason. The two penguins followed the path up the mountain, their eyes open for anything that seemed suspicious - and for their still missing friends.

At one point, Blue noticed some sharp metal pieces scattered on the snow. “Watch your step.” she alerted Rookie.

“Oh, look, there’s a tree up ahead. What a strange place for it to be in.” Rookie mused. “Though that tree is kinda funny looking…”

Blue turned to look. “Rookie, it’s not a real tree.” she pointed out, waddling closer. It was a fake tree painted on a wooden board - and it looked like there was something behind it. “Help me pull it down!”

Together, the two agents brought down the fake tree, finding out it was hiding the entrance of a small cave on the mountain. Inside it was Dot, sitting on the ground, tied up and gagged.

“Dot!” Rookie shouted in surprise. Blue leaned down and used her scissors to start cutting away the ropes holding the other agent.

“Agent B, am I ever glad to see you! I can’t believe Herbert got the drop on us. I should have seen through his plan!” Dot said as soon as she was able to speak. “I never thought being hidden somewhere would make me unhappy. Good thing you have a great eye, Ace.” she gave Blue a thankful smile.

Blue grinned. “Actually, Rookie was the one who noticed the tree.”

“... wait, really?”

“Yeah I did!”

“Huh. Guess I owe you one, then, Rookie.”

“Are you hurt anywhere, Dot?” Blue asked with concern, helping the other stand up.

Dot shook her head. “Only my pride. I’m a little shaken, but ready to go. We have to stop Herbert!” she said, determined. “I saw him go up the mountain, Blue. I think he’s about to warm up the island!”

“We don’t have much time…” Blue muttered. “We still have to find Jet!”

“I have no idea where Herbert took him.” Dot admitted. “But he’s gotta be up ahead.”

“Then let’s go!” Blue said, turning around and continuing to follow the path. Rookie and Dot followed without a second thought.

After walking for a few more minutes, the loud noise of a jetpack reached their ears. With a relieved smile, Blue ran towards the sound, hoping to see Jet Pack Guy up and ready for action - but what she found instead was definitely not what she was expecting.

“Guy!”

“JPG!!”

Dot and Rookie yelled in panic at the same time once they also saw their friend.

“Guys! Help me! I’m stuck!” Jet yelled back at them, sounding only a little desperate. He was tied to a rocket - not a jetpack, an actual rocket, just slightly bigger than Jet himself -, and said rocket was attached to the mountain by a heavy chain. It was still trying to fly upwards, though, jerking violently around and dragging Jet with it as it tugged on the chain. It definitely didn’t look comfortable. “Herbert tied me to this crummy rocket and just left me here!”

“Hang on, we’ll get you down!” Blue yelled, looking around and searching her brain for any possible solution. Who knows how long that chain would hold on before it broke?

“Agent B, I heard him mumbling to Klutzy. He’s finished his gadget to superheat the island! We have to hurry!” Jet shouted at her.

“I have an idea!” Rookie exclaimed, showing the others the fishing pole he was still carrying. “Let’s reel him in with this!”

“Nice, Rookie!” Blue smiled with relief. “Dot, help him out - I’ll cut the ropes once you get Jet close enough!”

The three penguins put their plan into action. Together, Rookie and Dot fished Jet out from the sky, using the fishing pole to pull him back closer to the mountain. Once she could reach them, Blue started cutting the ropes with the scissor, which caused Jet to fall and faceplant on the snow.

“Good job, team!” Rookie cheered, while he and Dot turned off the rocket.

Blue tried to help Jet stand up, but a hiss of pain coming from him made her jerk back. “Are you hurt?”

He stood up by himself with a grunt. “Ugh… my entire body’s sore. And there are definitely some rope burns. But other than that I’m all good.” he stated.

“Everyone’s free, now we have to go!” Dot called in a hurry.

Blue looked at the top of the mountain, then back at her friends with concern. “You guys have been through a lot already today. You should head back to the Command Room, get some rest - I can handle things from here.”

The other three looked at each other, then back at Blue. Dot crossed her flippers, giving her a challenging smile. “What, sending us away so you can get all the glory? That’s a low blow, chief.” she joked.

“What?! No! That’s not what I’m doing!”

“Then you should know that trying to get us to leave you here is pointless.” Jet stated.

“But- I- you guys are hurt!” Blue insisted. “You shouldn’t put yourselves at even more risk like that!”

“And when have you ever let that stop you, Blue?” Rookie asked with a cheeky grin.

Blue opened her mouth, then closed it. “... I’m the Team Leader. It’s my job to look after you guys.” she tried weakly.

“And, as your teammates, we kindly tell you to shut up.” Dot smiled. “We’re all a little banged up, yeah, but that’s not enough to keep us from following you into the fray, Blue.”

“So, if we’re done arguing about that, I thought we were in a bit of a hurry to save the island?” Rookie reminded them.

Blue stared at them in shock for a few seconds, before shaking her head. “Stubborn idiots.” she muttered with a fond smile.

“We’re just following our leader.” Jet shot back without missing a beat.

So, with the whole team back together, Blue led them the rest of the way up the mountain. “We’re not very far - if we run, we can make it in time!” she told them, earning three nods in response.

Quickly, they made their way towards their final destination - ready to stop Herbert from destroying Club Penguin.

Once they reached the top, Blue was… admittedly a little taken aback by what they found there. There were ice slabs everywhere, and a huge gadget was set up - it looked a lot like…

“Oh man, look at the size of that magnifying glass!” Jet said, sounding equally surprised.

“There he is!” Dot shouted, pointing at the sky. Blue turned to look - and indeed, there was Herbert, flying right next to the top of the mountain on his balloon.

“Herbert! Stop!” Blue yelled, moving towards the edge of the mountain, standing as close as she could to the polar bear, and raising her flippers. “You don’t know what you’re doing!”

“Well, well, well, look who it is!” Herbert shouted back at her, a smirk on his face. “It’s been a while, Agent B. I haven’t seen you since I blew up your little secret penguin club. Did you miss me?” he laughed. “I must say I’m rather impressed that you were able to save your little friends from my traps.”

Ever since their first meeting, seeing Herbert, or even just hearing his voice, was enough to put Blue in a bad mood. Still, she could not recall ever feeling so much anger towards him as she did right at that moment.

She was furious. From blowing up the PSA to hurting her friends - truth is, she wanted nothing more than to yell threats and curse at him, the same way he always spoke towards them. But now was not the time - if she wanted to save the island, she needed to get Herbert to understand the gravity of the situation. “Herbert, don't activate that thing! It’s too dangerous!”

But he merely laughed again, not caring at all. “Mwa ha ha! Actually, most of you were part of that group, weren’t you? What were they called again, Klutzy?” he asked with an ironic grin.

“Click click click.”

“Oh, that’s right! The PSA - what does it stand for? The Penguin Stupid Alliance?” he laughed, giving them a threatening smile. “But you couldn’t stop me then, and you certainly won’t stop me now! In mere moments, I will turn on my Mega-Magnifying Glass, and your precious snow-covered island will become my tropical paradise! And there’s nothing you can do to stop me!”

Blue lost her cool. “Well, if this machine is as well built as your others, we won’t even have to do anything because it’ll just break down on its own!” she shouted at the bear.

“HA! Wrong again! The lens of this brilliant device is made from the super-sturdy ice of your own Ice Rink. It’s stronger than steel, and cold enough to withstand any fire!”

Blue frowned, turning slightly towards her team. “Hold on, why’s the Ice Rink ice that strong to begin with? Who decided that?” she muttered with confusion.

“Don’t know. Ask G later.” Jet whispered back.

“At last, I get my true revenge for all the years you penguins have bothered me!” Herbert declared.

“Revenge?! You’re the one who arrived in our home and started causing trouble!” she yelled, before trying to get herself under control again. Now was not the time to vent her anger - she needed to get straight to the point. “Herbert, listen to me! You’re not going to warm the island, you’re going to sink it!”

“What are you blathering on about?” Herbert asked with annoyance.

A small spark of hope appeared inside her chest. Maybe Herbert was actually going to listen to her! “The magnifying glass is going to destroy the whole island! There won’t be any tropical paradise, or any island at all - you have to believe us!” she yelled back, nearly begging by this point.

“Hmm… what do you think, Klutzy?” Herbert asked, turning to the crab. “Should I believe them?”

“Click clickety click!”

“Good point. But I think I’ll turn it on anyway!” Herbert laughed. “Good try, ‘Agent’ B, but the day belongs to me!”

“Herbert, don't!” Blue shouted.

“Behold! My masterpiece! At last, I will finally be warm!”

As Herbert laughed, a huge bright beam of light started coming out of the Mega-Magnifying Glass. It hit the ground right next to the Mine Shack; the four penguins watched, horrified, as the snow there began to melt. Fast.

“So long, you fowl fools! I’m off to get a little sun and fun! See you in paradise!” Herbert laughed as he flew away in his balloon, leaving the agents behind, desperate to think of a solution.

“Hurry, Agent B! We need to bust that magnifying glass!” Dot cried out in a panic.

“Oh man! My heart is racing!” Rookie shouted.

Jet, who had already waddled closer to take a look at the magnifying glass, shook his head. “It’s no good! Herbert was right, that thing is too strong!”

“We- we’ll think of something!” Blue stated, ignoring the way her own heart was trying to beat out of her chest. Before she could say anything else, her phone started ringing - and she answered the call as soon as she saw who it was.

“G!”

“Agent B, what is going on?” he asked with concern. “We’re getting reports of a strange beam of light…”

“Herbert’s using a giant ice-magnifying glass to warm up the island!” Blue nearly shouted, trying to explain everything as fast as possible. “It’s on top of a mountain, we’re up here too!”

“Oh my! We need to move quickly. Have you tried disabling the device?”

“Yeah of course we have! It’s no use. This thing is made with the Ice Rink’s ice. We don’t have anything powerful enough to break it.”

“Hm…” G stayed silent for a few seconds. “I have an idea. If this magnifying glass is as powerful as you say, it should be strong enough to destroy itself.” Blue’s eyes widened. That… actually made sense. “If you can find a way to reflect the beam back at the glass, it should heat it up enough to melt it.”

“G, you’re a genius!” she smiled. Maybe there was still hope!

“Good luck, Agent B. The fate of the island rests on you and your team.”

Blue hung up and turned to the other agents. They were all looking at her expectantly, hope in their eyes. “We’re gonna use the light beam against the magnifying glass itself. That should do the trick!”

“And how are we gonna do that?”

“With ice!” she stated, motioning at all the ice slabs scattered around them. “Everyone, pick up one of these. Rookie, Dot, I need you guys back down there.” she ordered, pointing at the area where they had rescued Jet just before - right under the magnifying glass. “Jet, you’re the only one that can reach the beam in the air, so fly over there and try to reflect it back to me. I’ll send it over to Rookie, and Rookie sends it over to Dot. Dot, you get the best angle to send the beam back at the lens. Hopefully it all works out.” she gave the others a serious look. “We don’t have more than a few minutes, so let’s go!”

Without wasting time, the other three hurried to follow Blue’s instructions, grabbing some ice and rushing to their positions. Blue stood at the top of the mountain, next to the magnifying glass, trying to get her breathing under control.

“Please let this work.” she muttered to herself.

Once everyone was in position, Jet moved first. Flying right next to the light beam, he used the ice to reflect it back towards Blue. She had to admit, seeing something powerful like that coming in her direction was pretty scary - still, she stood her ground.

They managed to do exactly as she had said, and thankfully, G’s theory was right. As soon as Dot directed the light beam back to the Mega-Magnifying Glass, the wooden handle caught fire and the ice lens began to melt. In a matter of seconds, Herbert’s latest masterpiece was harmlessly falling down the mountain.

Blue let out a huge sigh of relief. Waving to Jet, he flew to her and the two of them regrouped with Rookie and Dot down where they were.

“We did it!” Dot cheered as soon as they landed, running to put a flipper across Blue’s shoulders.

“Yeah! Great job!” Jet smiled, relieved.

“Wahoo! I knew we could do it!” Rookie celebrated, dragging all of them into a clumsy group hug.

Blue laughed, feeling the last remains of panic still leaving her system. “You guys were awesome!” she complimented them. “Great job, everyone. Everything worked out well. I mean, we still should check the Mine Shack for any damage, but I think we can-”

Before she could finish that sentence, a large tremor shook the entire island.

The four agents lowered their heads, struggling to stay standing. Dot let out a loud gasp.

“Oh no.” Jet muttered.

“Umm… that’s bad, right?” Rookie nervously asked, wringing his flippers.

Blue’s stomach dropped as the realization hit her and she turned to look towards the Mine Shack. “... we weren’t fast enough.”

And they could only watch as a giant water geyser exploded out of the hole in the ground left by Herbert’s magnifying glass.

Chapter Text

Blue watched, her eyes wide, as the geyser grew taller and taller, until it seemed to nearly touch the sky. Even from as far away as they were, they could hear how loud the water was. She barely even noticed it when the geyser’s sheer power and pressure popped Herbert’s air balloon as he tried to approach it, sending the polar bear crash landing somewhere in the island.

All Blue could do was watch the geyser, completely frozen, as the water coming from it began to flood the Mine Shack.

“Oh no! Oh BAD! Bad bad bad!!” Rookie screamed, raising his flippers in a panic.

“What are we going to do?!” Dot asked, also panicking, turning to Blue.

Suddenly, Blue found herself staring at three very expectant pairs of eyes, as the others turned to her, waiting and hoping for her to come up with a plan. She looked from them to the geyser. As the leader, it was her job to think of something to solve the problem.

Except right now her mind was completely blank.

“I… I’m not sure…” she finally muttered, unable to look away from the water. “This is really bad.”

“Come on, Agent B, this is no time to lose your cool!” Jet nearly shouted, sounding very much like he’d lost his cool a while ago.

“He’s right, chief. We’re counting on you!” Dot nearly begged.

“I am SO glad I’m not in charge right now!” Rookie shouted.

“You guys are really not helping!” Blue yelled back, taking a step away from them and covering her eyes with her flippers. She tried to take a deep breath, but barely managed more than a strangled gasp. “I’m sorry, okay? I don’t know! How do you even fix something like this?” She pointed at the geyser. “I- I’m gonna call this in. G and the Director - they’ll know what to do, right?”

“... that’s a good idea.” Dot said, her voice quieter than before. “And I think we all have to stay calm now.” she looked at the others.

“Right. We’re right here with you, B.” Jet said. “We’re all gonna figure something out.”

With a shaky nod and another, more successful deep breath, Blue picked up her phone and called the Command Room.

She barely had time to think before someone answered. “An ocean geyser.” The Director stated. It wasn’t even a question. “How big is it?”

Blue swallowed. “It’s the biggest thing I can see right now. Even taller than the Tallest Mountain.” she replied in a low voice.

“Oh, calamity! This is a disaster!” the Director exclaimed. Blue’s stomach dropped. If even they were losing their cool, then things were really not looking good for the island. “A geyser that big could sink the island within minutes!”

“Oh.” Blue said in a strangled voice, sharing panicked looks with her friends.

There was a small pause on the other end of the line. Once they spoke again, the Director sounded far more composed once more. “Agent B, are you and the other agents alright?”

“We’re shaken, but ready for our orders, Director.” she said, earning determined nods from the others. “What do we do?”

“First things first. What happened to Herbert? Where is he?”

“I’m not sure. The geyser hit his balloon, and he crashed somewhere.”

“Alright. We must still consider him a danger, but our most important mission now is saving the island.” the Director said. “Hold on for your orders. G is running some calculations.”

And with that, the call ended. Blue turned to the others - they looked just as worried as she felt.

Jet was the first to step up. “Where am I heading, Agent B?”

The question gave Blue something to focus on, and she thought for a second. “Fly around, check the island for damage, and report back.” she asked. “We need to be aware of the current state of everything. Also, keep an eye out for Herbert as well; he’s not our priority, but we still have to deal with him.”

“Got it.” Jet nodded. “In it to win it, B! Let’s do this!” he shouted, before taking off.

Blue turned to the others, but before she could say anything, the whole island began shaking once more.

“What’s happening?” Dot nervously asked.

“It feels like an earthquake!” Rookie cried out.

The ground began to shift under their feet. Blue turned to look towards the Beach, and felt her heart stop for a second. That part of the island was almost entirely underwater now - and the other side, near the Forest and the Cove, was moving up.

The island was tipping.

“AHH! Club Penguin is sinking!” Rookie yelled, covering his eyes.

“I- we-” Blue stuttered, watching with a crushing feeling of helplessness as the water swallowed the Dock as well. “We have to do something! Time is running out - come on, G!...”

Right at that moment, her phone rang once more. She answered it faster than she ever had before.

“Agent B! Forgive my belatedness, but my calculations were quite time consuming.” G spoke quickly, and she could still hear the panic suppressed in his voice.

That did not help her one bit. “G! Island! Sinking! Help!” she nearly yelled at the phone.

“Yes - according to my calculations, we don’t have much time.” G said. “So listen closely. The plan is simple - there are two things you must do to save Club Penguin. One is to stop the island from tipping. The geyser is affecting the island’s balance, causing it to tilt. We need to fix it.” a small, hesitant pause. “The second thing is to plug the geyser. Though that’s easier said than done.

Blue took a deep breath. Calm, peaceful. Who’s panicking? No one’s panicking. “Right. How do we stop the island from tipping?”

“Right now, one side of the island is sinking into the ocean like a giant teeter-totter.” G explained. “To reverse this, you’ll either need to find a way to lift the lower end, or push down on the higher end. Most likely, you’ll need to find a way to do both.”

A short, near-hysterical laugh escaped Blue. “G, this is insane. How am I supposed to push an entire island up or down?” she asked, only a little terrified. “Please tell me you have a plan for that, because I am all out of ideas!”

“Unfortunately, I don’t know either.” he quietly admitted. “But it is something that must be done if we want to save the island. I’ll try to come up with something as well - don’t worry, you’re not alone on this one.”

“Right. Okay.” she sighed. “And how do we plug that geyser?”

“You’ll need to find something that’s heavy enough to hold back the water, but small enough to fit in the hole.” G said. “And that won’t be easy. The geyser is powerful because the hole is very small.” he let out a grunt of frustration. “This will take more brainstorming… I need more information…” he began mumbling to himself.

“G!” Blue called out to him before he lost himself inside his own head. “Anything else I need to know?”

He sighed. “Herbert is still at large. And until he’s in custody, we have to assume he’s going to make things worse. We can’t afford to have him trying another plan while we’re dashing around to save the island. You need to find him and arrest him.”

“Got it.” she agreed. “I don’t think even Herbert would be dumb enough to try something while the island he lives on is literally sinking - but if he did, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised. Jet’s out looking for him already.”

“Agent B, I really need more information on the situation. I suggest going down to the geyser to take a better look at it.” G asked. “I will teleport you there now. Some of the locations are currently unstable and you cannot go the way you came.”

“Right.” she nodded at Rookie and Dot. “We’re ready to go.”

G hung up, and mere seconds later, the trio appeared next to the geyser.

It was far, far scarier to look at the thing from below.

“Holy Toledo! Look at the size of that thing!” Rookie yelled, looking up and leaning back, trying to look at the top of the water. “I’ve decided I’m not a big fan of geysers…”

“We’re going to need something heavy to plug that hole!” Dot shouted as well. Over the noise of the water, it was quite hard for them to hear each other.

Blue looked down at the water on the ground, which was already covering their feet and seemed to rise by the second, and tried hard to ignore the anxiety growing in her chest. “I need to phone this in to G…” she muttered. Why couldn’t they have kept the headsets?...

“Agent B, report?” he asked after picking up.

“Nothing we didn’t already know. Huge geyser, small hole.” she stated. “I have no idea how we’re going to seal it.”

“Affirmative.” G mumbled, not sounding very cheerful. “In the meantime, I think I’ve figured out a way to re-balance the island, to stop it from tipping.”

Blue could have cried with relief. “What have you got, G?”

“Well, like I mentioned before, we need a way to pull one end of the island up, and push the other down. Which option do you want to hear first?”

“Okay - how do we pull the island up?”

“You will have to find some large items that we can fill with Super Helium. Think giant balloons and such.” he said. “Then we attach these items to the sunken part of the island using the AquaGrabber. That should do the trick.”

“... that’s actually a solid plan. But is it gonna be enough to raise the island?” she asked, still a bit nervous.

“According to my calculations, yes - if you can find large enough items, three should be enough. Old party decorations could be a good starting point. I’ll prepare the AquaGrabber, meet me at the Iceberg once everything is ready.”

“Right. And what about the ‘pushing down the island’ part?”

“A large crowd of penguins, moved into the right spots on the island, should be able to do just that.” G suggested. “Ask Dot for her opinion. She might have an idea for disguises so that penguins will listen and follow you.”

Blue sighed. “Well… I can say that’s not how I imagined my day would go.” she attempted to joke.

“That goes for all of us.” G muttered. “Good luck, Blue. Call me if you need my help. We’re counting on you.”

As soon as she hung up, Dot stepped closer. “So what’s up? What do you want us to do?”

Blue took another deep breath and tried to focus. “Dot, we need a way to move whole crowds of penguins to some specific places. Any ideas?”

“Well… if someone dressed up as certain famous penguins was walking around the island, other penguins would definitely follow them around.” she smiled. “I could whip up some disguises, but I’ll need supplies. I’ll head over to the Plaza and see if I can find anything.”

“Perfect. I’m sure you can handle it. Good luck.” Blue turned to Rookie as Dot teleported away. “And I need you to start looking for items that might be able to plug that hole, Rookie. Anything that could fit and also be heavy enough to stop the water.”

“You got it, commander! You can count on me!” he assured with a smile.

“... just Blue, please.” she asked quietly as he waddled away.

Right at that moment, her Spy Phone rang away - for a moment she feared something had happened, but it was actually Jet calling back.

“Hey - how’s the rest of the island?” Blue asked immediately.

“Well, other than the obvious sinking problem, we’ve got things handled as much as possible, Agent B.” Jet reported. “I talked to some other EPF agents, they’ll be doing damage control and keeping the civilians safe while we try to fix the problem.”

Blue sighed. “Great to finally hear some good news. Awesome job, Jet.”

“Yeah, but that’s not why I called you. You’d better come look at this.” he said in a serious voice. “I found Herbert at the Ski Village.”

Her eyes widened. “Wh- I’ll be there soon! We can’t let him escape!”

To her surprise, though, Jet merely chuckled. “Oh, I’m pretty sure he’s not going anywhere…”

The comment only left her more curious, and she immediately teleported to the Ski Village. And there, she instantly understood what Jet meant.

The place was filled with water as well - just enough to almost reach the bottom of her suit. Herbert was still inside the basket of his destroyed balloon; somehow, he’d ended up stuck on top of the ski lift, tangled in a mess of ropes and cables, and was now vainly attempting to free himself. Klutzy was on the ground, trying his best to help the bear, but unable to reach the ropes.

Jet stood a few meters away, watching the scene with great amusement. Blue walked up to him, and he chuckled once she got closer. “Check it out, Agent B. One very stuck, very nervous polar bear. He keeps yelling something about being afraid of water.” he took a deep breath, trying to control his laughter. “What should we do?”

“I’ll handle this.” Blue muttered, glaring at the bear. He still hadn’t even noticed her presence.

“He’s all yours.” Jet gave her an encouraging smile. “Let me know if you need my help.”

With a short nod, Blue walked up to the ski lift, splashing water everywhere.

“Oh no! Oh no! There’s so much water!” Herbert was shouting, sounding genuinely scared. Blue couldn’t bring herself to feel bad for him. “I can’t believe this miserable island is sinking!”

“Herbert! Down here!” she called out to him, trying to get his attention.

He looked down, finally realizing she was there. “You! Yes, I see you down there! Look at this mess!” he furiously waved his arms around. “Why didn’t you stop me from melting that giant hole in the island?! This is all your fault!”

Oh, Herbert really didn’t make it easy for them to have a normal, rational conversation. “My fault? Are you insane?!” she shouted back at him, her voice shaking with rage. “This is all your fault! I tried to stop you, you insufferable polar bear!”

“You were successful in stopping my plans literally every single time before now! Why change that on the one time it actually mattered?!”

“None of this would have happened if you had listened to me up on that mountain, instead of being so unbearably stubborn!”

“Listen, you pesky penguin, this is no time to argue over petty details!” he complained. “The whole island is sinking, and I can’t swim! So go get your little spy friends, and help get me down from here!”

Blue nearly growled at him. “After everything you’ve done?! Thanks, but no thanks. I’m not sure I should help someone who does nothing but make everything worse.”

“What are you blathering on about?” he shouted back, angry - and, even if he tried to hide it, scared. He really was afraid of water, huh.

She gritted her teeth. “You destroyed the PSA. You hurt my friends. Why should I help you?” she asked, anger coming out of every word.

Herbert stuttered for a second. “Isn’t that what you secret agent types do? Rescue poor creatures in need?” he argued, trying to sound innocent. It really didn’t work.

“Well, good thing there are no more secret agents around, since, as I just said, you destroyed the PSA.” she crossed her flippers, glaring at him. “Besides, you’re the farthest possible thing from a ‘poor creature in need’. All you’ve ever done is cause trouble!”

“I hardly see what that has to do with anything…” he grumbled.

“How?!” Blue shouted, spreading her flippers. “Just look around! This is all thanks to you! You’ve put the whole island at risk for your own selfishness! And you still dare come to us asking for help?!”

“Oh, this IS a bad day!” Herbert yelled, covering his face with a hand. “First I make a small miscalculation and destroy the island I’m living on…” Blue scoffed, rolling her eyes. “And now I’m trapped over an ocean of water, having to listen to my arch-nemesis gloat and lecture me on how miserable I should be! Truly this is the darkest day since I tipped my Iceberg and wound up on this idiotic island…”

“See?! You can’t even ask for help without insulting us!”

“I didn’t work so hard on this plan just to turn around and do things your way in the end!” he shouted back, as if it was obvious.

Blue held back a yell of frustration. Someone needed to be rational here, or they’d get nowhere. “Alright. First things first: this is not ‘an ocean of water’, Herbert. It would barely reach your ankles.”

“And that’s already far more water than it would be sensible!”

“Secondly: I’m not your ‘arch-nemesis’.” she glared at him, unimpressed.

“Oh yes you are!” he interrupted with a shout. “Every plan I ever had, you always had to mess up! I thought with the PSA gone, you’d be out of my fur for good!”

“It would take more than that to make me stop protecting this island.” Blue declared. Honestly, knowing she annoyed Herbert just as much as he annoyed them was giving her a very satisfying feeling. “Thirdly: you’re the only one here who gloats over the misery of others!”

“Listen, you fowl fool - all I have to tell you is that misery loves company, and you’ve made me plenty miserable!” he yelled. “Do you know what it’s like being stuck here? Living in a place you can’t stand?”

“You’re the one who decided to stay!” she pointed out the flaw in his logic. “Nobody’s stopping you from leaving - in fact, you’d be doing us all a favor! It’s not our fault you ended up here, and it really doesn’t give you the right to go around ruining our lives!”

“Doesn’t matter, it still stinks! And now I don’t even have my revenge to comfort me…” he growled, frustrated. “All that work… for nothing!”

“Your ‘revenge’?!” Blue shouted, not believing her ears.

“Yes! My revenge! For all the embarrassment you put me through!” he shouted as well.

Blue really didn’t think she could feel angrier than she already was - but Herbert continued to surprise her. “Great! Then tell me - does that mean I should take ‘revenge’ on you?!”

“Yes! I think… wait…” the bear stuttered, realizing what he’d just said. “I, umm… I mean- that is…”

“Because there is a pretty long list of things you’ve done that would justify that, Herbert.” she glared venomously at him. “Kidnapping my friends, destroying my workplace, sinking my home island, leaving me stuck in a cage inside a dark cave…”

“... that was so long ago, are you still not over that?”

“No, I’m not over that!” the shout was so loud her voice cracked, and Herbert was visibly taken aback.

“Hmm… umm… well, I suppose…” he mumbled, sounding surprisingly unnerved.

“Maybe I should leave you up there? That is what you would do, yes?” Blue asked, her voice still shaking with anger. “Or perhaps I should get you down - right into all this nice water over here. What do you say, Herbert, care to go for a swim?”

“Alright, I get your point!” he shouted, and Blue was deeply satisfied to see the genuine panic in his eyes. “But I… I really, really don’t want you to do that…”

She was ready to continue arguing when she felt a flipper on her shoulder. “Maybe you should take a break for now, Blue.” Jet whispered, low enough so that neither Herbert or Klutzy would hear him.

Still breathing heavily, she allowed her friend to drag her away from the polar bear. “I swear, if I had an iceberg on hand right now, I’d personally send him back to the North Pole…” she grumbled.

“I get that yelling at Herbert is, uh… cathartic… for you.” Jet said. “But we really can’t waste time with that now, Agent B. The island is in danger, we need to focus on the mission.”

Blue sighed. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I’m just…”

“I get it.” Jet smiled at her. “He is really infuriating.”

She smiled back. “Oh, you have no idea.”

“So. What do we do with him now?” he asked. “Can’t just leave him up there. Should we try to arrest him?”

Blue frowned, thinking for a moment. Jet was right, they had wasted enough time with Herbert already - they should be focusing all their efforts on saving the island right now. Arresting the bear and figuring out what to do with him would take way too long, but it’s not like they could afford to just leave him unsupervised, either.

And that’s when the idea struck her.

Even as she thought about it, she was aware that it was probably the most stupid, insane and senseless idea she’d ever had in her entire life. But, then again, you could say the same about a good portion of the plans she’d made during her career as an agent.

Club Penguin was sinking, and they didn’t have much time. They’d have to work with what they had.

“Jet, I just had an idea. But you have to promise you won’t think I’m crazy.”

Jet frowned at her. “I would never think that.”

“What if we told Herbert he had to help us?”

He blinked. “Are you crazy?!” he shouted, a little louder than he probably should. Blue flinched, and he lowered his voice back to a whisper. “Did you hit your head or something? You were shouting threats at him less than two minutes ago, where did this come from? We can’t trust this guy, he’s our worst enemy!” he hissed

“I know!” Blue whispered back at him. “But what choice do we have? We really need all the help we can get! It’s also in Herbert’s best interest that the island doesn’t sink - and as much as I hate to admit it, he’s quite resourceful when he has to be. His help could make a difference, and we also get to keep an eye on him.”

“But- but-” Jet stuttered. “This is completely outside EPF procedure! There’s nothing in the book that allows this!”

“Jet, I’m sorry I have to tell you this.” Blue said firmly, putting a flipper on his shoulder. “But, sometimes, you have to ignore what the book says.”

His eyes widened dramatically behind his sunglasses.

Blue turned to look at Herbert, who was still all tangled up inside his basked, and sighed. “This is a risk I’m willing to take.” she stated. Honestly, maybe she really was getting crazy.

“... Okay, Agent B.” Jet finally muttered. “If you’re sure, then I trust you. And I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Yep, so do I.” she gave him a weak grin, before walking back towards Herbert.

“Oh no… is that kelp I see?” the bear gagged. “I can’t stand to eat any more of it…”

“Herbert!” Blue clapped once, putting on her best ironic, over-exaggerated grin. “Good news! We’re going to help you…”

He laughed. “Excellent! I knew you agents would come around-”

“... if you help us fix the island.” she finished her sentence, not letting her mocking smile fall even a bit.

Herbert blinked, astonished. “What?! You want me to help you?!” he asked, making a grossed out face.

“That’s right. Take it or leave it.” Blue crossed her flippers. “You can work with us this one time, or you can stay stuck up there while the island sinks. I hope your little basket can float.”

He hesitated, looking nervous again. “Hmm… I suppose you petty penguins could use a genius like me…” he reluctantly grumbled. “So be it! I agree to your terms! Now get me down from here!”

Blue smiled. “Right on it.”

She took a better look at the whole situation, trying to understand why Herbert was having such a hard time getting free from the ropes. Apparently, they had gotten tangled on the ski lift’s cables, which were still moving and making everything worse. The first step, then, would be getting the machine to stop moving. And the easiest and fastest way to do that would be…

With a sigh, Blue took out her scissors and stared at the belt she’d used to fix the ski lift so long ago. “It was good while it lasted, old friend.” she muttered, trying to cut through the leather. To her immense surprise, however, the belt did not get a single scratch - and the scissors instantly broke in two pieces. She stared at them in shock. “Whoa! No wonder this belt managed to stay here for so long. That’s some good quality material.”

“Do you always talk to yourself while you’re doing these things?”

“Shut up, bear - you do it too!”

Before another shouting match could start, Klutzy, who was next to Blue watching her work, jumped up and reached for the belt - and, using his claws, cut through it like it was made of butter.

Blue stared at the crab, impressed. “Not bad!” she smiled, already having an idea. “Now we just have to get you up there so you can finish the job.” she leaned down, holding out both flippers towards him. Klutzy hesitated for a second, but after a quick look up at Herbert, allowed Blue to grab him.

“Hey, what do you think you’re gonna do with him?” Herbert called out, irritated.

Blue grinned up at him. “Don’t worry - I’m good at throwing stuff.”

And, without any more warning, she threw Klutzy up. The crab flew through the air for a few seconds, before safely landing on the basket, right next to Herbert. Not even taking any time to recover from the throw, Klutzy started cutting all the ropes he could get his claws on, one by one, until the basket, and its contents, fell straight down to the floor, splashing salt water everywhere.

“Perfect.” Jet approached them. “Alright, we have to roll-”

“Oh no, I’m not going anywhere!” Herbert declared, crossing his arms and raising his nose, looking just like a petulant child.

Blue could already feel a headache coming. “What is it now?”

“I’m not going anywhere without some sort of safety water-survival gear!” he stubbornly said.

“We don’t have time for this!” Jet nearly shouted at the bear.

“Ugh, I can’t believe this.” Blue shook her head. “Fine. I need to go look for some stuff around the island anyway - I’ll find something for you too.” she relented, despite the annoyance. “Jet, keep an eye on him.”

But Herbert wasn’t done talking. “And since I don’t trust you, I demand you take Klutzy so he can keep an eye on you.” he ordered. Klutzy immediately scuttled up to Blue, making click noises at her.

She sighed. “Alright. My scissors broke anyway - he could be useful. And he definitely makes for better company than some.”

“Herbert is a big guy.” Jet said, while both penguins ignored the insults the bear was shouting at them. “If you’re getting him penguin-sized items, you’ll probably need at least three items to get him to float.”

Blue sighed. “Today could not get any worse.”

-

Club Penguin was an island. Penguins tended to live and do their activities close to the sea. It really wasn’t hard on a normal day to spot floating devices around. Even some of their snow sports involved floaty inner tubes.

On that day, however, finding anything remotely similar felt almost impossible. It was almost like every single penguin on the island had decided to grab the closest floating object to them and just run with it. Maybe some panic caused when the island started sinking? Who knew. But it definitely made things harder for Blue.

She needed to find Herbert’s safety gear, G’s inflatable items, Dot hadn’t sent word back about the disguises, Jet was stuck babysitting, and Rookie was off doing who knew what in an attempt to plug the hole.

Yes, things definitely could be a lot better.

She ran all over the island, looking everywhere for whatever she could find. The items for a certain grumpy polar bear weren’t that hard to find - she found a duck floatie near the Ski Village, as well as some water wings and a life jacket from the Gift Shop, with some help from the Manager - even though he seemed more worried about his sales than the island sinking…

Along the way, she also found some stuff that would help with G’s plan. Following his lead with the old party decorations, she looked through the Lodge’s Attic - where she found a huge inflatable octopus from one of the old water parties. He was inside a large box tied with some rope, but Klutzy was very helpful in getting rid of those.

And speaking of Klutzy, the crab diligently followed Blue around the whole island. No complaining, no hesitation, he went where she went and did what she asked. If he was always like this, then no wonder Herbert liked him.

“So… you and Herbert… um. You talk a lot?”

“Click.”

“... yeah, I guess it’s gonna be hard to make small talk with you.” Blue shook her head with a smile. “Still. You seem like a nice little guy, and Herbert is always mean to you. Why stick around him?”

“... click click.”

“... we should save this conversation for some other time, I suppose.”

Just like the large octopus, Blue also found a giant inflatable whale, also from some old party, at the Boiler Room - and the Underground Pool provided her with some very large life preservers. That would probably be enough for G’s plan to raise the island, as soon as she could spare five minutes to go meet him at the Iceberg…

Blue left the pool through the Plaza exit, and to her immense relief, immediately ran into the penguin she wanted to see. “Dot!” she called out, running towards the other. “How are things looking over here?”

“Well, Ace, I’ve got some good news, and some bad news.” Dot replied, looking worried.

Blue held back a sigh. “Okay - what’s the good news?”

“I know which costumes will guarantee penguins will follow and listen to me.”

“And the bad news?”

“I can’t find the last few parts to complete each costume we need.” Dot sighed. “I’ll be dressing up as DJ Cadence, Rockhopper and Sensei. I’m just missing one piece from each disguise - Rockhopper’s beard, Sensei’s hat, and Cadence’s wig. I might need some help here.”

“Right. I can take a look around and see what I can find.” Blue agreed. What was a little walk across the Plaza on top of everything else she already had to do, right?...

Thankfully, for once in her life, the task ended up being easier than she expected. Dot’s tendency to always do things unnoticed was really a setback for her this time around. The Stage manager was happy to let Blue take a costume beard when she asked - all she had to do was paint it black for Rockhopper’s beard. And at the Pizza Parlor, a quick chat with the Pizza Chef had her leaving the place with a stained mop and a dented pizza pan; with some imagination, they’d make a pretty decent wig and hat.

“I guess our disguise expert needs to be less disguised every once in a while.” Blue joked while giving Dot the items.

“Awesome! These will work perfectly!” Dot smiled.

“So, can I count on you to get the crowds where we need them?”

“No worries. Just like you said-” Dot flipped the pizza pan and put it on her head. “Disguise expert.”

Blue let out a relieved laugh. “Thanks, Dot.” she grinned, tapping the other’s shoulder, before taking her phone to return to the Ski Village. And that made her remember something. “By the way, if you see Herbert around by any chance, no need to worry - he’s helping us out.”

“Understood.” Dot instinctively said, busy putting on a white beard. After a short pause, however, she turned to Blue with wide eyes. “Hold on, what?!”

Before she could ask any more questions, however, Blue disappeared in the teleporter’s familiar flash of light.

Back at the Ski Village, she noticed, with only a little bit of despair, that the water level was noticeably higher than before. Trying to ignore the feeling of a clock ticking down above their heads, she threw the safety gear she’d collected at Herbert.

“I hope they’re to your taste.” she told him, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Blue and Jet watched, not really knowing how to react, as Herbert put on the life jacket, the blue water wings, and the rubber duck floatie. Only then he stepped out of his balloon’s basket.

Seeing the polar bear wearing that many brightly-colored floaties to stand on water that barely reached his knees was enough to break Blue’s composure. Whether it was only the ridiculousness of the whole situation or also a result of the day’s stress, she let out a very loud, very non-professional cackle.

Even Jet looked like he was struggling not to smile, and although she still didn’t speak crab, Klutzy’s clicks sounded an awful lot like laughter to her.

“Couldn’t you have found something less… clownish?” Herbert grumbled, sounding particularly unamused with his circumstances.

“I think you look pretty good… for a walking balloon animal.” Jet mocked him, unable to hold back a chuckle any longer.

Herbert growled - but made no move against the penguins. Promising.

“Alright, we gotta get a move on.” Blue said, catching her breath after laughing and wiping some tears from her eyes. That was enough of mocking the bear - they needed to hurry.

The sound of splashing steps approaching them caught her attention. “Oh, hey guys, how’s it go-oooooooh my goodness! There’s Herbert! I found him! And he looks silly!” Rookie shouted once he spotted them, pointing at the bear.

“Hmph… says the penguin with a propeller on his hat…” Herbert mumbled. Blue was starting to feel bad for the guy - he clearly wasn’t having fun.

Then she remembered the island was sinking, and immediately stopped feeling bad. Nobody was having fun, and it was all his fault.

“Herbert is going to be helping us.” she told Rookie, glaring at the bear while she said so. To her surprise, he merely looked away. “How goes your search, Rookie?”

He shook his head with a nervous look. “Not good at all. I haven’t found anything that might be good for plugging the geyser yet.” he admitted.

Blue clenched her teeth. That was bad - they were making progress on the other parts of the plan, but none of it would matter if they couldn’t seal that hole and stop the water.

They needed to focus all their efforts on that, now. “Okay. Take Herbert with you. The two of you will cover more ground.”

“What?!” Rookie and Herbert shouted at the same time.

“We need to get this done and we’re running out of time! Is there a problem?!” she glared at them both - although she sent an apologetic look at Rookie right after.

Still, Blue was just so done with everything.

“Oh, uhh… Nope! No problem here!” Rookie nervously laughed.

“No comment.” Herbert grumbled.

“Good. Jet, go with them - look from above for anything useful.” she asked, earning a nod from him. Then she looked straight at Herbert. “Try doing anything against them again and you’ll regret ever stepping on this island.” she threatened.

“I said I’d help, I’m going to help!” he said back, irritated, while the three walked away from her.

She crossed her flippers, watching him go. “Yeah, like I’m gonna take you for your word.” she muttered to herself. A quiet ‘click’ made her look down - and oh, Klutzy was still there, staring at her with big, expectant eyes. “... right. I guess you come with me.”

“Click click!”

At that moment, her Spy Phone started ringing with a call from G. “Shoot - I’m going, G, I’m going!” she shouted to no one in particular, ignoring the call and teleporting straight to the Iceberg.

“Now, why did she- oh, Agent B! Finally. I was starting to worry about the lack of news from you.” he let out a nervous little laugh.

“Sorry. Kinda have a lot on my plate right now.” Blue admitted.

“Did you find what we needed?”

“Yep.” she said, showing him the inflatable items. “They’re a little… strange, but they should be strong enough for the job.”

“Excellent. I’ve finished the adjustments to the AquaGrabber, so you’ll be able to take the items underwater and fill them with Super Helium there.” G explained.

Together, they put all the items in the sub, and Blue jumped in. Before she could submerge, however, a ‘click click’ caught both penguin’s attention.

G, for the first time, noticed the crab’s presence on the iceberg. “... Is that Klutzy?” he asked, turning a puzzled look to Blue. “What is he doing here?”

“Uh.” Blue stared back at him like a deer in headlights. “I’ll tell you later see you in a minute!” she spoke quickly, closing the lid on the AquaGrabber and immediately going under the water.

Piloting the AquaGrabber wasn’t exactly Blue’s favorite game around the island - especially since she got banned from ever entering the Soda Seas again (though that was a long story). But she still could manage piloting the small submarine well enough, even with G’s little modifications.

If you ignored all the panic caused by the whole ‘imminent destruction of Club Penguin’ situation, it was a pretty nice underwater ride. Blue dodged eels and pufferfish, while throwing life preservers at the underside of the island the whole way through.

It kinda reminded her of her first mission, in a way - when she threw life preservers at those penguins at the Iceberg. From finding missing puffles to stopping the island from sinking; who would have imagined?

To her relief, it did seem like the plan was actually working, and the island was going up. After she ran out of life preservers, and also managed to find a nice spot for the whale and the octopus, Blue made her way back to the Iceberg, hoping with all her heart that their efforts had been enough.

G’s huge grin when she got out of the AquaGrabber did wonders to calm her down. “You did it, Agent B!” he celebrated. “While you were down there, Dot called me to report that she managed to move crowds of penguins to the right spots. With both efforts combined, the island is rebalanced now!”

Blue turned to look at Club Penguin in the distance. In fact, the island seemed almost normal - if it wasn’t from the giant geyser still filling everything with water. She sighed. “It’s not over yet.”

“Indeed - now, hurry! We need to get to the Mine Shack and plug the geyser as quickly as possible!” G exclaimed, already taking out his phone.

“Click.” Klutzy agreed.

G turned to the crab with a confused look, as if he’d forgotten Klutzy was there the whole time. “Actually, I do think we have a moment before that - can you tell me what Klutzy is doing here, Agent B?”

“I… uh. Well, you see…” she stuttered with a nervous smile. “I… kinda asked Herbert to help us fix the island.” she winced, closing her eyes and turning away to avoid looking at G’s face.

He stood quiet for a moment. “That is… an unexpected twist.” he said, his voice carefully neutral. “Where is Herbert now?”

“I sent him with Rookie and Jet to look for items to plug the hole with.” she explained.

“I see. Well - contact them and tell them to move towards the Mine Shack as well. Dot’s also on her way; we’ll regroup and figure out our next step.”

“... you’re surprisingly calm about the fact that I asked Herbert to work with us on an EPF operation.” Blue asked, confused. “I expected at least one comment questioning my sanity.”

G gave her a patient smile. “No penguin on this island has been more wronged by Herbert than you, Agent B - and you’re the last one I would expect to give him a chance like this one.”

“Yeah, well… desperate times, and all that?”

“Indeed. When it comes to Herbert, I trust your call. If you believe he’ll be useful, then that’s how we’ll do it.” G nodded. “... though we will keep a very close eye on him, just to be sure.”

“Oh, no doubt about that.”

-

A few short minutes later, everyone was back at the Mine Shack - the five penguins, Herbert and Klutzy. The agents were glaring with distrust at Herbert, who was crossing his arms and trying hard to appear intimidating; though his still ridiculous getup ruined the effect. The water level was a lot higher than before, now reaching up to the penguin’s bellies.

“Alright, everyone.” G started, looking at the screen on his phone. “There’s just one last thing to do. We need to plug this geyser.”

“Did you guys find anything useful?” Blue asked, turning to Rookie and Jet.

“No… nothing big enough to help, anyway…” Rookie muttered, fidgeting in place.

“We’re doomed… this whole place is going to sink soon…” Herbert lamented, sounding irritated, frustrated, and at least another seven different negative emotions that Blue couldn’t even name.

“Hush! You’re not helping!” Dot nervously snapped at him.

“We’ve looked everywhere there’s items to be found!” Rookie said, starting to sound more and more panicked. “What else could there be?”

“Well, there’s gotta be something!” Blue said, the uncertainty making her raise her voice as well. She tried to focus. “Somewhere we haven’t looked yet… like the Wilderness, or even-” she stopped, her eyes widening as a memory surfaced in her mind.

Something she’d seen the day before. Something she’d talked about with the others at the meeting table…

“The statue! At the hideout!” she suddenly yelled, pointing at the bear. “Herbert’s statue!”

“NO!” Herbert shouted back, matching her volume. “You foul fowls! Do you know how much time and effort I’ve put into that statue?! You can’t just take it!”

Blue turned a glare at him that shut him up immediately. “It’s either your statue, Herbert, or the whole island goes down.” she said, in a quiet voice that was no less enraged than her shouts from before.

Herbert glared at her back, looking equally furious. They stood at that silent stand-off for several seconds, before the bear finally relented and looked away. “Oh, blargh! Fine! You can use the statue. But you won’t get far with it without the proper transport. Repair my balloon, and I shall fetch the statue for you.”

“Consider it done.” Blue agreed. “Everyone else, look for items to temporarily plug the hole.”

“An excellent idea, Agent B.” G stated. “A temporary plug could buy us some much needed time.”

“Spread out and look for… well, anything that can fit!” Dot called out to the others.

“Let’s do this!” Rookie shouted, already running away to start looking.

“Stay safe, Blue.” Jet whispered to her, sending a distrustful glare at the polar bear before moving away.

Herbert gave Blue a mocking grin. “Lead the way, Agent B.”

Without raising to the bait this time, Blue simply got her phone and teleported them both back to the Ski Village. The faster they did this, the better - for the mental well-being of both.

They looked at the sad remains of Herbert’s balloon - deflated, ropeless, and with a large hole on the side. “Alright, let’s see those wondrous skills of yours in action.” Herbert taunted. Blue merely rolled her eyes. “My balloon has a large hole in it. Find something to patch it and fill it, and we can go save your little island.”

“Yes, Herbert; I, too, have eyes and know how balloons are supposed to work.” Blue grumbled. “The Super Helium will work just fine to fill the balloon once more, and I can patch this hole with some strong tape. I already know where to look for it. In the meantime, try to get your little basket ready so we can tie the balloon back to it, and put the balloon’s weights back in place.” she asked, giving him a large, sarcastic smile. “The Super Helium might be a little too strong for you to handle.”

Herbert growled. “Let it be clear that I am only helping you because making sure this depressing island doesn’t sink is also in my best interest, you wretched bird.”

“Sure; whatever you say, Herbert, now come on!”

And, leaving the bear to untangle the pieces left of his balloon, Blue teleported to the Gift Shop. The Manager was, once more, very cooperative towards her requests, and she left the shop with a huge roll of tape that they found on the second floor’s office.

Returning to the Ski Village, Blue was surprised to see that Herbert was surprisingly efficient with fixing his balloon’s basket and getting it ready for flight once more. “Not bad. Now if only you could do everything as well as that; then maybe your life wouldn’t be so filled with self-inflicted problems.”

Herbert grunted. “You’re awfully snippy today, you know. What happened, got up on the wrong side of the bed?”

“Last time we met, you tried to kill me and my friends, and now my home could be destroyed because of your idiocy.” Blue said calmly as she started working to fix the balloon. “So, yeah, I’m pissed off, thanks for noticing.”

“Whoa whoa, hold it there, I never tried to kill you! Defeat in a humiliating way, sure, but-”

“You locked us in a room with a bomb!”

“... oh. I did do that, didn’t I?” Herbert mumbled. “To be fair, my intention was to blow up the PSA, not you pathetic penguins.”

“Oh, of course, because that would have done us so much good if we hadn’t managed to get away.” she deadpanned. “Herbert, do you ever even stop to think about the consequences of your actions before doing something?”

“I don’t have to! I’m a genius with brilliant ideas; there’s no need to think of ‘consequences’ when my plans are always great!”

“Considering the consequences is part of a good plan, you pea-brained polar bear!” she shouted. “We’re only in this mess to begin with because of your inability to stop and think about what you’re doing for five seconds!”

“Well, it has been working for me so far!”

“It literally hasn’t! All you’ve ever done is make things worse for yourself and for others!” Blue shook her head; finally done with fixing the hole in the balloon, she picked up a piece of rope and threw it at Herbert. “So… you better start changing that now.”

Herbert said nothing; but he picked up the rope.

Together, they attached the balloon to the basket once more, and Blue filled it with the Super Helium she still had left from earlier. Once it was ready to fly once more, Herbert jumped in, still looking grumpy about the whole thing, with Klutzy following right behind.

“I shall return soon with a piece of true artwork to use as your rescue device.” he grumbled.

Before he could take off, Blue put a flipper over the basket’s edge. “Just make sure you come back. If you run off now, we all sink.” she reminded him, putting as much seriousness on her voice as possible.

Herbert rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry. This balloon wouldn’t last long enough to get me to another island anyway.” he grumbled. “I’ll contact you silly birds on your new fancy phones once everything is ready on my end.”

Blue blinked, taken aback. “Wait, how do you know about that?”

“I convinced the green agent to add me to your communication network when you sent me with him to go looking for stuff. So, you have a new little secret club now, is that right?” he chuckled. “And you put that guy as your comms leader? Are you serious?”

Blue sighed heavily, letting go of the basket and taking a step back. “Just get out of here, Herbert.”

And, without another word, Herbert’s balloon began to float towards the Wilderness. She watched him go - feeling, for some reason, assured enough that he would come back with what they needed.

She shook her head. “Good luck to us all.” she muttered to herself, before returning to the Mine Shack.

-

“How are things going over here?” she asked the others.

“We found a good amount of items that could help seal the hole.” Jet reported. “Tons of anvils, too. Good thing the Mine is right here.”

“With all those, we can make that temporary plug work.” Dot nodded.

“And we really need that - without the plug, Herbert wouldn’t be able to get close enough to the geyser to drop the statue.” G added.

“Well, let’s get this done, then.” Blue said, rubbing her flippers. “G, how do we go about this?”

“Well, we should definitely begin with the anvils - their weight and density will make them more likely to resist and push back against the water pressure. Then, as the strength reduces, we can…”

G continued rambling while all the others got to work. Moving in pairs, they started throwings anvils at the hole, followed by whatever they could get their flippers on; chairs, rackets, speakers - was that Rookie’s rubber duck?

Minutes went by, but their efforts gave results, and soon the hole was sealed. Some water was still escaping, and the plug shook with the force of the water trying to escape, but it would hold for some time.

Hopefully, it would be enough.

As the others cheered, Blue’s phone started ringing. She picked up the call and put it on speaker - whatever Herbert had to say, the others would hear it, too.

“Could you pesky penguins stop patting yourselves on the back for one second?” he complained. “I’m overhead! Let’s get this done with, before your flimsy plug breaks.”

They all looked up. Indeed, there it was - Herbert’s statue was tied to a rope, hanging from his balloon.

“It’s a little different than what I imagined when you described it.” Dot muttered.

Blue ignored her. “Herbert, you’re right over the geyser. Send Klutzy to cut the statue loose. G, is the height good enough?”

“Try going up a few more meters - the gravitational force will help the statue to plug the hole more securely.”

Herbert grunted, but obeyed them. Klutzy innocently climbed down the rope, using his claws to cut it - and, just as the ice statue started falling towards the ground, Herbert’s balloon seemed to be yanked up by some invisible force.

They heard his screams through the phone. “The Super Helium! It’s too strong! We’re outta control-” the call suddenly ended as communication between them was lost. Herbert’s balloon was no longer visible in the sky, but the agents hadn’t noticed, all their attention focused solely on the geyser.

The statue had fallen over the hole at a high speed, pushing down all the items on their temporary plug and burying itself halfway in the snow. It seemed to shake for a moment, and then stopped - and the loud rumble of the pressured water trying to escape from underground seemed to get quieter and quieter, until it stopped completely.

“... did it work?” Jet asked, sounding nervous.

“G? Blue?” Dot mumbled, a thousand questions hiding behind those names.

“I can’t look!” Rookie cried out, covering his eyes with his flippers.

Carefully, Blue waddled through the water and approached the statue. She couldn’t see any gaps between the ice and the ground, and couldn’t spot any leaks either - unlike before, the water was now perfectly still. “G? Are we safe? Did we do it?” she still asked, only slightly afraid of the answer.

G, meanwhile, was busy staring at the screen of his Spy Phone, looking between it and the statue every couple of seconds. She could see the thousands of calculations he was running reflected on the lens of his glasses. “Seismic activity is dissipating.” he stated in a neutral voice.

Blue was pretty sure she knew what that meant - but just to be sure… “In English, please?” she asked with a grin.

He smiled back. “We did it. The island is safe again.”

“Yeah!” Dot shouted in celebration. “We did it!”

“Woohoo!” Rookie whooped, raising his flippers.

“Awesome!” Jet raised his as well, running to Rookie for a high-flipper.

Blue let out a relieved laugh, feeling all the stress and tension for the last couple of hours leave her body, leaving her a little light-headed. And she couldn’t even sit down because they were still standing on water up to their chests.

She turned to look at Herbert’s statue with a dizzy grin. “Who would have guessed that Herbert would be the one saving us this time…” she muttered quietly to herself. “Although it was still all his fault to begin with.”

This time, she almost didn’t notice when her phone started ringing - and it wasn’t Herbert. She took a few steps away from the others and answered the Director’s call, a smile still on her face.

“Congratulations, to all of you, on some of the finest work I have ever seen.” they praised. “For bravery and quick thinking, and actions that go above and beyond the call of duty… well done. I am proud of you all.”

Blue turned to look at the others - who had now engaged in a water-splashing competition, with G wisely staying out of the way - and felt her chest swell with pride. “Yep, we’re the best.” she said, lightheartedly.

“And I would like to give special recognition to you, Agent B, for incredible leadership and courage.”

Her smile dimmed a little. “What? Uh, no- no, not at all, I was just doing my duty. And I couldn’t have done any of it without the others.” she contested, feeling a little uncomfortable.

There was a short laugh at the other end of the line. “Spoken like a true leader.” the Director stated, sounding pleased. “Herbert may still be on the loose, but you did not fail - you convinced him to help us. I’m sure he won’t forget that. We’ll just have to wait and see what he does next…”

“... right.” Blue said. “So, what are our final orders for this mission?” she asked, looking around. Even with the immediate danger now gone, there was still water everywhere, and everything was a mess. Someone would have to fix all this.

“Very well.” the Director kept their voice serious. “We need to cover up this flood, and keep the public from knowing any of this happened. Sooo… we’re going to throw a Water Party, and you guys are going to celebrate. That’s an order.” they finished with a short laugh.

Blue looked at her friends once more - they were already ahead of schedule on that one. “At your command, Director.” Blue grinned. “Let’s move out!”

The Surprise Water Party was announced at the Club Penguin Times the very next day. No mention of Herbert, the Mega-Magnifying Glass, or the island nearly sinking. Whoever the contact the EPF had in the newspaper offices was, they were a good one.

The agents spent nearly a whole day decorating the whole island for the party - it wouldn’t be a good one without some classic decorations. The civilian penguins seemed happy to accept the explanation that the tremors and some of the heavy flooding were just caused by some accidents during the decorating process, and didn’t question anything.

Considering the gravity of the situation, and how it was probably the most dangerous crysis Club Penguin and the EPF had ever faced, things were surprisingly okay in the aftermath. Their first big official operation, and everything that happened, as well as its existence, remained a secret to the public eye. Not bad at all.

… except that Herbert now knew about them. But that’s something they’d have to deal with later.

Blue and the others got some days off to relax, rest, and enjoy the party, which lasted over a week - and they did… somewhat. By the end of it, Blue was honestly a little sick of seeing water everywhere.

G also did a more in-depth analysis of the situation, securing the area around Herbert’s statue and collecting more data of the seismic activity in the area. Indeed, the geyser was no longer a danger - and as long as the statue remained in place, the crack caused by Herbert’s magnifying glass would freeze again under the island’s normal temperatures in a few weeks.

Soon, everything returned to normal. And, with the exception of Herbert’s ice statue, which was now a permanent, slightly bizarre ornament decorating the Mine Shack, it was almost as if the near-destruction of Club Penguin had never even happened.

Except for one small little thing.

“You’re doing what?!”

Blue stared at the shocked faces of her colleagues as they were all sitting down around the meeting table, refusing to back down. “I’m resigning from my position as Team Leader.” she repeated.

“But - why?” G asked, very clearly confused. “You did a great job leading the team, even during extreme circumstances-”

“But I didn’t. Not really.” Blue interrupted him. She took a deep breath. “While leading the team from the Command Room, I let them all get captured by Herbert, and while out with them on the field, I froze up at the moment where I most needed to keep my cool. You and the Director had to come and basically take over the rest of the mission.” she pointed out. “I am unhappy with my performance as a leader.”

“Still, even after that. You were just fine coordinating with your team to follow the plan and finish the mission.” G countered.

“Yeah, and that was so stressful I thought I was gonna faint multiple times.” Blue shook her head. “I’m just - I don’t think I’m really ready for this kind of responsibility. I don’t want any of that to ever happen again.” she hesitated for a second. “And, uh. I can’t say I enjoyed being a leader, actually.”

G sighed. “Agent B, I really think you’re selling yourself short. You have great leadership skills.”

“Yeah, well I have great skills at being a normal agent too. In fact, I think I’m better at that, and I enjoy it more. And when I’m working on the field with these guys,” she glanced at Rookie, Dot and Jet. “I want to work as their equal.”

On the screen, the Director was silent while listening to Blue. Finally, they spoke. “It seems that it wasn’t the right time yet.” they stated, to which G responded with a short nod. “We will not be forcing you to occupy a position against your will, Agent B. If you wish to be reinstated to your former job as a field agent - although a highly skilled and high ranked one -, then consider it done. We expect you to return to your usual duties starting tomorrow.”

Blue grinned, already feeling a huge weight slide off her back. “Thanks, Director.”

“Though I do hope this won’t keep you from accepting opportunities of taking leadership in the future, should they arise.”

“Yeah, well… we’ll see about that. Who knows what the future holds.”

“Uh… I’m- is this voicemail? … well, guess I figured he wouldn’t pick up the phone, anyway.

“So… hi, Herbert. Hope you landed somewhere on the island and not in the middle of the ocean. I did warn you that the Super Helium was strong.

“You’re probably aware of it by now, but I thought it would be polite to let you know anyway - our plan worked. The statue sealed the geyser, the ice you melted is going to freeze once more, and the island isn’t gonna sink. So, you can celebrate, bear! Nobody is going to be throwing you into the sea!

“... it’s really, really weird to be doing this, but… I’m just calling to say thanks. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t helped us. If it wasn’t for you being a weird egomaniac, I don’t know if we would have found anything else that would have worked to seal that hole in time, and who knows where we’d be right now. So… thanks, Herbert.

“Although I will remind you of the fact that, if you HAD listened to me and hadn’t turned on that magnifying glass, none of this would have happened to begin with. So don’t feel too good about yourself.

“I’m gonna ask Rookie to get you off our comms system as soon as I send you this. Nothing personal. … actually no, it is very much personal, we really don’t want you here.

“Tell Klutzy I said hi, too. He’s a cool guy. … Rookie is asking me to send him a ‘click kaclick’, whatever that means.

“I hope you enjoyed the experience of being on the side of the good guys, for once. Who knows, maybe you could even make a habit out of it.

“Thanks again. See you next time you decide to hatch some crazy plan of destruction. And don’t think this changes anything - when the time comes, I will defeat you once more.”

Chapter Text

Blue, Dot and Jet Pack Guy were in the Command Room, standing near the entrance to the Tube Transport with stern looks on their faces. Blue was holding her phone - on the screen, a timer was counting up.

“Do you guys think he can do it?” Dot asked quietly, her voice tinged with concern.

“He’s getting better lately.” Jet assured her. “He can handle it.”

Blue remained silent, her eyes moving from her phone’s screen to the door, her expectations bubbling beneath the surface.

After a few moments, a loud sound reached their ears, and a green blur moved down the tubes at great speed. As soon as the penguin arrived and the door opened to let him out, Blue pressed a button on her phone, and the timer stopped.

Still a little dizzy after going through the Tube Transport, Rookie stumbled to the others, a large, excited grin on his face. “So, how’d I do this time?” he asked.

The others turned to Blue, waiting. She remained serious for a moment longer, staring hard at the phone in her flippers - before raising her eyes with a smile.

“Rookie, you just finished ‘G’s secret mission’ in exactly 19 minutes and 37 seconds.” she announced. “A new record for you - great job!”

“Woohoo!” Rookie cheered, jumping in place. “Under twenty minutes!”

“Nice one, Rookie.” Jet smiled at him. “Now next time you get lost in the Wilderness, maybe you won’t accidentally start a fire or fall in the river trying to drink water again.”

“I’m a survival expert now, JPG!” Rookie crossed his flippers, standing proudly. “And you can believe that I’m not gonna get lost ever again!”

Still smiling at his happiness, Dot sneakily approached Blue. “So, are you gonna tell him your best time is under 10 minutes by now?” she whispered, a cheeky grin on her face.

Blue smiled back. “I clutched a sub-8 last week. But there’s no reason to say it - his time is still great. Especially considering the real thing took me hours. Rookie should be proud of himself.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Dot agreed. “The RV missions' popularity really skyrocketed recently, huh? Everyone’s playing them. It’s been good training for the other agents - everyone wants to be as skilled as that mysterious PSA Ace.” she chuckled.

Blue shrugged, ignoring the tease. “G did a great job with them. I’m only surprised they weren’t this popular before.”

“Yeah, but I honestly don’t think it’ll stay this way forever.” Jet interrupted their conversation. “It’s great that the new recruits are getting to know the PSA history and making their way through the challenges we face - but once they have all the answers, I think these missions are gonna be played less frequently.”

“They could still compete for best time!” Rookie suggested. “I could tell G to make a leaderboard with the fastest completion times or something - and then everyone could try to improve their own times and challenge each other! It would be super cool!”

“Those missions aren’t just about being fast, Rookie.” Blue patiently told him. “It’s about being creative, thinking outside the box, and always lending other penguins a helping flipper.”

“Yeah…” Dot muttered. “But a leaderboard would be cool.”

“Oh, it absolutely would, I’m not denying that.”

“Good afternoon, agents.” G greeted them, approaching the group with a worried look on his face - it was enough to make the four of them stand alert. “Could you lend me Agent B for a few minutes?”

“Sure. We all should probably return to our duties, anyway.” Jet told them in a serious voice.

Nodding farewell to each other, the three leads moved away to resume their usual tasks on the EPF - and Blue turned to G, concerned. “Something wrong?”

“Perhaps…” G mused. “Follow me, please.”

Obediently, Blue walked after him through the Command Room, passing by several busy penguins, until they reached the large computer terminal where their Field-Ops orders were displayed. Blue was familiar with it, although she hadn’t personally completed any ops for a little over a month, now - she’d always been busy with something or another, and the other agents always managed to handle everything.

“Over the past few weeks, a series of weird incidents has been taking over Club Penguin.” G told her, looking through a series of graphs, images and texts too small for Blue to read on one of the screens. “Several things across the island have been tampered with, the list included but not limited to: the Beacon’s power system and the Lighthouse’s speakers, the Coffee Shop’s steamer, the Clock Tower, the broken AquaGrabber abandoned in the caves, and even the island’s coin supply. At first, we believed they were merely isolated incidents - our agents have been handling everything effectively and quietly.”

Blue nodded along. It was always good to hear the EPF agents were up to their tasks; but still… “This all seems very worrying, G. I’m assuming you’re ready to consider the possibility that it all might be related, now?”

“Indeed. But we still can’t pin any probable suspects.”

“Herbert?”

“It’s not out of the question - nothing is for that bear, really. But we need something more tangible. The worst part is, over these past few days, our ‘suspect’ has gotten rather bold.” he said, sighing anxiously. “The EPF has suffered three direct attacks. Our antenna on the Ski Hill was broken, knocking our security systems offline temporarily; our surveillance network had a major black out not long after; and then someone used a civilian computer to launch a direct attack on our system.”

Blue’s eyes widened. “Why am I only hearing about all of this now?!” she asked, rightfully alarmed.

“My Tech team and I managed to deal with all these issues swiftly, with the help of some field agents across the island.” he attempted to reassure her. “There was no reason to cause a panic, and we’ll make sure everyone is aware of the situation soon. However, we are now forced to admit that the problem is more serious than we believed at first - and we’re ready to open an official investigation.”

Blue smiled. “Well, those are my specialty.” she crossed her flippers. “Still, you really think this isn’t Herbert acting up again, G? From everything you just said, it feels exactly like the kind of stunt he’d pull.”

“I agree, Agent B, but it is like I said. We want evidence. And, if it really is Herbert behind all this, we’ll find out soon.” smiling, G pressed a button on the keyboard, and the blueprints and 3D model for a small antenna appeared on the screen. “This is the project for a new radio scanner I’ve built; it will help us track enemy signals across the island.”

“Neat! That one’s a classic.”

G grinned. “We’ll need three of them set up around the island so we can start the tracking system. One at the Iceberg, one on the Beach, and one in Town - all in very well-hidden places. Do you think you could take care of this for me?”

“You bet, G.”

“Excellent, Agent B. The antennas are in the Gadget Room, I’ll go pick them up for you. Wait here, please.” G asked, already waddling towards his lab.

Blue smiled excitedly, fixing her hat on her head. It had been a while already since her last official EPF mission. With Herbert laying low ever since the geyser incident, and the newer agents handling most of the Field-Ops around the island, Blue had been spending most of her time patrolling, training to improve her skills, and hanging out with her friends.

It felt weirdly like her first days as a PSA agent, before she even got assigned her first official mission.

“Um, ‘scuse me?”

Blue turned towards the new voice - and found a very nervous peach penguin, wearing a suit and glasses, staring at her. She looked at them, frowning slightly; she couldn’t remember ever interacting with them before. “Can I help you?”

“I, uh.” the other agent stuttered. Why were they so nervous? “I was hoping to ask you that, actually.”

… okay, that was new. Blue raised a brow. “I’m sorry?”

“I, um, I saw you speaking to G. He sent you on a mission, didn’t he?” they asked. “I mean, not that I’m listening to stuff that doesn’t concern me or anything, but I’m going out on patrol soon, and I thought - maybe you could use a second pair of flippers out there?”

Tilting her head, Blue stared at them. They seemed honest enough about wanting to help, but their nervous behavior hinted at something else - how interesting. “What’s your name?”

“Oh, my name is- that is, I’m Agent Kay.” they fidgeted slightly.

“Nice to meet you, Kay. I’m Agent B.” she smiled at them. “Is there any specific reason you wanna come with me for this assignment?”

“Um… I just thought I’d offer some help, is all.” they muttered quietly.

At that moment, G returned, handing over a bag with all the necessary equipment to Blue. “You know what to do. Report back when you’re done, Agent B.”

“You got it, G.” she smiled, pointing at the earpiece she was wearing - the newest model was getting pretty popular among the agents, too. “Say, do I have permission to take Kay here with me? I could use some help out there.”

G stared at her, raising his brows. Blue stared back at him, and they had a silent conversation for a few seconds.

After a little while, G turned to Kay, looking the penguin up and down. “Agent Kay… you’re one of the newest recruits, aren’t you?”

They gulped nervously. “I- yes, sir. I joined about a month ago.”

“Indeed, I think I remember your performance at the test. Very well, then - your mission today is to accompany Agent B and help her out with whatever she might need. Remember, we expect nothing but the best from our agents out there in the field.” G grinned mysteriously at them - and there was a smile Blue hadn’t seen in a while, now. She struggled to keep from laughing.

Kay’s eyes widened, but they nodded energetically, their eyes glued to G’s back as he waddled away. “Speaking face to face with him like that is pretty nerve wracking.” they said quietly.

Blue chuckled. “You get used to it. Now come on - I’ll teleport us out of here.”

-

“Sooo… what’s our mission, exactly? Why are we here?” Kay asked, not bothering to keep their voice down as they watched Blue go over to the highest point on the Iceberg.

Opening her bag and taking the parts to build the scanner, she shook her head. “You should watch out for what you say in public, Kay.”

“Public?” they looked around with a chuckle. “We’re at the Iceberg! Nobody’s around-”

Their sentence was interrupted by an AquaGrabber shooting out of the ocean, splashing salt water everywhere and startling a yelp out of Kay. The penguin who climbed out of the submarine waved at them with a polite smile, before leaving towards the island.

“You were saying?”

“... I would have heard them coming.”

“The point is: you never know who might be listening. Now, get over here.”

They immediately obeyed, waddling closer to her. Blue had already started setting up the scanner - it was camouflaged well enough on the ice to go unnoticed by pretty much everyone. “Is this our mission? Installing antennas?” Kay asked, this time in a whisper.

Blue nodded, taking a screwdriver out of G’s bag. Man, those screws were tiny… “Yep. For a new radio scanner.” she explained. “G needs us to install three of these around the island.”

“Oh.”

Something in their voice made Blue frown. “You sound disappointed.”

“No, I…” they sighed, dodging her gaze. “I just thought that maybe… we’d be doing something more exciting.”

“Exciting?” she repeated, confused. “What do you mean by that?”

“It’s just… you know those missions in the RV Room, right? We’ve all played them now, and they’re so cool!” they said, excitement appearing in their voice. “Facing Herbert like that, saving the island from an emergency… I don’t know, I just thought we’d be doing more things like that agent did. All I’ve done so far is find missing items and fix broken stuff.”

Blue stared at them, speechless. “That’s not…” she shook her head, trying to find the right words. “The point of all the work we do is not letting things get that bad to begin with. We’re supposed to keep the island safe and help everyone we can. And that’s not always exciting work, but it is important - and that’s what we should feel accomplished for. Not for how cool we look, but for the difference we’re making.”

“How much difference can a radio scanner make?” Kay asked skeptically.

“If we can spot and foil an enemy attack before they get the chance to do any damage, then isn’t that better than just dealing with the aftermath?” Blue shook her head again. “Believe me. It all might sound cool in hindsight, and it’s a good feeling when everything turns out alright, but those emergency situations are really not as amazing as you imagine when you’re the one out there in the fray.”

They blinked. “I… see.”

“Things have been relatively calm lately - and we should do our best to keep it that way.” Blue smiled, standing up when she finished setting up the antenna and picking up the bag once more. “If you’re any lucky, it will be a long time before you experience your first real serious mission.”

Slowly, they nodded. “So… you said three antennas. Where do we put the next one?”

“At the Beach.” she nodded along. “Can you teleport us there?”

“Of course!” Kay hurried to get out their Spy Phone, while Blue watched them with a thoughtful look on her face.

The whole point of the RV missions was that this new generation of agents should learn from the PSA’s past mistakes - but the idea that they weren’t really taking those challenges as seriously as they should left a bad taste in her mouth.

The two of them appeared at the Beach, and Blue turned to look at her companion, an idea striking her. “Are you any good with electronics, Kay?” she asked, walking closer to the buoy where they would install the second part of the scanner.

The other shrugged. “Kinda? I learned a little something here and there, like all the other agents, but I’m not amazing at it or anything.”

“Great. You can install the antenna this time, then.”

“Uhh??”

“Come on, get over here.” she waved them over. Slowly, they approached, a nearly mortified look on their face.

“Agent B, I’m not sure if-”

“It’s easy.” she insisted. “G is pretty awesome at building these things as intuitively as they can be. Just look at the parts and try to figure out how to put them together.”

“What if I break something?”

“You won’t. I’m right here, I’ll stop you if I see you’re about to do something that could damage it.”

With a nervous sigh, Kay took the bag from her and got to work.

As promised, Blue watched him, tapping her own flipper thoughtfully. “Say… something you said earlier isn’t sitting right with me.” she said after a moment of silence.

“What is it?” they asked, though their eyes never left the antenna.

“You said you were expecting this to be an exciting mission.” she mused. “But you didn’t even know anything about what we were doing. So, what made you think that? Why did you decide to come along?”

This time, they did look at her - like a deer in headlights. “I, uhhhh… I just…” they stammered, their gaze darting around in a panic before turning back to what they were doing, if only to avoid looking at Blue.

But she didn’t really want to drop it. “Come on, out with it.” she said, keeping a lighthearted tone even as she leaned down by their side. “We have time. And I’m curious.”

After staying silent for a little longer, they let out a defeated sigh. “Well, I just… I’ve been… seeing you around the Command Room. For a while now.”

“Well, yeah. I work there.”

“And I noticed you’re always talking to G, and to the other class leads as well. Well, not always, but…” they paused. “Often. Very often.”

That made her raise a brow. “I mean… they’re our bosses. It’s normal that they talk to us.”

“But it’s different! It’s one thing when they’re giving us orders and assignments… but they talk to you the same way they talk to each other. Like you’re their equal.”

“... I see. And what do you think about that?” Blue encouraged them to keep talking, now intrigued about where this was going.

“I think… well, I thought you were some kind of special secret agent. The kind that goes on super important top secret missions.” they sighed, struggling to fit a screw in place. “Some of the other agents I talked to didn’t see anything amiss, and thought I was just imagining things, so I decided to see it for myself today. And here we are. Setting up a radio scanner.”

Blue crossed her flippers, shaking her head with an amused smile behind their back. Honestly, she was pretty impressed. “You could have just asked. I’ve been an agent for a long time, so I know all those guys pretty well - worked with them before they were leads. We’re friends. But as an agent, I’m not more important than you or anybody else.” it was… close enough to the truth.

“I see.” they nodded, sliding the last part into place - and a green light lit up on the device. “Oh- did I do it?”

“You did! Great job, Kay.” she gave them a pat on the shoulder. “You figured that out pretty quickly.

They smiled under the praise. “Thanks! So, now, the third part?”

“You got that right.”

When the teleporter took them to the Town, though, Kay looked around in confusion. “Here?”

Blue nodded. “But it has to be somewhere hidden - a place where a civilian wouldn’t accidentally find it.” she told them quietly. Kay’s eyes widened slightly. “I wonder if we could put it up on one of the roofs… but it probably would be too visible from above, and the Jetpack Adventure landing platform is right there. Maybe in one of the trees around here? They should be close enough that-”

“I have an idea!” Kay said suddenly, before covering their mouth with a flipper. “I mean, uh, sorry to interrupt you, I’m sure your idea would probably work too, I was just wondering if-”

“Kay.” Blue cut them off with a patient smile. “What have you got?”

That seemed to stun them out of their panic. “Well, it’s just, you see… I was always really good at hide and seek.” they said, suddenly sounding a little self conscious. “I used to play with some friends here in Town, and I have a hiding spot none of them ever managed to find - it’s behind one of the curtains in the Dance Lounge. Do… do you think that would work?”

Blue thought about it for a moment. “Hmmm… honestly, yeah, I do. We could even install it on the wall, closer to the ceiling - people rarely look up.” she grinned. “Great work!”

Kay gaped at her for a moment, before smiling too. “Thanks, Agent B!”

“There’s just one issue, though. The Dance Lounge is always pretty full of penguins.” Blue reminded them. “And this is still an undercover job. If we want to install something there, we’ll need to do it in a way that doesn’t raise suspicion.”

“And how do we do that?”

Truth be told, Blue already had an idea in mind - but she was interested in seeing just how far Kay could take this plan of theirs. “Think. What kind of penguin would be able to move things around and work on a wall without others batting an eye at it?”

Before the other could reply, however, Blue’s earpiece came to life. “Agent B, we have a problem.” G’s voice told her. “The second part of the scanner has already been damaged.”

Her eyes widened. “What do you mean, damaged?” she asked, turning away from the crowds waddling around Town and raising her flipper to her ear. Kay just watched her, their eyes wide. They’d done a good job setting that up at the Beach, and even Blue hadn’t noticed anything wrong. So, that could only mean one thing…

“It’s been sabotaged.” G said simply. “Get back there and fix it as soon as you can, maybe you’ll find a clue on the suspect.”

“I got it.” she assured him, cutting communications. She patted her suit pockets, making sure she had her own toolkit with her, before turning to Kay. “So, how do you feel about finishing the job here on your own?”

“What?!” they nearly shouted.

Blue simply handed them the bag. “I gotta deal with a problem back at the Beach, and this third antenna needs to be up soon.” she paused. “If you’re really not sure about this, then you can just check out the hiding spot and wait for me there - but really, you got this, Kay.” she patted their back. “Call me if you need.”

“Uh, I- yes!” they said, struggling as they tried to hold the bag and salute at the same time.

Blue just waited long enough to see them waddle into the Night Club before teleporting back to the Beach.

-

Repairing the scanner was a little harder than setting it up, but still, Blue was done in just a few minutes. A quick look around the area showed no clues at all; just like the other times, the culprit seemed to leave nothing behind.

“I see you just finished the second antenna, Agent B.” G’s voice said through the earpiece. “Thank you. Any clues on who might have done it?”

“Nothing at all.” she admitted, defeated. “I could try investigating for a little longer, but...”

“No, it’s fine. This was expected.” he sighed. “We’ll put some agents to monitor the areas around the antennas, just in case. For now, we really do need this scanner working as fast as possible, so proceed to Town and-” he paused. “... are you still at the Beach?”

Blue frowned. “Yeah?”

“The third antenna was just installed. In the Town.”

“Oh, was it now?” she asked with a smile.

“You could not have installed it from there. You have many skills, Agent B, but defying the laws of physics is not one of them.”

“Then I guess my second pair of flippers is doing a good job.” Blue chuckled.

“Oh, I see. I’m assuming Kay installed the third part of the scanner for you, then. How did they perform today?”

“They’re inexperienced, but that’s to be expected. A little bit of an attitude problem - I think we might have to reconsider gamifying my past missions the way we have been doing, G.” she sighed. “Still… I’m impressed. They’re attentive and a quick learner; I think there’s potential there.”

“Really? How interesting. We will keep them in the operation, then; I’ll put them in one of the teams to secure the antennas. Go check on them, and after that you’re dismissed for the day. I have to work on getting this scan system online.”

“Positive.” with a satisfied smile, Blue teleported away.

She entered the Night Club from the Boiler Room and then walked up the stairs, strolling casually into the Dance Lounge and looking around.

A group of penguins was gathered around the Astro Barrier arcade cabinet, talking loudly over each other and criticizing the current player’s aim. A lonely penguin was happily playing Thin Ice. Some were sitting at the tables, chatting idly…

… and near one of the curtains, with a ladder in their flippers and a familiar bag by their feet, was standing a peach penguin, wearing a full construction penguin outfit and a proud smile on their beak. They looked just like the real deal.

Blue walked over to them. “G called me to say the scanner was up. He seemed pleased when I said you’d done it. Good work, Kay.” she said quietly. “And nice disguise, by the way. Dot would certainly approve.”

Kay’s smile widened. “You were right about that - nobody cared about a construction penguin doing work here. The guys over there actually asked if I wanted them to leave, but once I said they could continue playing their game they just didn’t pay me any mind and continued chilling.”

“Being able to go around in public unnoticed is a great skill for an agent. Most times I’m not even wearing my uniform when I’m out patrolling. It’s good to be invisible, and always ready for action.”

Kay nodded. “... you know, you said you were just an agent like any other, but I think you’re really good. I feel like I learned a lot from you today!” they smiled. “When the time comes, I’ll be ready to make a difference!”

“That’s good to hear. I’m sure you’ll have your chance soon.” Blue nodded back at them, picking up the bag. “I gotta get back now; you, stay alert. G will contact you soon with your next orders.”

In response, Kay almost raised a flipper to salute - but stopped themself mid way through the gesture, looking around sheepishly before turning it into a wave. “Bye, then.” they awkwardly said.

Blue chuckled. “You’ll get the hang of it.”

The next day, Blue arrived at the Command Room to find G working tirelessly on one of the EPF computers, two half-empty coffee cups within his reach. “All good, G?”

G barely looked at her for a second before turning his attention back to the screens. “Good morning, Agent B. You’ll be happy to know that the new radio scanner is officially online.” he pointed to a displayed image of the island’s map, covered in small dots. “We can now locate and intercept radio signals all over Club Penguin.”

“Great! Now we just have to make sure we intercept the right one.”

“Indeed.” G muttered. “I’ve done a few preliminary checks, and managed to isolate two unknown signals that seem promising - we should take a closer look at both. Their approximate locations are underground, under the Plaza, and somewhere near the ocean, on the island’s west coast.”

“So… that would be the Underground Pool and the Beach?”

“Sure, if you want to say it like that. Would you mind getting over there and checking it out for us? I need you to identify the signals with more precision and send me whatever info you find.”

“On it.” she said, preparing to teleport away.

“I’ll send the gadget app you’ll need straight to your Spy Phone. Do you think you can figure out how to operate it on your own?” he asked, a knowing smile on his face.

Blue simply smiled back. “You know me too well, Gary.”

Identifying the signals G wanted and redirecting them back to him was the work of a few minutes. Being able to teleport around helped, of course, and the new app in her phone was extremely useful - a new code cracking tool that worked wonders to decipher the radio frequencies.

After dealing with the second signal at the pool, Blue returned to the Command Room and stood by G’s side while he worked at his computer. It took a few minutes before he turned to her. “Those frequencies you intercepted are fairly interesting, Agent B. Weirdly enough… they’re just snapping noises.”

“You mean, like, clicking? Like a crab?” she asked, hopeful.

“Not quite. It sounds more like something metallic. How odd…” he mused. “I am concerned. We should improve our system’s defenses. I’ve finished working on a little something recently, just as a precaution, but I have a more long term plan already outlined that should improve our system security in approximately 507% over a time period of-”

Before Blue could interrupt her friend’s rambling, a loud alarm did her job for her, as every light in the room turned bright red. “G?!” she called out, her eyes wide.

His eyes turned from the computer he was using to the System Scanner terminal at the other side of the room. “Our system has just detected an advanced computer bug. We’re under attack!”

“What?!”

“All Tech agents, assume your positions!” G called out to the room while running to the other terminal, and soon every other computer in the room was taken by at least one Tech specialist typing in commands at unnatural speeds.

Blue followed G to the System Scanner computer, watching him look over the screen with a concerned look as well. “What’s the situation?”

“A virus has invaded our system. It’s trying to steal EPF data and then destroy our main servers after it’s done.” he explained, his flippers flying over the keys faster than Blue could ever hope to follow.

“How did it get in our computers?”

“Unknown. We’ll investigate after we deal with it - right now protecting our system is our priority.” G told her. “I need your help, Agent B. My team and I are preventing the virus from causing lasting damage; you’ll need to remove it from the computer.”

“Okay, how do I do that?”

“That ‘little something’ I told you about is already on your Spy Phone.” he said, his eyes glued to the screen. “Connect to the computer remotely, and then follow the instructions. If it all works right, it should remove the virus completely.”

“Got it.” Blue nodded, immediately doing as she was told.

She had to admit - G was doing a superb job with all these new Spy Phone features. The interface was intuitive enough that any agent, even those without specialized tech training, could use them. Using the Navigator, as it was called, Blue managed to identify the corrupted portions of the system code, and, with a series of simple commands, send over a repair bot to deal with them.

It was a little bit challenging at first to figure out the bot’s rotation, but when she did, it was smooth sailing from there. After a long few minutes, she completed her task, and turned to G with bated breath.

He sighed with relief, and part of her tension left her shoulders at that. “The bug has been dealt with. Our system is secured. But we’re still not out of red alert.” he kept typing at the computer. “I’ll start a full deep scan of the EPF systems, and the Tech agents will continue to look out for any further threats. Agent B, I need you to-”

A loud, blaring noise coming from the computer startled them both, and a large error message took over the screen. “That was fast.” Blue nervously mumbled.

“G, we’re detecting catastrophic failures in the Everyday Phoning Facility systems!” a Tech agent shouted from somewhere in the room.

“And the RV Room systems as well!” another one shouted.

“Oh dear. This is bad.” G held back a sigh, his eyes running through all the error messages on the System Scanner. “Right. We need to fix those immediately, though they are thankfully not as serious as a main system failure. Agent B, we need to go up there and-” he stopped himself, paling considerably at what he read on the screen.

“G?” Blue asked, alarmed.

“Change of plans.” he stepped aside, moving to the island’s map of events and radar terminal. He typed something, and an area on the map was highlighted, followed by several lines of text. G stared at it all, visibly troubled. “Our system has detected what may be a new popcorn device.”

Blue’s eyes widened. “Say what, now?!”

“We don’t need another incident like the Sport Shop.” he told her, his voice suddenly far more serious than before. “Agent B - the bomb is somewhere in the Mines, underground, probably hidden inside something. Go there and shut it down - your phone should be able to take care of it. Me and the other agents will handle our systems’ failures in the meantime.”

Blue nodded, determined. “Right. Good luck, G.”

“You too.”

And, with no time to waste, Blue teleported off to the Mine.

-

It was a shame that the EPF radars couldn’t be just a little more specific; she ended up wasting several minutes scouring the Mine caves, looking for anything that was out of ordinary. Luckily, there were no penguins down there - at least in a place like this, the odds of a popcorn explosion hurting someone were pretty low.

Finally, after a long search, Blue found her target: a barrel at the Hidden Lake. It was dry enough that it was obvious it hadn’t been there long, and it was also emitting a faint ticking noise.

“It’s gotta be this.” she muttered, taking out this phone. “I’m not letting this happen twice.”

Connecting her phone to the bomb, Blue began to cautiously overload its circuits, two at a time. It took a while - and the whole way through, she couldn’t stop thinking about the last popcorn bomb they’d encountered. If only something like this had existed back then…

But there was no point in musing over that. They were supposed to be better - and that involved her shutting down this thing, right here, right now.

It took several minutes, but, finally, she managed to destroy the last pair of circuits, and the ticking coming from the barrel went silent. Carefully, Blue opened it to take a look inside - and yup, that was a lot of popcorn kernel in there. But the device was no longer active, and wasn’t dangerous anymore.

Blue raised her flipper to her ear. “G, you there?”

“I’m here, Agent B. Report.”

“Popcorn device has been successfully shut down.” she said, hearing a relieved sigh come from the other end of the line. “How are things over there?”

“All systems repaired. The situation is under control, for now.” a pause. “These past 30 minutes have certainly been very stressful.”

Blue laughed. “Tell me about it. Things went from zero to a hundred real fast today. You want me to disassemble this thing and take it to the Gadget Room?”

“Yes, please. We’ll keep the parts on I.C.E. I’ll work on making some adjustments to our emergency safety measures while you do that; come meet me when you’re done. We’ll keep looking for more of those radio signals.”

“Got it. Out.”

Slowly and carefully as to not accidentally activate anything again, Blue started taking the popcorn device apart. That would certainly keep her occupied for a while.

-

When she finally managed to return to the Command Room, she found G at the meeting table, a laptop in front of him. “The bomb’s components are already in your lab, G.” she reported, taking a seat next to him. He certainly seemed calmer than earlier.

“Excellent. The attacks on our system have stopped, thanks to the efforts of our agents.” he said. “We should take this opportunity to act. Rookie will join us soon, he’ll coordinate with his Comms agents to decode any signals you find.”

Blue nodded. “So… a popcorn bomb in the caves. Awfully close to that last signal we tracked.”

“Indeed.”

“Now we believe Herbert is involved?”

“He might… but if that’s the case, he’s not working alone.” G mused. “The attack we just dealt with had a different digital signature than Herbert’s previous ones. We need more information…”

“Hey, G! Agent B!” Rookie greeted them with an excited grin, throwing himself on the chair across from her. “My team is ready. Are we starting now?”

G merely nodded, turning to Blue. “We only have one clue to follow at the moment - the signal near the ocean is still active.” he said. “Try a different area this time - I suggest the Dock. It might give us a better read on its frequency.”

“Got it. I’ll report back soon.” she assured him.

“Go get them!” Rookie cheered her with a grin.

-

Blue sat down at the end of the dock, staring at the ocean, her Spy Phone in her flippers. Just like the other two times, the signal had been easy enough to find and decipher. Now, she could only wait for the agents back in the Command Room to report back to her.

“Right! The Comms team managed to decode that signal!” Rookie suddenly announced in a proud voice. “It says… ‘Our plan is working! Get the parts from the booth!’”

Blue frowned. “Our plan…”

“What would this ‘booth’ be?” G wondered.

“Maybe the Stage ticket booth?” Rookie suggested. “It’s what comes to my mind first. And I mean, we’ve had villains taking it before, remember?”

Blue immediately got up. “I’ll investigate - shouldn’t take too long.”

She teleported over to the Plaza, where, indeed, a large crowd of concerned penguins had gathered around the Stage entrance. Seems like Rookie had hit the nail on the head.

“What’s going on here?” she asked, approaching the penguins.

“Something happened to the ticket booth!” a concerned pink penguin replied. “The ticket machine won’t work.”

“And ticket sales were about to open for tonight’s play!” another penguin whined.

“I see. Alright, I need everyone to step away for a moment!” she raised her voice. “I think I can try to fix it, but you guys will need to give me some room.”

Immediately, the crowd dispersed - some left, some decided to go to the Pizza Parlor, and the others stayed around, watching as she moved to the booth.

Blue took a look at it - indeed, it seemed like several parts from the ticket dispenser were missing, and the booth took some structural damage as well - it was almost as if someone had tried to rip it out of the Stage entirely. Wouldn’t be the first time…

The idea didn’t sit well with her, but it was still too early to draw any conclusions. She focused on making a mental checklist of all the missing parts, and then reached for her earpiece. “G, can you teleport some stuff to me?” she whispered low enough to avoid anyone hearing her.

“What do you need, Agent B? What’s the status of the ticket booth?”

“Some parts from the dispenser are missing, and the booth itself is a little roughed up. The machine I can fix now, but we might need to get the construction crew over here to fix the rest before it gets worse.”

“I see. I’ll send you what you need. Did you find anything unusual at the scene?”

“I’ll take a better look around as soon as I’m done here.” she assured him.

She tested the structural integrity of the booth, finding it would hold well enough for now; then, once a small pile of parts appeared by her feet in a subtle flash of blue light, she busied herself with installing them in the ticket dispenser - soon, it was in working order again.

After a brief chat with the ticket salespenguin, where she told him they could go on with the sales as long as they were careful and called over the construction crew later, Blue took a look around. Unfortunately, the snow was mostly covered by the footprints of the crowd that had gathered around the booth, and any clue that could have been left was long gone…

… or that’s what she thought at first - but then, a short distance away from the Stage, she spotted something on the ground. A continuous marking on the snow, leading away from the scene.

Without even stopping to think about it, she moved to follow it. “Hey, G, the ticket booth is operating again. And I found some interesting tracks leaving the area.” she paused. This almost felt familiar… “They kinda look like tire tracks.”

“Excellent, Agent B. This is a solid clue. Can you follow the tracks?”

“Already on it.” she said quietly, already moving from the Snow Forts towards Town. “It’s trying to keep away from the public paths - whoever did this sure doesn’t want to be noticed.”

“As expected. Keep going, and remain alert. Report any suspicious findings.”

“Hey, you guys think we might find another radio signal at the end of this track?” Rookie jumped into the conversation.

“It’s possible. You know what to do, Agent B.”

“Got it.”

After several minutes of walking, the weird tracks took her to the Ski Village. For a second, Blue thought she would end up investigating the Wilderness again; but, to her surprise, the tracks just stopped out of nowhere. As if whoever she’d been following had just disappeared.

She raised her flipper to her ear. “The tracks disappear right in the middle of the Ski Village. Checking for enemy signals now.”

“Send them my way if you find any!” Rookie excitedly asked.

After pressing some buttons on her phone and walking around in circles a bit, she ended up actually finding a signal near the Tour Guide Booth. It was just like the others - and just like before, she sent it back to Rookie as requested. “Have fun.” she grinned, sitting down on a tree log to wait.

It didn’t take longer than a few minutes before Rookie spoke up once more. “Message decoded! This one says… ‘They’re onto us! Get what we need from the speakers - now!’ … that seems concerning.”

“Indeed…” G said, his voice weirdly distant. “Agent B?”

“On my way.” she promptly said, already teleporting over to the Night Club. Getting there, she found a group of annoyed penguins standing at the dance floor, and no music playing.

“Hey, dude, the speakers aren’t working!” one of them complained when they spotted Blue.

“How did this happen?” the DJ asked, sounding very confused.

She raised her flippers to get their attention. “I’ll take a look, don’t worry.” she assured them, turning around to look at the back of the Keeper of the Boiler Room’s speaker - the little guy seemed fairly upset up there.

A short inspection told Blue that several of the internal parts were missing from there. No wonder it wasn’t working - even if it doubled as a secret passage, it still needed at least its basic components to be a speaker.

“G, they took the parts from the Night Club speaker as well.” Blue whispered into her earpiece. “Think you can-?”

“On it.” G said, the words followed by the necessary parts appearing on the floor next to her.

“... G.” Blue muttered, thoughtful, as she worked. “If there’s someone that isn’t Herbert… I mean, first the ticket booth, those tire tracks, now the speakers… you don’t think that…?”

“The thought already occurred to me, and I’m sad to say that it is a possibility.” G sighed. “We can only hope that isn’t the case.”

“But… come on, that’s impossible. I deactivated those things!” she whisper-yelled. So far, she’d kept her cool about everything; even with all the vandalism around the island and the attacks on the EPF, they were handling it. Now, however…

“Whatever is going on, Agent B, we’ll figure it out.”

“Uh, what are you two talking about?”

“... we’ll tell you later, Rookie.”

Blue finished connecting the wires inside the speaker, and it immediately started working again. The penguins on the dance floor cheered, and even the Keeper of the Boiler Room hopped in place to celebrate.

“Woo! You’re amazing, penguin!” one of the dancers called out to her. “Thanks a ton!”

“Any of you saw what could have made the speaker stop working like that?” she asked them.

“Nope, dude, sorry. The party just started; we got here and it was like this.”

“Well… it’s fine.” she smiled at them. “You all have fun. I’ll take a look around, if you don’t mind.”

“Make yourself at home!” another one yelled.

As the party went on, Blue searched carefully the floor around the speaker - and found nothing. No clues, no tracks, no anything that indicated someone had been there. It was almost like the parts had just vanished into thin air.

“I’m really not liking how stealthy this suspect is.” she muttered.

“Me neither, Agent B. Our scanner is no longer identifying any unknown radio signals around the island. Seems they have gone quiet.”

“What’s our next step, then?”

“We’ll keep monitoring. For now, you’ve done enough - take it easy for the rest of the day. I’ll contact you if anything comes up.”

“Got it, G.” she replied, ending communications and letting out a long sigh. “Certainly not how I imagined my day would go.”

The next day, Blue was woken up earlier than she would like by the emergency alarm on her Spy Phone. Stopping only to feed Nebby, she teleported into the Command Room before even finishing putting on her tie and hat.

The room was quiet, but the atmosphere was tense. Every single agent was busy, working silently or talking to each other in hushed whispers. G, Dot, Rookie and Jet were gathered together near the System Scanner terminal, and by the looks of it, G was showing them something.

“What’s the situation?” she asked nervously, approaching them.

She got three anxious looks in return - G didn’t move his eyes from the screen. “We got an alert from the AquaGrabber’s security system during the night; someone tried to steal its parts.” Dot said.

“We checked all the other AquaGrabbers around the island, and several of them are now missing key components.” Jet stated.

“A miner penguin told us they woke up today to some missing minecarts.” Rookie said quietly. “And a pair of inner tubes went missing from the docks. How are we supposed to play Cart Surfing or Hydro Hopper like this?”

Every word they said just made Blue’s stomach sink lower. It wasn’t possible, and yet… “I see.” she muttered. “Guess we were right, huh, G?”

“Everything points to that.” he said, finally looking at her. “We have to prepare. I just finished a new defense measure for our servers, and I’m also working on a way to facilitate communication between the agents. I just sent some Generalists to install an upgrade in our main antenna, at the Ski Hill.”

“I still think these defense measures are a bit… silly.” Dot shook her head. “Virtual cannons, G? Really?”

“It’s the most accessible and effective method.” he insisted. “Actually, this is just and interface for what, in practice, are millions of lines of code from my antivirus software, which is meant to be guided by the user to adapt to different kinds of virtual attacks-”

“G, respectfully, we don’t really care about the science part.” Jet cut him off. “We just gotta know how to use it.”

“Guys, I just got here, someone fill me in please?” Blue asked, raising her flipper.

“G was showing us the new System Defender!” Rookie told her excitedly. “I think it’s pretty cool.”

“Indeed. Actually, I think you arrived at the perfect time, Agent B.” G smiled nervously. “I would like for you to go through a small simulation, to learn how to manage the defender-”

A loud alarm interrupted him, and the room turned red around them.

“Oh, come on, not again…” Blue muttered.

“... scratch that. You’ll have to learn as you go!” G raised his voice, alarmed, looking at the error messages taking over the screens. “Agent B, get over to the keyboard! Everyone else, get ready to provide support!”

G and Blue ran to their respective computers, while the other three agents stood near them.

“We’re picking up a powerful enemy signal…” Dot said, worried, looking at a small portion of the screen.

“It… it looks familiar…” G muttered, defeated.

And even though Blue already knew what was about to happen, she was still startled when a loud, robotic, familiar voice came from the computer’s speakers.

“BZZZZZZK - systems online. Begin Operation: Destroy Elite Penguin Force.”

The Ultimate Protobot was back.

Chapter Text

“It actually is the Ultimate Protobot! But that’s impossible!” Dot exclaimed, shocked. “We stopped it from wrecking the island before. It was destroyed!”

“It seems like someone brought it back.” Blue muttered.

“Red alert! All agents - battle stations!” G shouted to the whole Command Room. Every agent present obeyed without question.

“We’re ready, sir!” Jet stated, standing at Blue’s left side.

“Let’s do this!” Rookie grinned, at her right.

“What’s the plan here?” Dot asked, ready to get to business.

G turned to Blue. “Agent B, I wish you had gone through a short training program before this, but you will have to figure it out on the fly. Luckily for us, you’re good at this sort of thing.”

She nodded. “Just tell me what I have to do.”

The Protobot’s robotic voice interrupted them. “Lower your defenses and surrender. You cannot defeat me.”

“We’ll see about that! Bring it on, you bucket of bolts!” Jet taunted it.

“Commencing attack pattern Beta.”

Instantly, at the bottom of the screen, small red dots started to appear. “G?” Blue asked, confused.

“That’s your scanner. It will show you the enemy bots that approach.” he explained. “Those bots being the viruses or malware sent by whoever is attacking us. There’s three different types of bots, categorized by colors.”

“Okay - what does red mean?”

“They’re basic bots, but usually attack in a group.” Jet stated. “According to G, the best strategy against them is using red cannons.”

Blue looked at the top left corner of the screen, taking note of the three different types of cannons available. She took some red ones and built them on a few of the squares marked on the map. “Like this?”

“Looks alright.” Dot nodded. “This ‘map’ you’re seeing is the path the bots have to follow through the system code to reach and attack our servers… or something like that, G lost me a few times during the explanation.”

“You’re mostly correct. Point is, we need those cannons to destroy the bots before they reach the servers.” G said. On the screen, the bots finally left the scanner and appeared on the map, and the cannons Blue had set up immediately started shooting and destroying them. “When you destroy enemies, we use data collected from their attack patterns and signature to generate more ‘energy’, which you’ll then use to build more cannons.”

“Okay… think I got it.” she looked at the radar once more. “There’s yellow bots approaching.”

“They’re fast.” Jet explained. “Try the yellow cannons - they’ve got a long attack range.”

Nodding along, Blue put some yellow cannons down and waited. Defenses seemed to be holding, for now.

“Whoa, that’s a BIG red boy!” Rookie exclaimed, pointing at the radar.

“A Boss bot. It’s stronger than the others… and will do far more damage if it reaches our servers.” G muttered.

“Then we won’t let it do that.” Blue said, putting down more cannons. This time, the bots managed to get a little too close for comfort - but the cannons did their job in the nick of time.

“Defenses are holding.” Jet said quietly. “For now…”

“Purple bots approaching.” Dot pointed out.

“Uh, it was purple cannons to deal with purple bots, wasn’t it?” Rookie nervously guessed.

Blue was already using the energy they had collected to put down a couple of purple cannons on the map. They handled the purple enemies well, but she was starting to get concerned about how long they could do this.

“BZZZZK - error. Reloading battle systems.”

“Guess it’s not done yet.” Blue muttered.

“You’re doing well.” G told her. “Good work, agents. Keep it up.”

“Commencing attack pattern Gamma.”

“Lots of fast enemies detected!” Dot alerted them.

Blue tapped at the keys. She needed more yellow cannons - but many spots that would be good for that around the map were already taken by red cannons. She had to stop and think ahead, or else they wouldn’t last for much longer…

An army of fast yellow bots invaded the screen, and she watched nervously as her cannons destroyed them one by one - until she noticed something different. “Is that a gear?”

“Yes, Boss bots drop them every now and then.” G explained. “They’re valuable data about our attacker’s tactics, and can be used to upgrade our cannons.”

Blue dragged the gear to one of the yellow cannons in the back, watching as it was upgraded into a better version. “Impressive. This whole system is very adaptable.”

“That was the idea. A manually controlled emergency defense line, which can respond to our enemies’ attack patterns and adapt its defenses to achieve optimal efficiency. I believe it will be a fundamental tool to protect the EPF.”

“G never ceases to amaze.” Dot grinned.

“We should get all agents trained on this. Just in case.” Jet stated.

Rookie, who’d been watching a purple Boss bot slowly move across the whole map, let out a sigh of relief once it was destroyed. “This is nerve wracking!”

“Defenses are still holding.” G assured them. “I’m working to kick the Protobot out of our systems - just a few more minutes, Agent B.”

Blue nodded, focused on what her next steps should be.

“Scanning enemy defenses… Loading new attack pattern…” the Protobot voice stated.

G raised his brows, alarmed. “Agents! The Ultimate Protobot is learning from our defenses!”

“Aw, they can adapt to us too? No fair!” Rookie complained.

“That means we need to change up our strategies.” Jet suggested.

“How? The cannons are locked in place!” Blue nervously told them.

“Try doing something totally different now!” Rookie said.

“Loading complete. Commencing attack pattern Zeta.”

“I’m picking up Boss bot enemy signals! Get ready!” Dot alerted them all.

“Okay, time to be unpredictable, I guess!” Blue said, panic raising her voice a bit. She’d put down - and upgraded - tons of red and yellow cannons across the map, so she decided to pick up more purple cannons and put them down on the remaining spaces. Hopefully that would be enough to handle those Boss bots…

It was a close shave. Tons of large bots and even more of the smaller ones took over the screen, marching towards their servers, and their cannons managed to destroy most of them - but not all. Even as Blue built more and more cannons whenever she could, a small group of bots managed to slip through all their defenses and reach their servers - knocking them down to half capacity in a single go.

“Oh, shoot!” Blue turned a terrified look to G. “Now what?!”

“Don’t worry. We can work to restore our servers afterward, as long as they’re not completely destroyed.” G assured her, even as he continued to stare at his own work. “Some damage is to be expected. Just make sure they don’t get too many bots past our cannons.”

“You’re doing good, Ace.” Dot assured her. “Grab those gears dropped by the Boss bots.”

Blue nodded, shoving her panic away and concentrating on the task at hand. Maybe she should upgrade some of her purple cannons too…

“Scanning enemy defenses… Multiple cannons detected. Upgrading armor.” the Protobot said.

“The Ultimate Protobot is making its bots stronger!” G alerted.

“Okay, now you’ll really need to upgrade your cannons to keep up.” Jet muttered.

“G, can we do something to get the Protobot to stop scanning us?” Rookie asked.

“Unfortunately, not at the moment.” G replied, still busy trying to lock the Protobot out.

“Armor upgrades complete. Commencing attack pattern Omicron.”

“Here they come!” Dot said, watching all the colored dots popping up on their radar.

By now, there really wasn’t much more Blue could do. She put down more cannons on the few remaining spots, and upgraded the ones she already had - and though the bots still got way too close to their servers, this time, the defenses held.

It took a long time for the screen to be clear of enemies this time, and Blue glanced nervously at G. For how much longer would they need to do this?

“Scanning enemy defenses. Calculating final offensive pattern.”

“Final offensive pattern? Wait, that means…” Jet said quietly, sounding slightly alarmed.

“The Ultimate Protobot has only been practicing!” G stated, nervously typing as fast as he could into the computer. They needed the Protobot out, now!

“Uhh, G? Small problem here.” Blue called out to him, looking at the screen in a panic. “There’s no more space to put down cannons - they’re all taken! What do I do now?!”

“It seems you reached the EPF’s defense system maximum capacity.” he explained. “Now, all we can do is hope for the best.”

“But- the Protobot is still scanning us and adapting to our cannons!”

“You can still upgrade them!” Rookie reminded her.

“And that’s gonna be enough?!”

“It has to be.” Dot muttered.

“Calculations complete. Surrender now. This is your final chance.” the Protobot threatened them, its monotone voice sending a chill down Blue’s spine.

“No way! Elite agents never surrender!” Jet shouted back at it.

“We’re not going down without a fight!” Dot agreed.

“The EPF isn’t giving up!” Rookie cheered.

“We will protect Club Penguin at all costs.” G said.

Blue felt a little spark of hope within her chest. Even if things seemed bleak, she wasn’t alone - she had the best people in the world watching her back. They could do this. “Do your worst, Protobot. We’re ready for it!” she said, adding another gear to one of her cannons.

“Commencing final attack pattern Omega. Prepare for destruction.” the Protobot announced. Nervously, Blue watched as the first red Boss bots appeared on their radar.

This was when a different artificial voice came out of the computer’s speakers - a less monotone, more familiar one.

“Good luck, agents. The fate of the island rests on you.” the Director told them. “It’s time to prove our elite skills. Let this be our finest hour.”

Blue took a deep breath, adding one final gear to upgrade one of her cannons. Then, she let go of the controls and took a step back, her eyes never leaving the screen. Nothing else to do, now - it was the moment of truth.

The attack lasted only for a few minutes, but for the five agents, it felt like hours. They watched as the Protobot’s final army of Boss bots marched through the screen, advancing towards their server without ever stopping.

But their defenses held, and slowly but surely the bots started to thin out. Finally, the last few purple Boss bots were destroyed just before reaching their servers, and all the penguins let out a collective sigh of relief.

“BZZZZZZK - error - error… warning - system failure.”

“The Ultimate Protobot’s forces are retreating!” Dot cheerfully told them, a large smile on her face.

“I locked it out of the system.” G announced with a smile. “It’ll have to retreat if it wants to maintain the integrity of its intelligence module.”

“Woohoo!” Rookie cheered, raising his flippers.

“Nice work, everyone!” Jet nodded at them.

Blue looked at the screen - free of robots, and with the EPF systems still holding. “We did it…” she breathed out with a grin.

“Attention Elite Penguin Force: This defeat means nothing. I will return.” the Protobot swore.

“And we will be ready.” the Director assured it.

There was no response - and a few seconds later, the Protobot’s connection was shut off. They were finally in the clear.

“Well done, everyone. The island is safe for now. Thank you for your bravery.” the Director praised them, the certainty in their voice putting everyone at ease.

“But who rebuilt the Protobot?” G mused, already with a thoughtful look on his face. “We’ll need a full investigation.”

“Indeed. And I believe we already have our penguins for the case.” The Director agreed. “Stay on alert, agents, and be ready for anything.”

And, with that, the lights in the room returned to normal. The relief in the air was tangible - Blue’s shoulders fell, all the tension fleeing them in an instant. “Wow. That was… wow.” she repeated.

“Agent B, that was super cool!” Rookie said, clearly impressed.

“Good job with those cannons.” Jet agreed.

“You didn’t even listen to G’s first explanation to us - and you still kept your head in the game through the whole thing. Nice one, Ace.” Dot smiled.

“I mean, I was freaking out a lot.” Blue chuckled. “But thanks, guys.”

“They’re right, Agent B.” G said. “You adapted to our system remarkably well - I believe even I wouldn’t have done a better job with those cannons. There’s still room for improvement, of course, but we’ll get there with time.” G grinned. “You’ll be our number one agent for emergencies like these in the future, that’s a given.”

“I’ll keep trying my best.” she promised him.

As the others kept talking, Blue’s gaze slipped off her friends and went around the Command Room - where she found that every single agent present was staring right at them. Some of them pretended to look away when their eyes crossed, but some didn’t bother, looking at her with faces full of admiration.

A little self conscious, she turned away, trying to focus back on the conversation.

-

‘Our enemy has been identified. Ultimate Protobot, destroyed in the past, has returned. No new incidents of activity related to it have been reported since the attack on our systems yesterday morning, but remain on alert. It is considered extremely dangerous - and we believe it was not working alone.’

Blue stared at the message from the Director, displayed on the screen of her Spy Phone. “A message app, huh? I like it, G.”

He smiled at her. “All thanks to the new Ski Hill antenna upgrade. This network will be used by the EPF leads to keep our agents up to date with everything that’s been happening. An easy way to keep everybody informed, considering our numbers keep increasing.”

“I see. Say, is there any chance you can use this to make a private chatroom for us and the others? I’d love something like that. Rookie and I could team up and use it to bother Jet remotely.” she joked.

G struggled to look at her with a serious face. “That would be an inappropriate use of Elite Penguin Force resources, Agent B.” he reprimanded her lightly. “... maybe one day.”

She laughed. “Okay, okay okay. Got it. So, back to our main problem now - the Protobot investigation.” she said, assuming a more serious posture. “What have you got for me?”

The two penguins were sitting at the meeting table in the Command Room. Blue had arrived shortly after her lunch break, her presence being requested by G over a short phone call, and she was prepared to kick off this investigation well.

“You know the situation, of course - the Protobot has returned.” G stated. “But who rebuilt it? And where is it hiding? We need answers.”

“I’m still betting my money on Herbert.” she said quietly.

“So am I. I can’t think of anyone else who would have the skills, and the motivation, to recreate the Protobot. Though how Herbert could have done that remains a mystery…” G mused, thoughtful. “He shouldn’t even know about its existence, let alone do something like this.”

“We’ll find out soon.” Blue said. “What are my orders?”

“A new enemy radio signal has been identified in the Wilderness.” G said. “Go over there, decipher it and send it our way. Rookie and his Comms agents will work to decode it, just like last time. He should get here soon.”

Blue nodded. “Got it. I’ll get going.” she stood up, getting her phone to teleport away, when something different caught her attention. “Uh, G? Maybe you should take a look at our message feed.”

Confused, G grabbed his own phone to do so - a new message had been sent to every agent.

‘Attention EPF. Surrender your computer mainframe. I need its parts to repair my core circuits. Comply, or face destruction.’

“... So.” Blue said, fake cheerfulness in her voice. “Guess they broke into our message system very fast this time, huh?”

To her surprise, however, G merely huffed. “Of course. That was the idea.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry. Our enemies can’t attack us through our message system, and they don’t have access to our comms either - unless we send something we want them to see. All they can do is send messages, and that might be useful to us.”

“How, exactly?”

“Well… you know better than anyone that Herbert loves talking.” G chuckled. “Perhaps he’ll reveal something about his plans to us, eventually, if we give him the chance to gloat.”

Blue’s brows raised, and a laugh burst out of her. “Wouldn’t be the first time.” she grinned, rereading the message. “So… Protobot wants our mainframe so it can finish rebuilding itself…? Guess that explains why it attacked us. I’ll admit it still wasn’t very clear to me.” she admitted. “Last time it only wanted to upgrade itself, and there’s a big difference between that and wanting to destroy the EPF.”

“I’ve been thinking about that as well. Perhaps it remembers that we were the ones to deactivate it, or perhaps it's been reprogrammed to hate us a little more this time around.” G wondered. “But I suppose needing our technology also makes sense.”

“Well. Whatever the reason, we’ll stop it.” she was sure of it. “I’m heading over to the Ski Hill now.”

“Good luck, Agent B. Remain in contact.”

“Will do.”

-

The good old Wilderness. Calling the area ‘unexplored’ barely made sense by now; Blue knew her way around here better than she knew some of the Thin Ice levels. She walked from one place to another, holding her Spy Phone in her flippers, staring at the screen in concentration.

“Found anything, Agent B?” Rookie, who had arrived at the Command Room a few minutes before, asked her through the earpiece.

“Mm, nothing yet. I’ll let you know when-” she was interrupted by a loud ‘ping’ coming from her phone. “Jackpot. Got the signal, I’ll send it over to you shortly.”

“Cool!”

“Is it encrypted the same way as the other times?” G asked with interest.

“Yep, same one. Your app still works fine.” Blue deciphered it in a matter of seconds - she was getting quite good at that. “Do your magic, Rookie.”

“Alrighty! We’ll just need a few minutes to decode it!” he assured them.

“How is everyone else doing?” G asked.

Jet’s voice answered first. “I just finished training another group of Tactic agents on how to use the System Defender. The others are out, patrolling the island together with the Generalists.”

“My Stealth agents are around as well, looking out for any polar bear or giant robot sightings.” Dot assured them.

“Excellent. The Tech specialists are still handling our system maintenance - keep up the good work, everyone.” G said.

Blue sat down under a tree. She couldn’t really point out the reason, but something was giving her a bad feeling.

“Signal decoded!” Rookie cheerfully announced. “The message says: ‘I can’t finish the UP10K without the final circuits, and the Elite Penguin Fools have them! Looks like it’s up to me. Never send a robot to do a genius’s job!”

There was a brief silence.

“That’s definitely Herbert.”

“For sure.”

“No doubt about it.”

“So he truly rebuilt the Protobot…” G wondered. “But why? And what does he intend to do next?”

Blue paused. It’s up to me, he'd said… “Rookie, is the radio signal recent?!”

“Uh, yeah. Ten minutes ago, maybe. Why?”

“Herbert is going to attack our system, like the Protobot did!” she nearly shouted, getting up in a rush. “We need to prepare-”

A muffled alarm from the other end of the line cut her off. “AAH! You were right you were right!” Rookie yelled.

“Red alert! We’re being attacked!” Jet announced.

“Agent B, we need you at the System Defender immediately!” G ordered her.

“I’m on my way!” Blue replied, pressing the button on her phone that would take her back to the Command Room.

She ran to the System Defender terminal, where her friends were already waiting. “Take the controls!” Dot asked.

“You got it right, Agent B. Someone is attacking the EPF mainframe.” G stated. “The system is picking up an enemy signal… a very familiar one.”

“Quick! Build some defense cannons!” Jet asked.

Blue could already see the enemy bots appearing on the scanner. Without wasting any time, she began building up the EPF defenses - just like she’d done last time. While the cannons were shooting down the bots, she glanced briefly at her friends. “Guess it was too much to hope for even a minute of peace, huh?”

Then, a small monitor next to the main computer was taken over by static - and a very unpleasant sight appeared on the screen.

“Mwahaha! Look alive, Elite Penguin Fools! I’m back!”

Blue held back a sigh. She was expecting it already, but still… “Not the face I wanted to see today.” she muttered.

“Herbert!” Dot shouted.

“What are you doing here?!” Rookie asked.

“Didn’t you learn your lesson the last time we defeated you?” Jet challenged, crossing his flippers.

“Think again, Elite Penguin Failures! My plans to warm up the island will continue.” Herbert grinned. “But first… I must remove you from the equation.”

Blue continued to build cannons. She turned to look at G, a silent request on her face.

He understood, and moved to press a button. “Line muted.”

“Should we take the chance to question him about Protobot? He probably already knows that we know.” she asked them all.

G hesitated, thinking for a moment. “Yes. I don’t think there’s any significant advantage for us in keeping that a secret. Distract him, and find out as much as you can. Agent B, focus on our defenses. I’ll work to kick him out, like the last time.” the other four nodded. “I’ll reopen communications.”

“Your plans to warm up the island, huh, Herbert?” Blue asked, putting down more cannons on the map. “How does rebuilding a giant robot fit those plans, exactly?”

“Oh, so you do know about that already. I’m not surprised.” Herbert let out an evil chuckle. “I heard you’ve had quite a lot of trouble with the Ultimate Protobot in the past, agents. Nervous?”

“Just curious, to be more precise.” Dot interrupted him. “How did you even get the data needed to rebuild it?”

“Ah, that was too easy. It was all in the information I stole from the PSA computers before blowing it up.” Herbert laughed. “The plans, blueprints, the Superior Intelligence module… everything! I was very glad to find it while looking through your old files. I should be thanking you for the gift!”

Blue and Dot turned to face G, both equally confused. “Why was all that data about the Protobot in the PSA computer?!” Dot asked in a harsh whisper.

G muted the line again. “... thanks to Agent B’s status as a PSA agent back then, files about that mission ended up being sorted as a joint investigation between both agencies. I suppose some of the files meant for the EPF only might have made it into the PSA database by accident…” he sighed. “I wasn’t aware, so it never occurred to me that Herbert might have had access to them until now. A massive oversight on my part.”

“Well, no point in agonizing over past mistakes.” Jet reminded them. “Let’s focus on right now, and defend our systems.”

“Indeed. I’ll reopen the line.”

Blue looked back at the System Defender main screen. The last of Herbert’s red and yellow bot army had been defeated. “Defenses holding.” she stated with a grin.

“Hmph! That was just a warm up!” Herbert grumbled with irritation.

“Why are you so obsessed with warming things up?” Rookie wondered.

“Klutzy! Send in the next waves!”

“I’m picking up a lot of incoming yellow bots.”

“Yeah, I’m figuring this out. Yellow cannons - here we go.” Blue muttered, already getting to it.

“See if you can survive this!” Herbert laughed.

“So, you got the Protobot’s intelligence module and reactivate it.” Jet said, trying to distract Herbert while Blue dealt with the bots. “And then… what? You decided to just walk around the island, taking stuff to rebuild it completely?”

A chuckle sounded from the small screen. “No, my dear pathetic flying penguin. I didn’t steal anything - but, if you don’t know it yet, I suppose I shall keep that little secret for a while longer.”

Blue frowned. She wanted to question Herbert about that, but now was not the best time to split her attention.

“We know why you’re attacking us, Herbert.” Dot accused him. “The Protobot sent us a threat - if you think you’ll be able to get our mainframe circuits, you’re very mistaken.”

“Yeah! Why do you even need it anyway?!” Rookie questioned.

Herbert groaned in frustration. “Of course the Protobot would tell you that. But come on, it’s not that hard to guess, is it? Can you imagine what the Ultimate Protobot would be capable of with your new fancy EPF tech? We would be invincible!”

Blue held back an exasperated sigh. How did Herbert even know that much about their technology? They were trying so hard to keep everything secret this time!

“We won’t allow that to happen.” G assured him.

On the screen, the final bots from Herbert’s second attacking wave were destroyed. Their servers remained untouched.

“You know, those bots are kind of cute.” Rookie commented with a silly grin on his face.

“Stay focused, Rookie! We can’t let our guard down.” Jet told him.

“Laugh while you can, fools. I’ve upgraded these next bots.” Herbert threatened them, looking very irritated. “Klutzy, send in the next wave!”

“Click clickety click!”

Blue lowered her eyes to the scanner, and built a purple cannon as soon as she spotted the enemies in the same color. “We won’t let you destroy our servers or steal our technology, Herbert.” she promised.

“You and the Protobot are going down!” Dot said.

“We’ll see about that, my fine feathered foes!”

The attack lasted for a few minutes, but the servers and the defenses resisted; now, however, Blue had already occupied all available spaces for cannons.

“So, now’s the time for upgrades, right?” Rookie muttered, a little nervous.

“Good work, agents! Keep it up.” G encouraged them, while still working hard to kick Herbert out of their system. They were running out of time.

“Enough games! This time, I’m sending in my heavy bots. Your cannons are no match for their armor!” Herbert told them. “Klutzy! Send in the next wave of bots!”

The five agents watched an army of purple bots approaching on the scanner. “Good call on those purple cannons.” Jet muttered. “They’ll help blast through that armor.”

Blue followed her friends’ advice - by now, all she could do was using the data they gathered about Herbert’s attack plan to upgrade her cannons. There were tons of purple bots, and more than once Blue feared they would actually get past their defenses. Soon, however, all the enemies were destroyed, and she sighed in relief.

They waited for Herbert to say anything else, but for a few seconds, they were only met with silence. Blue frowned, confused.

Jet leaned closer to the scanner. “I’m not picking up any more bots. I think we’ve got Herbert on the run!” he announced.

“Not so fast, you fowl fools!” Herbert cut him off suddenly. “I’ve got a surprise up my sleeve!”

“But you haven’t got any sleeves…?” Rookie asked in confusion.

“Silence! Anyway, prepare yourselves… for my Boss bots!”

“Red alert! Those Boss bots will cause significant damage!”

“Yeah, but they’ll get us some upgrades as well.” Blue muttered, quiet enough so that Herbert wouldn’t hear. “And right now, that’s what we need.”

“Attack!” Herbert shouted.

Blue was expecting a large wave of bots - so, when the scanner picked up just three red Boss bots, she was understandably a little surprised. She looked around - Jet and Dot seemed equally confused. In any case, her cannons blasted them immediately, and she used the gears dropped to keep upgrading their defenses.

A sharp movement on the edge of her vision made her turn - and see Herbert, on the small screen he was in, waving his arms around.

“Hey, Agent B! Look over here!” he laughed. “Am I distracting you?”

Blue simply rolled her eyes. “Pesky polar bear.” she muttered to herself.

“Keep focused. Stay on target!” Jet reminded her.

“It’s weird to be the one hearing that, instead of Rookie.” she joked quietly, even as she obeyed and turned back to upgrading her cannons.

“Hey!”

Finally, the last Boss bot was destroyed. Blue held her breath - this certainly wasn’t the end just yet.

As expected, Herbert just went on. “Ha! Just when you think you’ve got things under control… Klutzy! Send in the next Boss!”

“You won’t get away with this, Herbert!” Rookie shouted.

“Save your breath! Victory will be mine!”

“A purple Boss.” Dot muttered. “Very armored, very dangerous.”

“Very slow - an easy target for our cannons.” Blue assured her. “It won’t get past.”

It was actually a closer shave than she was comfortable with - the bot had nearly reached the EPF servers when a well-positioned purple cannon blasted it to bits. She released the breath she’d been holding - and heard the others around her doing the same.

“Great job! There’s no way Herbert can win now!” Rookie cheered.

“Nearly there.” G told them quietly. “Just a little longer…”

“That’s what you think! Klutzy, the time has come! Send in… the Centipede of DOOM!”

Blue looked at the scanner, expecting to see the enemy dots as always - but what she saw instead made her eyes widen. “What the heck is that?!”

There weren’t any circles - it was a line. So many yellow Boss bots together that there was barely any space between them - they were making up a single entity.

… the name ‘centipede’ made a lot of sense, now that she was actually looking at the thing.

“Incoming! Brace for impact!” G raised his voice, quite alarmed.

“It’s all up to you, B!” Jet nearly shouted.

Taking a deep breath, Blue instead released the controls and took a step back. “I’ve done all I could. Now we just have to wait.”

The four penguins watched nervously as the large mass of yellow bots took over the screen. It was quite a terrifying sight - and either time was slowing down around them or the system itself could barely manage to process so many bots as once. The cannons held strong - and Blue could only hope it was enough.

… and luckily, it was. The Centipede of Doom managed to reach the final stretch that would take it to the server, but by now nearly all of its bots had been destroyed. The cannons cleared the way before any of the enemies could attack, and the EPF mainframe was still standing by the end of it.

“Done!” G announced with a grin. “Herbert is locked out. He won’t be sending any attacks anymore.”

“NOOO!!!!!!” Herbert roared.

“Cliiiick!” Klutzy clicked.

“You did it, Agent B!” G patted her back. “We’ve defeated Herbert!”

“Woohoo!”

“Good one, Ace.”

“Nice work, Agent B.”

Blue chuckled, glancing at the screen. “Better luck next time, bear.”

“You may have won this battle…” Herbert grumbled. “But I will win this war! And with the Protobot at my side, you won’t be able to stop us!”

“Run while you can, Herbert. The EPF will track you down.” G promised him in a serious voice. “You and the Protobot both.”

“We’ll see about that.” Herbert retorted, angry - right before the panic in his voice grew a little. “But for now… let’s get out of here, Klutzy!”

And the connection was shut down, leaving only the five penguins behind.

Blue let out a sigh. “These constant attacks are starting to be a problem.” she admitted. “I don’t know for how long we can sustain this.”

“I agree, Agent B. But, now that we know for sure Herbert is behind it all, and have at least some ideas of his plans, we can try going on the offensive.” G told them.

“Doesn’t seem to me like they even have a plan, beyond rebuilding the Protobot, that is.” Jet muttered. “It seems like all they want to do is cause mayhem around the island.”

“Well, we’re not letting them do that!” Dot said.

“Rookie, get the Comms agents to keep monitoring all communications on the island. The rest of you, back to your usual duties. Agent B,” he turned to her. “Remain alert. We’ll need you again very soon.”

“And I’ll be ready.” she promised him.

Herbert and the Protobot were the two largest threats to the island’s safety - having them work together was… very, very bad. This could easily turn into the greatest challenge they had ever faced. But they were ready to take on that challenge - for Club Penguin’s sake.

-

The rest of the day went by in relative silence. There were no more attacks or any other incidents around the island; but later that night, all agents received a message from no one other than Herbert P. Bear himself in their Spy Phones.

‘Hello, Error Prone Fumblers! Did you miss me? I see you’ve already met my latest reinvention: Ultimate Protobot! Figured out what I’m up to yet? Don’t worry, I’m out of popcorn… but I may be ‘bugging’ you again soon.’

Blue, who was already back home at this point, rolled her eyes upon reading the message. He had been defeated merely hours ago, and was already back to acting as if he was an unmatched genius. Typical Herbert.

Next morning, she was called back to the Command Room a little earlier than she would have liked. There, she found G and Rookie at the meeting table, a laptop in front of them, and the room was filled with busy Tech and Comms agents.

“What’s up?” Blue asked, approaching the two leads.

“I believe you’ve already seen Herbert’s message from last night?” G asked, getting a nod from her. “It got me worried. The way he talked makes me believe that Herbert and the Protobot may be trying to invade systems other than ours.”

Blue frowned. “That is concerning.”

“Indeed. I asked Rookie to help me out with this - we’re working with the Comms to monitor all citizen systems and electronic devices around the island, checking for infection or malware. The Tactical team is out in the field, helping us reach the coverage we need.” he explained. “If we find something, I would like you to go there and fix the issue.”

Blue shrugged, moving to sit next to them. “I’m at you guys’ command.”

“Well, everything seems to be in order so far…” Rookie stated, reading a report on the screen. “... I think.”

“You’ve been working hard lately, huh, Rookie?” Blue teased him with a grin.

Rookie chuckled. “Nah! My Comms agents are the ones doing all the work. They’re the ones who should get all the praise!”

She traded a short, proud look with G before turning to Rookie once again. “They’re lucky to have a great leader.” she said softly.

“Excuse me.” two agents were approaching the table - a Tech and a Comms, judging by their outfits. “We believe we managed to detect unnatural behavior coming from one of the Night Club’s electronics.”

“Which one?” G asked.

“The DJ3K headphones.”

“I’ll go check it out.” Blue said, already getting up.

“Keep us posted, Agent B. We can help you repair the system, if you need it.” G reminded her.

With a short nod, Blue teleported over to the Night Club. The room was surprisingly empty; although that was a ridiculous notion for a place like the Club Penguin, it seemed that, for once, it was too early to party.

Approaching the DJ3K equipment, she connected it to her Spy Phone - and yeah, this thing was definitely bugged with something. Luckily, running G’s software was enough to solve the issue in a matter of minutes.

And… that was it. Other than the virus, there was nothing there. Holding back a sigh, she touched her earpiece. “Good news, guys: system is fixed. Bad news: that didn’t help us a whole lot. No clue left behind, no message, no signal, nothing.”

“Hm. That’s unexpected.” G commented. “Do you have any theories?”

“I guess… maybe Herbert and the Protobot want to send us on a goose chase around the island? We’re busy fixing those electronics while they’re out there doing whatever they wanna do?” she suggested.

“I see. While that could be true, we can’t afford to ignore this problem either.” G sighed. “It’s not the first nor the second time they use civilian computers to attack us. We need to keep those systems safe as well.”

“Okay, but I can’t exactly fix every computer on Club Penguin by myself.” Blue told him. “We need a better solution to deal with this.”

“Jet Pack Guy here. If I may suggest, my Tactic agents can handle that part. We’ve been helping the Tech and Comms teams already, and we’re already out in the field - we can run the software we have on our phones.”

“An excellent idea.” G agreed. “Come join me later so we can discuss the logistics of that. According to my calculations and the information we have, Protobot has not yet been fully rebuilt. We still have time to stop Herbert from finishing it. Agent B, please continue to patrol the island, and remain alert - we’ll call you if anything big happens.”

“Got it.” Blue agreed, and the line went silent. She sighed. “This slow game Herbert and the Protobot are playing is getting really tiring already.”

Blue left the Night Club on foot, her eyes on the floor as she was lost in thought - and that was the only reason she saw the tracks. Marks on the snow, the same ones she’d found by the Stage ticket booth; they were recent, but only went on for a few meters before suddenly disappearing again, not far from the Coffee Shop.

“Hey, it’s B again.” she muttered into the earpiece once more. “Found tracks in the snow coming out of the Night Club - same ones from last time near the Stage. And I’m fairly sure they don’t belong to polar bears nor cart-footed robots.”

“Ooohh, I remember you telling us about that! Do you think Herbert and Protobot may have helpers?” Rookie mused, deep in thought. “Something with a tire… maybe some kind of evil wheelbarrow? ... that would be my theory, at least.”

Blue huffed. “Considering the tracks keep vanishing into thin air, I guess one of those wheelbarrows would need to be able to fly as well.” she joked.

And then her brain processed her own words.

“... oh. Oh, shoot.”

“... G. If Herbert had access to the data about the Protobot through the PSA…” Jet hesitantly asked. “... could he possibly have seen the Test Bots blueprints as well?”

“Impossible. Those plans I only keep in paper format.” G muttered. “However… it is possible that the Protobot could remember them.”

“So the Protobot, with the polar bear’s help, rebuilt the Test Bots?” Dot jumped into the conversation, alarmed.

“We don’t know if that’s what really happened.” G tried to calm them down. “We’ll be looking into that possibility as well. For now, focus on your usual duties - and remain vigilant.”

“This situation just keeps getting worse.” Blue grumbled.

-

Over the next week, several other citizen computers and electronics ended up being infected by viruses and other unusual programs. The agents managed to keep the situation under control, but no other information or new clues appeared. It seemed that Blue’s hunch about the computers being merely a distraction was correct - and the EPF kept running into dead ends.

Beyond that, there were no signs of enemy activity. No attacks on their System Defender, no weird thefts or vandalism around the island; Herbert and the Protobot just disappeared from the map completely. Blue remained alert, constantly patrolling the island - but the calm before the storm was unnerving.

And, apparently, she wasn’t the only one who thought so. A full week after Herbert’s attack, all agents received a message from the Director.

‘Stay sharp, agents. We suspect Herbert and Protobot haven’t given up their assault on System Defender. Be ready for anything.’

That was enough to get Blue to stop by the Command Room. She found her friends all sitting around the meeting table, in complete silence. “... you guys look like you could use a strong cup of coffee right now.” she said in sympathy, making her way to the coffee machine.

“I’d need at least five.” Jet replied.

“I suppose we’re all a little… stressed, with the current situation.” G muttered.

“How are the other agents?”

“Everyone is working hard to keep the island safe.” Dot said tiredly, supporting her head with her flippers. “... but we have nothing to show for it.”

“Except one thing: we know for sure they’ll attack our system again.” G reminded them. “It’s just a matter of time. And we’ll be ready when that happens.”

“So our only plan at the moment is doing nothing and waiting for them to attack us?” Blue said unhappily, bringing some cups and the coffee pot over to the table. They all accepted the drink gratefully, and she sat down on her free chair with her hot chocolate in flippers.

“Well, we did deactivate that dangerous device Herbert left at the Box Dimension! That was a win!” Rookie cheerfully reminded them.

“That was an alarm clock, Rookie.” Jet muttered.

“Oh. Yeah…”

Blue frowned in confusion. With a sigh, Dot slid her own Spy Phone to her across the table - there was a message on the screen.

‘Well done, Elitist Pompous Frauds! You managed to find and disarm Klutzy’s alarm clock! Such heroes! Now if you’d be so kind to give me the circuits I need for Protobot, we can end this foolishness. I await your surrender. Sincerely - Herbert.”

“He’s just playing games with us at this point.” Blue shook her head, handing Dot her phone back.

“The agents who went on that Field-Op and found this message were quite upset by it.” Jet said, suddenly getting up. “I’ll check on them again, make sure they’re alright.”

“I’ll go too!” Rookie offered. “Your strategies to boost morale aren’t always the best, JPG.”

“I may be a bit too rigid, but that’s what the Tactic team needs.”

“Come ooon, there’s always room for a little fun!”

The two walked out of the Command Room, bickering lightly, leaving the other three agents behind. Dot lowered her head to the table, using her flippers as a pillow. “We can’t just stay on alert for attacks forever, G. We need an actual plan.”

“I know!” G raised his voice a bit, before calming down again and rubbing his forehead with a sigh. “I know. We’ll think of something. For now, as long as we can protect our mainframe, we will have the advantage against-”

The room was plunged into a red alert.

“... fantastic.” he muttered, getting up in a hurry and leaving his unfinished coffee behind. Blue and Dot followed him to the System Defender. “All agents, in position!” he called out to the others in the room.

When they reached the computer, the scanner was already showing several red and yellow bots moving ahead. Blue barely had enough time to set up some cannons to contain them.

“I’m detecting multiple enemy signals.” Dot muttered. “Who are you? Identify yourselves!”

“Surprise attack - failed.”

“Switching to speed attack.”

“Affirmative. Holding back purple bots.”

The three robotic voices coming out of the speakers differed slightly from each other. Blue couldn’t hold back a sigh - as if dealing with two bad guys wasn’t enough already…

“The Test Bots.” G stated, trying to keep his cool - although Blue could tell he was unnerved. “So the Protobot really managed to rebuild them. But how? We deactivated them in the past, and they were destroyed in the popcorn explosion…”

“No time to catch up on old times - incoming!” Dot raised her voice.

Blue lowered her eyes to the scanner - oh, that was a lot of yellow bots. She busied herself building as many yellow cannons as she could so they could resist the attack.

“Speed attack failed. Yellow bots under construction.” Blue frowned. If she remembered it right, that would be the WheelBot…

“Red bot construction complete.” and that was the JetBot…

“Hmm… each Test Bot controls a certain bot color…” Dot noticed.

“They probably specialized in different types of malware.” Blue took a wild guess.

“Activating purple bots. Attack with red bots.” Oh, SnowBot - the final one.

“Affirmative. Launching dual attack.”

Dot kept her eyes on the scanner. “Boss bots detected - stay sharp!”

Blue gritted her teeth, building more cannons. “I don’t know what you robots are planning, but you will not succeed!” she told them.

“Priority enemy detected. Threat level assessment high.” WheelBot stated, making Blue frown in confusion.

“I guess they remember you.” Dot muttered.

“Primary objective. Destroy EPF. Recover circuits.”

“Of course…” Blue grumbled, watching as her cannons destroyed the last of their purple Boss bots.

“Dual attack failed. Bots depleted.”

“Yellow bots complete. Suggesting Boss bots attack waver.”

“Affirmative. Launching attack. Code name: Triple-attack.”

“They’re all attacking at the same time!” Dot’s eyes widened.

“I’m still trying to find a way to disconnect the Test Bots.” G muttered, typing nonstop into the computer. “I need time. Our defenses must hold!”

“I assure you, they will!” Blue promised, setting up more cannons around the map - although the sight of all those Boss bots approaching on the scanner concerned her greatly.

Still, there was one thing she had to admit - she was getting quite good at System Defender. With all the practice she’d been having, the Test Bots didn’t have any chance. The bots were exterminated - and their servers remained untouched.

“Yeah! Defenses holding - nice work!” Dot cheered.

“Boss attack failed. Scanning options.”

“Suggestion: overwhelm EPF with all available bots.”

“Oh, really, now?” Blue complained loudly. “This is why the JetBot was always my least favorite!”

“Affirmative. Launching attack. Code name: Demolition.”

“Oh no… I’m detecting a huge enemy wave…” Dot’s fearful eyes turned from the scanner to the others. “G! I think we may be in trouble…”

“Hold strong, agents! I need only a few more moments!” he asked them.

Blue sighed. “I’ll try my best.” she promised, getting to work.

“You heard him.” Dot clapped her shoulder encouragingly. “Let’s show these bots who’s boss!”

In the end, even the Test Bots’ final attack had been easier than expected. The cannons kept shooting without stopping, and in a few minutes all their bots had been destroyed.

“Error! Error”

“ -multiple connections detected-”

“-connection terminated-”

Blue let out a sigh of relief, followed by a chuckle. “Did you just DoS’d the Test Bots?” she laughed.

“We did it! Great job, G!” Dot grinned at them.

“I only disconnected their signal.” G shook his head with a relieved smile. “You both did the hard part.”

“Well, Agent B did, that is.”

“Couldn’t have done it without your support, Dot.” Blue smiled. “It’s alright, guys. No need to fight for credit - we’re all awesome here.”

G laughed. “Excellent work, everyone.”

“So… the Test Bots are back. And working for Herbert and the Protobot.” Blue muttered, the cheerfulness of victory fading in favor of more concerning thoughts.

“I wonder if they’ve been upgraded somehow?” Dot mused.

G sighed heavily. “I still can’t believe the robots are actually back. I never would have guessed that my greatest past mistake would come back to haunt us after so long.”

“Not your fault, G.” Blue assured him. “We’ll figure it out.”

“That’s right.” Dot said. “They’ll slip up eventually - and then we’ll fight back.”

G gave them a small smile. “... you’re right. Let’s keep going, agents.”

At that moment, a flash of blue light appeared next to the three penguins - and Rookie and Jet Pack Guy joined them once more.

“Hey guys! What did we miss?” Rookie asked with a grin.

G, Dot and Blue looked at each other.

“Let us fill you in.”

Chapter Text

‘Hello, Easily Perturbed Fowls! Seems your system is well defended. So, from now on I’m trying something else. Just a minor test of your skills! MWA HA HA!’

“You guys know what? I really miss Herbert’s old way of attacking us.” Blue sighed, putting her phone down on the meeting table after reading the polar bear’s most recent message. “He’d just decide to show up one day with a dumb, crazy plan, I’d defeat him, and then he’d leave us alone for a few months. That was way better than this whole nonstop thing he’s got going on now.”

“We’re engaged in an intelligence battle with him.” Jet said, putting down a cup of hot chocolate on the table in front of her. “This kind of thing… tends to drag.”

“Still. I wish I could just go somewhere and fix the problem once and for all! It’s what I do!” she complained. “It’s been five days since the last attack on our system and we still don’t know what our next step should be!”

“To be fair, Agent B, this is not too different from the way we did things back in the PSA, during your first Herbert investigation.” G smiled patiently at her, a coffee mug on his flippers. “You’re just more involved in the planning and waiting part of the process now.”

“Well, it sucks. Can I go back to being a low rank agent?”

He shook his head, laughing silently as he sipped his coffee.

“But you have to admit it, G, the stakes are definitely higher now.” Dot said, not raising her eyes from the report she was reading. “Before it was just Herbert occasionally making a mess - now we have him, the Protobot and the Test Bots causing trouble nearly every day.”

“Shame we can’t just ask Herbert what he’s planning.” Rookie muttered, resting his face on his flippers.

The five agents look at each other in silence.

“... I’ve been thinking about that, actually.” G said. “And perhaps we could.”

Blue frowned. “What?”

“You think that bear would be willing to talk, G?” Jet asked.

“It’s not like contacting him would make things worse than they already are.” G shrugged. “Last time, Agent B managed to convince Herbert to be sensible; perhaps we could do the same now.”

“Uh, I guess it’s worth a shot…?” Dot said, unsure.

“I can get a communication channel open for that, if you guys want.” Rookie offered.

“Right. we’ll do that, then.” G decided. “However, there’s no need to alert every single agent of this - just in case it amounts to nothing. Getting us five and the Director on the channel should be enough.” he sent a sneaky glance towards Blue. “It will also serve as a useful means of communication between us, even when we’re not trying to reach Herbert.”

Blue nearly choked on her drink with surprise.

“I’m on it!” Rookie grinned, running to get his Comms laptop.

“The Director is aware we’re doing this, then?” Jet asked.

“Indeed, and they’ve approved it.” G nodded. “We can open and close the line whenever we want.”

“So, it’s gonna work as a group chat between us as well?” Dot grinned. “Cool.”

“Yes. It was a suggestion I’ve received.” G said, his voice serious, while Blue was trying very hard to supress a chuckle.

A few minutes later, Rookie returned, and the private channel between them was opened. G typed a brief message, and soon, everyone else received it as well.

G:
'Herbert - why are you attacking us? We thought you had changed your ways. You helped us save the island once!’

“... and now what?”

“Now we wait, Rookie.”

“If you guys want to know, I really don’t think this is going to work.” Jet crossed his flippers.

“So, when Herbert replies, only we’ll be able to see it, right?”

“Yes, he should respond using the same channel frequency.”

The five agents remained sitting around the meeting table, staring at their own phones in expectation.

Minutes went by. Nothing happened.

“... how do we know he’s even going to respond, to begin with?” Dot muttered.

“Herbert likes talking. He wouldn’t miss a chance like this.” Blue told her.

“Man, I’m hungry. Anyone wants pizza?”

“Not the time, Rookie.”

Five phones buzzed at the same time. Everyone hurried to open their message app, their eyes running through the words on the screen.

Herbert:
‘I helped you that time, but that doesn’t mean we’re friends. Warm up the island, end your noisy parties and maybe I’ll consider adding you to my buddy list.’

“Told you.” Jet said.

G shrugged. “It was worth a shot.”

“At least we have a chat room only between us now!” Rookie cheered.

Their phones buzzed once more. They stared at the new message.

Director:
‘Herbert - you will need to try harder if you want to scratch the EPF. Our agents are incredibly skilled, and prepared for anything.’

“... a chat room that will only be used for very serious and official secret agent business.” Blue completed the sentence, smiling nervously at the others.

“For sure.”

“No jokes.”

“Professionalism only.”

G shook his head, a knowing smile on his face.

-

A few hours later, Blue received a new message on their private channel.

Protobot:
‘Attention EPF. The polar bear and I have only begun our master plan. Once I have my core circuits, we will crush you. Resistance is pointless.’

“... yep, this is gonna be a very lively group chat.” she muttered.

More days went by relatively peacefully, although everyone remained on edge as they waited for the next attack. Finally, while she was getting lunch one day, Blue received a message from Jet asking her to meet him at the Command Room.

Of course, she teleported there immediately. He merely looked at her, not at all surprised. “Thanks for coming, B. I believe G and I just made some progress in the current investigation.”

“Oh, what have you got?” she asked, intrigued. The two penguins walked to the Field-Ops terminal, where G was busy looking into something.

“The Tactical agents and I have been investigating the unusual computer activity on civilian computers around the island over the past few weeks. As you are aware, Herbert and Protobot have been bugging several of them.” Jet explained. “However, earlier today we ran into something that was a little different than that. We believe they’re messages - G is working on a feature for the Spy Phone to decrypt them.”

“I just finished it, actually.” G smiled, turning to them both. “It’s on your phone already, Agent B. Just run the app on the computer and it should be enough to break through Protobot’s code.”

Blue nodded. Finally - a chance to get out ahead. “Right. Which computer is it?”

“The one at the Recycling Plant, near the stairs.” Jet nodded back at her. “Good luck, Agent B.”

Grabbing her phone, she teleported straight to the plant. Finding the computer they needed was easy enough, and soon Blue was running the new Spy Phone feature the others had talked about.

She did find the files Jet had talked about - and while the methods were different from the other times, it was still easy enough to use the app and crack the code. Instead of a signal she would need to send over to the Comm agents, however, Blue was surprised by a perfectly readable message appearing on her phone screen.

Protobot! We’ve wasted enough time attacking the EPF’s System Defender! Those fowl fools are better than I thought. We need a new plan. Send the WheelBot to my lair, I need its design. And stop calling me ‘polar bear’!

She immediately forwarded the message to all the other leads. “You guys should take a look at this.” she said into her earpiece.

There was a short silence.

“Herbert plans on doing something with the WheelBot…” G muttered. “That can’t be good.”

“At least now there’s a good chance we won’t deal with any more system attacks.” Jet pointed out. “Though I wouldn’t let our guard down completely just yet. Could be a trap.”

“Ace, do you have a date for this message?”

“It’s from a few days ago - lemme check.” Blue muttered, looking into the info her phone had collected on the file. “It’s from the same day we tried to contact Herbert directly. When he sent that message about ‘trying something else’.”

“Did you guys notice that Herbert actually said something nice about us?!” Rookie said, fascinated. “I never thought we’d see the day!”

“At least our test was a success; now we have a way of reading the secret messages between Herbert and the Protobot.” G said, sounding pleased about that.

“For as long as they don’t notice it, that is.” Dot said.

“Indeed. I’ll alert the other agents about this. I’ll also start working on something to deactivate the WheelBot, in case Herbert decides to use it to attack us.”

“Ooh, Robotomy 2.0?” Blue grinned.

G chuckled. “Hopefully, a little more efficient this time around. Until then, we’ll keep monitoring for enemy messages and for possible attacks. Good work, Agent B.”

“I just came out here and pressed a few buttons." she pointed out. "You and Jet did all the hard work.”

“Well, this is why we’re an awesome team!” Rookie said cheerfully.

She smiled. “That we are.”

Blue stifled a yawn, lowering her eyes to the report she was trying to type once more. Despite her best effort, her focus kept wavering every few minutes.

A few days had passed since they uncovered Herbert’s latest secret message, but they hadn’t found anything else. Even as she waited to continue with the investigation, Blue took the time to help the citizens around the island - no point in just sitting around doing nothing.

Case in point; she had just finished helping the Barista deal with a suspicious lack of java bean bags at the Coffee Shop, which turned out to be caused by an honest mistake by the deliverypenguins - they accidentally filled their truck with too little coffee and too many anvils. Even more anvils than usual, anyway.

It was easy enough to solve. Writing the report, on the other hand…

“Doesn’t matter the rank - paperwork still sucks.” she snorted to herself, getting up from the meeting table to go get herself a drink.

There were two agents by the coffee machine staring right at her.

Blue frowned in confusion. They both turned away immediately as soon as she saw them - but she didn’t miss the startled looks on their faces when they noticed they’d been caught. Based on their clothing, they both seemed to be Generalists - though she didn’t immediately recognize either of them. “Huh…”

Before she could think any longer about that, however, her phone pinged with a new message. She pulled it out of her suit pocket immediately to look at it.

‘Hello, my Exceptionally Putrid Foes! This week I’ve got a special ‘little’ treat for you. Actually, I’ve got a few hundred of them…’

Blue frowned. It was from Herbert - obviously. But what did it mean?...

She raised her flipper to her ear. “Anyone hear?”

“Yo, Jet Pack Guy here. Did you guys see Herbert’s message?”

“I’m Rookie! I just read it. What do you think he meant by that?”

“G here - I’m on my way to the Command Room. Rookie, please join me there immediately; we need to check the radars. Dot?”

“Right here. My Stealth agents around the island haven’t reported anything strange so far; certainly nothing that Herbert would describe as hundreds of little treats.”

“G, do you have any idea what’s going on?” she asked, walking from the meeting table over to the radar terminal.

“I have an educated guess.” he said, appearing right next to her. “Herbert did mention wanting the WheelBot design, so I assume it is related to that. We will have to check our scanners to make sure that-” he stopped talking, staring at the screen with wide eyes.

“Uh, G?” Blue asked. That was a bad sign.

Another penguin teleported to their side. “Hey, G, Agent B! Are you guys ready to - whoa, that’s a lot of robots.” Rookie said, pointing at the screen.

“Robots? What do you mean, a lot of robots?!”

G approached the keyboard and started typing. “Agent B, I don’t know how to tell you this, so I’ll just be blunt. Right now, there is an alarmingly high number of mini-WheelBots moving in the Wilderness towards the Ski Village.

“Say what?!”

“That is… not at all what I expected Herbert would do.” G muttered, running across the room in barely-concealed panic to the Field-Ops terminal. Blue and Rookie worriedly followed him. “I was working on something, but now I’m not sure it’s gonna work.”

“G, please explain things a little more clearly!”

He visibly held back a sigh. “I was working on a new feature for the Spy Phone to deactivate the Test Bots - the Robotomy 2.0, as you said last time. But as it stands, it still requires a direct connection to them. Deactivating hundreds of them individually like that is… not a viable solution.”

“What’s the plan, then? They’re coming here!” Rookie nervously asked.

“I’ll gather the Tech specialists - we’ll have to do some last minute changes to the program, figure out a way to deactivate the robots remotely. Something like a pulse with an area of effect.” G muttered, speaking quickly. “Besides the Robotomy, I also installed a few anti-robot defense cannons on the Everyday Phoning Facility’s roof, the Tactical agents will operate them when the robots reach us.”

“What do these cannons do?” Blue asked.

“I calibrated them to deal with the WheelBot - so they throw snowballs.” G smiled slightly. “That is their weakness, after all, isn’t that right, Agent B?”

“Yeah, but…” she looked at the radar. “There are hundreds of robots this time. How many cannons did you build?”

G’s good humor disappeared. “Not enough.”

“This is bad…” she muttered. “It’s not easy to stop a Test Bot. We would need a whole crowd of penguins to be able to throw that many snowballs at them.”

Rookie hummed. “A crowd…”

“Maybe if we had some shovels - oh, what about the Snow Trekker, G? We could use it!”

“Sorry, Agent B, the Snow Trekker is no longer available. I remodeled it into an ice cream truck.”

“... why in the world would you do that-”

“I have a plan!” Rookie nearly shouted, an excited grin on his face. “How long do we have until the robots get here, G?”

“According to the radar, a little over half an hour.”

Rookie nodded. “That’s gonna be enough, then.”

Blue tilted her head. A Rookie plan - this, she had to see. “What have you got?”

“I’m gonna get us what we need to be able to throw all these snowballs at the robots.” he said confidently. “But you’ll have to help me, Blue - and you’ll need a team of Generalists with you, and lots of snow shovels.”

“Whatever you both need, consider it done.” G told them.

“Right!” Rookie grinned, rubbing his flippers. “So, here’s what we gonna do, then…”

-

Half an hour later, the Ski Village had been completely transformed.

A large snow wall had been built, blocking the Everyday Phoning Facility’s entrance, as well as the paths to the Dock and Beach. Standing on the wall was a large crowd of penguins, all of them chatting animatedly with each other and preparing piles and piles of snowballs.

“Attention, everyone! The game will begin shortly!” Rookie was saying into a megaphone, easily capturing everyone’s attention. “Remember the rules: if you all manage to knock down every single toy robot that comes into the Ski Village, there’ll be a, uh, special surprise later for the whole island! Yeah! And it’s gonna be tons of fun, so give it your best!” he told the crowd.

The crowd of civilian penguins.

In front of the large wall, a smaller, chest-high one had been built as well. Blue and the team of agents she had gathered were standing behind it, preparing their own ammunition. They all had changed out of their uniforms, to avoid raising the suspicion of the other penguins in the area.

Rookie jumped down from the taller wall, waddling happily up to Blue. “I think we’re all ready to go!” he said cheerfully.

Blue stared at him with no small amount of concern. “I have to admit, I’m still nervous about having so many citizens this close to the Test Bots.” she muttered. “I know we needed the numbers, but…”

“It’s gonna be okay!” Rookie assured her. “I called the best snowball slingers from the Blue and Red Teams here! And if things go bad, there are agents on standby up there ready to get everyone out. Nobody’s gonna get hurt.”

“... I know.” she repeated, letting out a short sigh. “I trust you, Rookie. Honestly, this was a pretty well thought-out plan. I’m surprised you managed to come up with all this in such a short time.”

“What can I say? Sometimes I’m an accidental genius!”

Blue chuckled, raising her flipper to her ear. “What’s the status on the Remote Robotomy, G?”

“I still need more time to finish it. The robots are about to reach the Ski Village - what’s the situation out there?”

“Everyone in position and ready to go.” Rookie reported.

“Rookie, remember that time you asked me and Jet if we'd rather fight one penguin-sized puffle or ten puffle-sized penguins?” Blue asked.

“Of course I do! You never gave me an answer, by the way.”

“Well, we’re about to see what one of those two options would feel like. Except it’s, you know, hundreds of slightly-larger-than-puffles robotic penguins.”

“You know, B, I’m not sure that counts…”

“Over there!” one of the other agents shouted.

Everyone turned to look, their postures tensing. Far away, at the edge between the Ski Village and the Wilderness, a large, shiny gray mass appeared, getting closer by the moment.

They were, indeed, Mini WheelBots - more than any penguin could hope to count.

“There’s so many of them!” one of the Generalists nervously said. “Are we sure we can do this?”

“We can!” Blue raised her voice. “Focus on the task, and stand together!”

“Is everyone ready?” Rookie called out to the crowd on the wall behind them, earning some cheering in response. “It’s about to start!”

Blue picked up one of the shovels they had gathered, the other agents following her lead. She dug up some snow from the ground with it, and stood waiting, her eyes not leaving the enemies.

The mini robots kept approaching. As they got closer, Blue managed to take a better look at them - they were… really quite small, actually. She was joking about it before, but they were barely taller than puffles. Their strength was in their numbers - but thankfully, penguins also knew how to work as a team.

They waited for the right moment, and then- “NOW!” Rookie and Blue shouted at the same time.

The agents threw the snow on their shovels over the robots, at the same time as a sea of snowballs rained from above. Most of the Mini WheelBots that were leading the charge found themselves halting in place under the combined power of both attacks, several of them now half buried in the snow as they all started repeating the message about their optical sensors being compromised.

It was actually quite loud, and with so many of them talking over each other, the Ski Village was instantly plunged into a cacophony of robotic noise.

“Good thing Herbert didn’t think to put goggles on them!” Blue shouted to hear her own voice, continuing to throw snow over the robots.

The crowd above them kept throwing snowballs without stopping, and Blue even noticed the cannons G had talked about earlier helping as well. For each robot they managed to hit, it seemed like another one would appear to take its place - and they kept making progress, despite the penguins’ best efforts.

“Is this how a System Defender cannon feels? I don’t think I like it!” Rookie shouted, clumsily attempting to throw snowballs at the robots.

“Rookie, get back up there!” Blue shouted at him, shoveling a good amount of snow and hitting at least five robots with it. He looked at her hesitantly for a moment, before nodding and retreating. Rookie really shouldn’t be in the front lines for this.

There was a shout from one of the other agents - a mini WheelBot had managed to grab their shovel, breaking it in half. It jumped at the agents, followed by two others; before they could attack, however, Blue ran forwards, not even bothering with the snow as she used her own shovel to whack the robots, sending them flying back to the other side of their wall.

The agents she’d saved stared at her with wide eyes. “Whoa… thanks.” one of them said, in awe.

“Here.” Blue gave him her shovel. “Keep up the good work. It’s time for me to do what I do best.” she grinned, returning to her previous position and picking up two snowballs - one in each flipper.

Even if it wasn’t as effective as the shovel, hitting a robot in the face with a snowball was certainly more satisfying.

“Are they thinning out, or am I hallucinating?” one of the agents tiredly asked, even as she kept shoveling the snow at them.

“Your work is showing results, agents - keep it up!” Jet encouraged them over the earpiece.

And Blue had to agree - she was starting to feel there were more robots already down for the count than there were left still standing. Despite their numbers, she had the impression these were even more fragile than the original WheelBot. It made sense, honestly - it wouldn’t be a Herbert invention without some kind of fatal flaw.

Blue knocked one down with a precise throw - and watched, quite impressed, as the four other robots around it were also knocked down in quick succession, by snowballs coming both from the crowd above her and the cannons on the roof. “Nice work, everyone!” she yelled, throwing another snowball.

“Robotomy’s almost done. Calibrating to the WheelBot frequency. Shouldn’t take much longer, now.”

“I sure hope it won’t!” she yelled back, being startled by a mini robot jumping at her. By pure instinct, she grabbed it in the air - whoa, those things were light - and chucked it at two other robots, making all three of them go down.

“We need to fall back!” one of the agents shouted in a panic, and Blue turned to look at her colleagues. Most of them had lost their shovels already, and the snowballs they had prepared were all gone. The civilian penguins also seemed to be running out of ammo - and there were still way too many robots left.

“... right. I have an idea!” Blue called out to them, tapping their cover wall. “When they get close, let’s push the wall down on as many of them as we can.”

“Won’t that leave us vulnerable?” another agent asked, worried.

“Yeah, which is why you’re all going up the other wall as soon as we do it.” she pointed up at the crowd. “The snow will be enough to bury most of them, and we can deal with the few that remain. Let’s go!”

Nobody questioned her plan. When the remaining WheelBots reached the snow barrier, all the agents worked together to push the wall on top of them, immediately jumping back and running up to join the civilian penguins. The idea worked well enough, but it wasn’t the end of things just yet.

Blue stayed behind, grabbing the last remaining shovel and positioning herself between the still active robots - about twenty of them - and the other penguins. They would not be getting past her.

“Agent B - the Robotomy is done! It’s already on your phone, activate it now!”

“About time!” she shouted, digging her shovel into the ground and using it to throw more snow over the robots - and then throwing the shovel itself at the ones that remained standing, for good measure. Taking her Spy Phone out of her pocket, she dive rolled away from the WheelBots, finding and pressing the new button that had appeared.

The phone immediately started making a loud, high-pitched noise, which startled Blue bad enough for her to drop it on the snow. For a second, she feared that the Robotomy actually didn’t work the way it was supposed to, and turned to look at the robots expecting them to attack once more - but they were all frozen in place.

Frowning, Blue approached the closest one, and hesitantly poked it. It fell over, letting out a sad, robotic “Error. All systems are off.” before shutting down completely.

For the first time in the past twenty minutes, the Ski Village was silent.

Before the civilian crowd started celebrating, that is.

With a sigh of relief, Blue let herself fall down, sitting on the snow. “It worked just fine, G.” she said with a smile.

“That is good to hear.” he sounded just as relieved as she did. “All agents, please report back to the Command Room as soon as possible.”

“What about all these robots? We just leaving them out here?”

“We’ll handle them later.”

“Woo! Great job, B!” Rookie cheered, running over to Blue and holding out a flipper to help her stand. “But man, this is gonna be a nightmare to clean up.” he chuckled.

“I can imagine. You did a great job too, Rookie! Your plan worked great.”

“I know, right?! It was so much fun! If it wasn’t for the EPF’s imminent demise, we could almost pretend it really was just a game!”

“Well, speaking of that, what are you gonna do for their prize?”

“... huh?”

“The civilian penguins? You told them they’d get a special surprise if we managed to defeat all the robots?” Blue frowned at him “... you don’t actually have anything planned for that, do you.”

Rookie smiled sheepishly. “Weeeell… I’m sure I’ll be able to figure something out!”

Blue shook her head fondly. “Of course. Never change, Rookie.”

While he left to figure out what to do about his promised celebration, Blue moved away to teleport to the Command Room without being noticed by the large civilian crowd. She arrived to find the place nearly bursting with excitement, as nearly all agents present were talking about what had just happened.

“Man, that was intense! I was so scared at times!”

“My flipper kinda hurts from throwing so many snowballs… maybe I should train more.”

“Did you guys see Agent B hitting that one robot with the shovel? She was so cool!”

Ignoring all the conversations, Blue moved to the corner where G, Dot and Jet were standing, all three looking a lot calmer.

“That was, by far, the craziest thing I’ve ever seen anyone do. Watching a snowball fight against evil robots was not in my bingo card for the week.” Dot chuckled.

“I can’t believe you and Rookie just went out there and did that without even wearing any Tactical safety gear.” Jet shook his head, sounding concerned and relieved at the same time. “I wouldn’t have allowed that if I was here earlier.”

“Still can’t believe Rookie brought in a whole crowd of citizens to fight one of Herbert’s insane plans.” Dot said.

Blue shrugged with a grin. “It worked very well, I think. Even if now he needs to figure out the ‘special surprise’ he promised for the island.”

G sighed. “I see. Well, Rookie may not have figured out every aspect of his plan beforehand, but he still did a great job with it, and we might not have made it without his idea. I might help him with the ‘surprise’ later.” he mused.

“So, I have to admit - even for Herbert, this whole thing was a little out there.” Blue said, frowning in thought. “What was his goal, anyway? Have the WheelBots cause chaos around the island? Getting them into the Command Room to break our computers?”

“Whatever it was, I am glad we stopped him.” G stated. “And, with this new version of the Robotomy working fine, we can start to work towards deactivating the original Test Bots - and the Protobot himself. It’s a shame the range is still so small…”

“Well, I’ll just have to get close to them. I’ve done it once before.” Blue grinned. “But, uh, if you’re gonna make any changes to it, can you get rid of that weird loud noise? It was kinda freaky, not gonna lie.”

“That was… an unintended side effect. I’ll work to fix it.”

At that moment, all the Spy Phones in the room buzzed with a new message. Blue already knew what it was before even looking at the screen.

‘What?? How in the world did you destroy all my bots?! Do you have any idea how long it took to create all of them??? They don’t just grow on trees! Mark my words - you will not be as lucky again!’

“Whoa, Herbert sounds pretty mad.” Rookie commented as he walked up to his friends, his eyes still reading the message on his phone.

“... it is possible that, seeing how prepared we were for his attack, he’ll suspect we have access to the communication between him and the Protobot.” G said. “We have to be extra careful not to let that show from now on. Rookie, be extra extra careful, please.”

“You can count on me! I haven’t given away any classified information for weeks!” Rookie assured him with a short salute.

“Right. Well, if you'll excuse me, I’ll go after the cleaning and construction crews so we can restore the Ski Village to its usual state. Rookie, if you’ll accompany me, I’d like to discuss this little event you promised with you.” G said, already walking towards the exit with barely more than a gesture to get Rookie to follow him. “I’m thinking we could do something with pies, to celebrate Pi Day next week…”

“There’s a Pie Day?! Awesome!”

Dot shook her head fondly. “I’ll go with them or they’re not gonna get anything done.” she joked, moving to leave as well.

“Jet - you gotta teach me how to use those snow cannons.” Blue asked, turning to the only penguin left. “Seeing them in action was super cool!”

He smiled slightly. “We’re planning to install more of those around the island, so we can defend ourselves remotely in case of attack. But honestly, I don’t think you should be using them - when it comes to slinging snowballs, Blue, your flipper already beats any cannon.”

‘Dash it all! You agents are becoming a nuisance. Shouldn’t you be busy waddling around and making friends or something?’

That was the only sign of activity from Herbert - and the Protobot - they got in the week following the Mini-WheelBots attack. The Ski Village was back to normal, the two hundred robots were stored in an undisclosed location, and, other than the constant threat of the island’s two biggest enemies, things were relatively peaceful.

Blue and G were standing next to one of the radars in the Command Room. He was sipping from a coffee mug with a concerned frown. “It seems that my theory was correct. Herbert must have realized we had access to their communications - no new secret messages have appeared since the attack.”

She sighed. “Well, they gotta be talking to each other somehow - and we’ll figure it out soon.”

Right then, Dot suddenly appeared right next to them. “Hey, G. Ace, I need to borrow you for a moment.”

“Any news, Dot?” G asked.

“Maybe…” she mused. “I was disguised as a soccer ball at the Stadium, and I saw a suspicious crab rushing around. It wasn’t Klutzy, but I still suggest we investigate the area. And nobody better for that than the EPF’s best eyes for detail.”

“You can count on me, Dot.” Blue grinned.

G nodded. “Keep me posted. Oh, by the way, in case you find any electronic locks, your Spy Phone has a few new tools you might find interesting.”

“That’s very specific, but thanks, G!” Blue waved, while Dot teleported both of them out of the Command Room and straight to the Stadium. “So, where was that crab?”

“Near the lockers.” Dot pointed out the area.

Blue frowned. “There are tons of lockers there - searching them one by one would take too long.” she looked around, noticing a penguin playing soccer by himself nearby - a Blue Team player, to her delight. “Hey! Sorry to bother - do you spend a lot of time training here?”

The player turned to her, a friendly smile on his face. “Yeah, sis, I’m here all the time! Why’d ya ask?”

“You know if anything weird happened to any of the lockers here recently?” she asked, approaching him. “Maybe a broken lock, or items missing or being misplaced, or anything like that?”

“Hmm… ya know, now that you mention it…” he muttered. “My pal hasn’t been able to open his locker for a few days now. They’d left a fish and cheese pizza in there, dude!” he shuddered.

“Which locker is his?”

“Locker 377. If you’re gonna take a look at it, please see if you can fix the lock - just watch out for the smell!” he warned, before focusing back on his training.

“I’ll see what I can do. Thanks!” leaving him to it, Blue returned back to the locker area, where Dot was already waiting.

“I have to admit, Blue, that was a lot faster than what I was planning to do.” she said with a grin.

Blue chuckled, stopping in front of the locker they were looking for. “Sometimes not hiding for a while can be helpful, you know.” she joked, taking a closer look at the lock. “Now this is interesting - there’s a new lock here.”

“Let me guess, it’s an electronic lock.”

“Got it in one.”

“G’s foresight scares me sometimes.” Dot shook her head. “So, you gonna use the new tool he made?”

“Already on it.” Blue assured, picking up her Spy Phone.

As expected, it worked perfectly. In a matter of seconds, the locker opened with a ‘click’. Blue took a look inside - and ew, yeah, the days old fish and cheese pizza was there indeed. She didn’t really know what to expect from searching for clues in there - but a handwritten note hidden in the back wasn’t really it.

“This is new.” she muttered, taking the piece of paper out of the locker and showing it to Dot. “‘Protobot - I think those pesky penguins are onto us. They must have decrypted our messages!’... yep, another point for G.” she sighed, before continuing to read. “‘For now, only send messages with the crabs. We have to take down the EPF communication system!’...”

“Okay, this is really bad.” Dot muttered, raising a flipper to her ear. “Dot here - we have bad news.”

“Dot, Agent B, what have you found?” G asked.

“Well, uh… Herbert knows we saw their messages. He and the Protobot are sending each other written messages via crab mail now. And they’re planning on bringing down our communication system.”

“... wait, so that means every crab on the island is a suspect now?” Jet asked in a slightly disbelieving voice.

“Those are all very bad news indeed.” G muttered. “We need to alert the other agents and prepare for the attack.”

“We’ll be getting back to the Command Room now.” Dot said.

Blue simply nodded in agreement, already using her phone to teleport both of them.

-

G barely had the time to send a message warning everyone of the Protobot’s plans before the attack came - preceded only by a single text.

'Attention EPF. As of now, I am jamming all communication frequencies. Without it, your destruction is assured.'

“... I’m starting to get real tired of the color red.” Blue muttered, as she stared at the red lights filling the room around them.

“G, what’s the situation?” Dot asked in concern.

The three agents were gathered in front of a computer, with G staring at the screen with a frown. “Not good. Our entire communication system is no longer operational. We can’t send messages, communicate via earpiece, call each other, or even use our radars and scanners.”

“How did the Protobot manage to do all this?!”

“Knowing his workings as I do, my guess is that he’s broadcasting a signal of his own as a jammer to block all our frequencies.” G mused. “However, we have no way of tracking its source right now. Except…”

“G?”

“Agent B, one of the tools I sent to your Spy Phone earlier today should be able to find and stop the Protobot’s signal. But you would have to get very close to its origin to do so - and, unfortunately, we don’t have a single clue where that is.”

“So you’d have to search the whole island.” Dot understood, her eyes widening.

“Can’t you send the app to the other agents as well?”

Sadly, G merely shook his head. “Not with our systems the way they are now. I have no way of connecting to our agent’s phones.”

“We’re not even gonna be able to issue new orders to anyone unless they come here.” Dot said.

“Well, G got a message out, and so did the Protobot - they’ll come sooner or later.” Blue said. She held back a worried sigh - apparently it was all up to her now. “G, is the teleport system still up?”

“Luckily, yes.”

“Great. I’m going, then - I don’t know how long it’s gonna take me to find the signal, but I’ll try to work as fast as I can.” she promised.

“Good luck, Agent B. We won’t be able to maintain contact while you’re out there, so be careful.” G said, concerned. “I’ll try to bypass the Protobot’s jammer from here in the meantime, perhaps we could get more agents on the field to help you.”

Blue nodded. “Good luck.” she said, before leaving the Command Room.

-

The next few hours were deafeningly silent.

With her phone in flippers, Blue searched through every room, every corner, every hiding spot in Club Penguin for the Protobot’s signal jammer. As time went on, her anxiety only grew - not knowing what was going on with the rest of the EPF left a bad taste in her mouth.

If Herbert or Protobot took the chance to attack, she’d only find out about it too late.

And that was why she needed to focus on her mission - finding the signal and restoring the EPF’s communication systems. Nobody other than her could do it; she didn’t even want to imagine the trouble they’d be in if G hadn’t sent that app to her phone earlier.

She had started her search in the Ski Village area, crossing the whole island until she reached the Mine Shack - and managed to find nothing.

With a nervous sigh, Blue checked her phone again. The only news ever since she’d left the Command Room were two failed messages, from both G and the Director, who hadn’t been sent all the way through and turned into a garbled mess of random characters.

Still, better than nothing, right?

Trying not to panic too much, she sat down in the snow next to the community garden and took a deep breath. She needed to think. She’d been everywhere already - where could Herbert and the Protobot have hidden a signal like this? She thought about the other ones they’d found before, but couldn’t figure out a pattern between them.

Looking around, her eyes fell on Herbert’s ice statue. It was still there, an unwelcome decoration to the room, ever since the giant geyser incident. A bunch of plants and vines had grown around it, but the bear’s face was still sadly visible.

Blue glared at it, feeling anger bubbling in her chest. “You're really irritating, you know that?” she asked, approaching the statue, for a moment pretending she was actually talking to the real Herbert instead of an ice sculpture. “How does doing any of this even help you get the ‘peace and quiet’ you want so bad? Do you even have any idea what you’re doing anymore, or are you just happy being ordered around by the Protobot now?!” she asked, taking another step forward.

Her phone beeped.

With a small start, she turned to look at the screen - and was surprisingly greeted by the words ‘signal found’. “Oh, finally! Here of all places…” she shook her head, already running the tool G had prepared. “Although I guess it fits Herbert’s ego just fine. I should have thought of it earlier.”

The app was fairly simple to use - all she had to do was match the frequency of the Protobot’s signal, and then it would broadcast an inverted frequency to block it. It was very much timing-based, which was fine by her; after a few minutes, her phone let her know that the Protobot’s signal had been successfully jammed.

With a sigh of relief, Blue tried calling G on the Spy Phone - and was delighted when the call connected. “It seems that your mission was a success, Agent B.” he greeted her with a huff.

“Sorry about the delay.” she chuckled. “Did I miss anything important?”

“No - despite bringing down all our comms, Herbert and the Protobot didn’t attempt any further attacks… which is intriguing.” G mused. “Seems like a wasted opportunity, to me.”

“Maybe they’re starting to slip.” Blue hopefully said. “How are our systems?”

“All communications frequencies were restored as soon as you jammed the jammer.” G said. “It will still take a few days for me to work out all the bugs, but we’ll be back online fully in no time.”

“You think Protobot’s gonna try something like this again soon?”

“Without a doubt - which is why I am immediately sending the frequency matching tool to all active Spy Phones. We’ll be ready for them next time.”

“How are the others?”

“Dot and her Stealth team are out investigating for crab activity, and Jet Pack Guy is out searching for enemy messages with the Tactical agents. We’ll take this opportunity to gather info.”

“Got it. If you need me, I’d be happy to help.”

“We know. Excellent work, Agent B.”

After hanging up, Blue noticed two new message notifications.

Protobot :
‘Impossible. You only had 0.1 chance of stopping my signal. The polar bear’s calculations were incorrect. Retreating for now.’

Herbert:
‘Stop calling me ‘polar bear’, you Ultimate Pea-brain 10.000!’

And, right after that, a new message from G joined them.

‘All communication systems have returned to normal. Great work, everyone!'

A few days after that incident, Blue found Dot and Rookie sitting at the meeting table, focused on something.

“What’s up?” she asked, sitting down next to them.

“G probably already told you I’m investigating the crabs around the island, right?” Dot asked. “Under his and the Director’s orders, Rookie here is working on translating any messages we find.”

“Oh.” Blue simply said, taking a sip of hot chocolate. She still hadn’t really processed the idea that Rookie knew how to speak crab. “Have you found anything important so far?”

“Maybe?” Rookie raised the sheet of paper he was writing in, and started reading out loud. “‘Keep cutting fishing lines. Keep tapping on glass. Keep taking Puffle’Os’... I have no idea what this could mean. Is it a secret code?”

Dot sighed. “Okay, so maybe not all crabs on the island are working for Herbert, after all…” she put her face on her flippers.

“Or maybe they’ve just gone quiet?” Blue suggested. “It’s been like this ever since this mess of a situation started. They show up, attack us, then go quiet for a few days, rinse and repeat.”

“Yo!” the three penguins raised their eyes to look at Jet hurrying towards them. He seemed agitated - which was not a good sign. “My agents found something that could be important. Where’s G?”

“Right here.” the penguin in question appeared, holding a cup of coffee and the day’s issue of Club Penguin Times. “Report, Jet Pack Guy.”

“We got a letter.” he said, taking a piece of paper from his suit and putting it on the table. Everyone leaned closer to take a better look. “It was found inside a briefcase at the Lodge Attic early this morning.”

Blue’s eyes ran through the words.

‘Protobot! Those cursed agents are still a step ahead of us. Be more careful where you’re hiding your messages. Don’t do ANYTHING until we have a plan. Let’s wait until the next noisy celebration to strike!’

“... this is the worst possible scenario.” Dot muttered with worry. “If they attack during a party, a lot of innocent penguins could end up getting involved.”

“Wasn’t the next party announced in the newspaper today?” Rookie asked. “The Earth Day Party?”

“Indeed.” G said, dropping the newspaper he was holding on the table next to the letter. There it was, front page, the day when the next party would start.

“Then we know when they’ll attack.” Jet said. “That should give us some advantage.”

“They could be discussing what to do right this very moment.” G wondered. “We need to investigate…”

“Excuse me.” a sheepish Comms agent approached them, focused mostly on G and Rookie. “We identified a suspicious scrambled radio signal that just showed up at the Iceberg.”

Four pairs of eyes turned to Blue. She huffed, but still nodded, downed the rest of her drink in one go, and then stood up. “I got this.” she simply said, teleporting away immediately.

Finding the signal was easy, and decoding it was even easier - thanks to all the work G and the Comms agents put into these tools. To Blue’s surprise, her phone immediately started playing the broadcasted message on loop - it was recorded by the Protobot, and its contents were enough to send a wave of worry through her chest.

“Attention Herbert: a new party has been announced. Code named: ‘Earth Day’. Purpose: celebrate the environment. Proposal: target natural areas during event. Operation: Total Devastation.”

Chapter Text

‘All agents - we have confirmed that Protobot and Herbert are going to attack the Earth Day Party. They must not succeed! Orders soon.’

Blue sighed, reading the message G had sent them over and over, as if it held the answers about what they should do next. “This is terrible.” she muttered. “The party starts in just a few days - how are we going to figure out what they’re planning, and how to stop them, until then?”

“Something will come up.” Dot assured her, trying to remain positive. “They’ve made mistakes before, they’ll make them this time too.”

“Dot, are your agents helping with the party preparations?” Jet asked her.

She nodded. “They’re disguised as construction workers, and will report back at the first sign of trouble.”

“The Tactical agents are working with the Tech team to set up the anti-robot cannons around the island.” G said, joining the three agents next to the Field-Ops terminal. “We need to improve our defenses to assure the citizens’ safety.”

“And what about our system defenses?” Blue asked.

“Holding well. Nobody is going to knock us down again.” G assured.

“Hey guys!” Rookie greeted them with a wave as he approached. “I had an idea on how we can find out Herbert’s plan.”

Dot raised her brows in pleased surprise. “That’s great! Whatcha got, Rookie?”

Their Comms leader merely grinned. “I sent him a text! Remember our secret chat room?”

They stared at him for a second. Then, all at once, the other four penguins got their phones and searched for the communication channel Rookie was talking about.

Rookie:
‘Herbert! Are you really going to help destroy the environment??? Why would you do something like that?’

“Rookie!” Jet nearly shouted in alarm. “You can’t just reveal stuff like that! Now Herbert knows we know his plan!”

Dot sighed. “Time to reset the ‘days since Rookie leaked classified info’ counter...”

Rookie’s eyes were wide behind his sunglasses. “But- but I-”

“No no, guys, wait - maybe this could help us out.” Blue said, trying to get the others to calm down - even though she was also a little nervous about it. “I mean, Herbert has sent us messages with hints of his plans every time so far, right? He’s been toying with us, sure, but maybe with Rookie’s text, he’ll let something slip if he replies.”

“Agent B has a good point.” G agreed. “We will have to wait and see what Herbert will tell us. Rookie - while I appreciate the initiative, contacting our enemies directly like that isn't something that should be done on a whim.”

“I just did the same thing you did last time!” Rookie defended himself.

“I know.” G assured him, calm as ever. “But, next time, bring your ideas up with me or the Director so we can decide better on how to proceed.”

Rookie sighed. “You got it, G.”

It was then that their phones vibrated - and they all rushed to see the new message.

Herbert:
‘So you know Protobot’s plan eh? The plan I’d have to be CRAZY to support? You Environment Protecting Fools better keep an eye on the trees.’

Blue stared in confusion. This sounded… different.

“... is it just me, or are Herbert’s taunts getting weaker?” she asked thoughtfully. “‘Environment protecting’ is barely an insult…”

“Maybe it wasn’t meant to be a provocation.” G stated. “I think he was warning us. We must put all Earth Day Party trees under surveillance.”

“How do we know this isn’t a fake clue to throw us off guard?” Jet asked.

“... I don’t know. Compared to his other messages, Herbert really doesn’t seem to be happy with the Protobot’s plans this time.” G muttered. “I say we run with it.”

“My plan worked, then?!” Rookie asked, beaming.

The other agents turned to look at him. “... yes, actually. It worked perfectly. Great job, Rookie.” G smiled back at him.

“Woohoo!”

“So, let’s do this, then.” Jet said. The others nodded, determined.

They had a party to defend.

“Agents, report.” G asked through the earpiece.

The Earth Day Party had just started, and all agents were on the lookout for any signs of danger.

“I’ve been patrolling the island since the celebrations began. Nothing to report so far, G.” Blue whispered, pretending to fix the Outback Exploring Hat she was wearing so she could touch her earpiece. “The party is going as planned. I checked in with some of the other Generalists; they’re monitoring all decorated rooms and the Scavenger Hunt spots.”

“The Stealth agents are disguised as trees all over the island, G. They’re watching without being seen, and nothing is gonna get past them.” Dot said. “I also personally checked the integrity of all the snow leopard and african painted dog costumes being distributed. Everything cool so far.”

“The Tactical agents and I are watching every important tree on the island closely.” Jet reported. “If someone attacks, we’ll be ready.”

“The Comms guys are monitoring all signals and frequencies around the island. We’ll let you all know if something comes up- ooh, I found another easter egg! Man, I’m good at this!”

“Excellent work, agents. Remain alert. Luckily, we will be able to stop Herbert and Protobot’s attack soon, and you will still have time to enjoy the party… those of you who aren’t already doing it, anyway.” G said, trying not to let his amusement show too much.

“Hopefully. I want to find some eggs too.” Blue smiled, arriving at the Town. She had to admit, if only to herself, that she didn’t think the way every building was painted green was particularly… pretty; but it was just temporary, and for a good cause, so she didn’t mind all that much.

She looked around. Penguins waddled all around; dancing, celebrating, telling jokes, playing together, and all around having fun celebrating Earth Day. Despite all the different clothes and costumes they were wearing, everywhere Blue looked, she could recognize a Generalist agent. Several of them stealthily nodded back at her.

They were all confident - none of them would let some robot or polar bear hurt innocent penguins during a celebration like this.

Feeling reassured by the presence of her colleagues, Blue moved on with her patrol.

“Uh… G.” Rookie suddenly spoke up. “We’re detecting hostile signals coming from the Wilderness, near the Dock. You should check it out.”

Blue frowned in concern. “I’m nearby, I’ll go take a look.” she immediately offered.

“Right, Agent B. Everyone else, wait for your orders.” G asked them.

The situation at the Dock seemed fine so far - no signals of any attack incoming. Over the next few minutes, the line between the agents remained silent, and Blue’s nervousness only increased by each second it remained that way. She was about to ask what was going on when G spoke up once more.

“Check your Spy Phones.” he sounded nervous - it was enough to make Blue obey immediately.

‘Alert: incoming enemy! The Test Bots are headed toward the Dock. Move in and defend the trees. I've prepared a new remote-controlled snowball radar system for your Spy Phones.’

“How long do we have?” Blue asked, assuming position next to the largest tree nearby. Around her, several disguised agents started to take their phones out - and to calmly evacuate the civilian penguins from the area.

“According to the radar, just a few minutes. You still have the Remote Robotomy in your phone, Agent B. Are you ready?”

“You bet.” she smiled confidently.

“I’ll prepare an air tactical unit - we’ll need more than just snowballs to deal with the Jet Bot.” Jet Pack Guy told them.

“Good call, Jet.”

“All agents - get ready.” G said, still through the earpiece, but now opening the line to everyone. “We don’t have long before the robots attack. Focus on using the Radar Strike to bring them down - we’ll need to weaken them so Agent B can deactivate them. Good luck.”

Three agents nearby immediately turned to her. “What do you need us to do?” one of them asked, the seriousness in his voice almost matching Jet’s.

Blue took off the hat she’d been wearing and threw it away, switching it for her usual one. “WheelBot’s eyes are its weakness. Throw enough snow at it and it’ll stop moving. SnowBot is very reliant on its speed; if we can stop it, it will lose its balance and will be unable to get up. JetBot is a little trickier… it’ll probably remain out of reach.” she muttered thoughtfully. “A well-aimed snowball may be able to turn off its jetpack, but we’ll have to figure that out on the go. It’s also weak to java bean bags and anvils, but the Tactical team will need to cover that one.”

They stared at her in astonishment. “... woah. How’d you know so much about them?” 

Blue fought back a grin. “I read about it in a report, once.”

“Enemies approaching!” Rookie called through the earpiece.

Less than five seconds later, from the Wilderness, three familiar - to Blue, at least - robots burst into the Dock. They scanned the area around them, the lights in their eyes blinking.

“Resistance ahead.”

“Threat level: low.”

“Proceed with Operation: Total Devastation.”

A few Generalists took out their phones, ready to use the cannon radars to attack, while others already had snowballs in their flippers.

Blue stepped forward. “Give up now, Test Bots. This area is under Elite Penguin Force protection!” she called out.

Three pairs of robotic eyes turned to her.

“Priority enemy detected. Threat level assessment very high.” The WheelBot said.

“Yeah, yeah, we’ve been through that already.” she said, raising her flipper to her ear. “All agents - move in!”

Almost before she was done speaking, a snowball came flying from somewhere and hit the WheelBot square in the face. Blue blinked in surprise; that was quick.

“Unexpected optical sensor breach. Optical sensor strength at 20%”

“Really, maybe you should be expecting that by now.” she smirked.

The JetBot, who had been floating next to its companions so far, shot up towards the sky - but was immediately intercepted by Jet Pack Guy, followed by a squad of flying tactical agents. “Going somewhere?”

“As long as we cover all exits, they won’t be able to get away!” Blue called out to the other agents. Several of them nodded, moving away to do just that, while others got ready to join the fray.

“Uh, Agent B, I think that other robot isn't too happy with you.” one of the agents said nervously, pointing at the SnowBot. Indeed, it was looking straight at her, bouncing slightly on its snowboard as if it wanted to dash forward at any moment.

Blue frowned, thinking for a moment. “Get me some rope from the Hydro Hopper. I have an idea.”

The other agent stared at her in confusion for a second, but nodded anyway. “On it!” they saluted, before running away.

Blue turned to look back at the SnowBot - and had barely a second to dive to the side with a startled shout as the robot rushed straight at her.

Falling into a roll, she pushed herself up in a smooth motion and turned to face it once more. The SnowBot’s momentum took it several meters past where she’d been, crossing from the snow to the sandy terrain that occupied most of the Dock during the party. It started moving a little unsteadily - probably due to the fact it wasn’t calibrated to move on sand at all -, but still remained a threat.

Looking around quickly, Blue ran towards a big pile of rocks that was not too far from one of the trees and swiftly jumped up, climbing until she was out of the SnowBot’s reach. It kept staring at her, but made no move to leave its position.

“I figured climbing wouldn't be your strong suit.” she chuckled.

“Agent B!” someone called out to her, and Blue raised her head to see the agent from before, waving at her with a coil of rope hanging from their shoulder.

The SnowBot was still standing between them, so she raised a flipper back at the agent. Understanding the request, they nodded, and then threw the coil at her with as much strength as they could.

It cleared over the robot easily, and as soon as Blue managed to grab the rope, she unraveled some of it and quickly tied it into a lasso, the way she’d seen Loop do several times.

Jumping down from the rocks, she swung the lasso over her head a few times and then threw it over the SnowBot. She pulled - the rope tightened around it, locking its arms together against its body, but it wasn’t enough to knock it down just yet.

After pausing for a moment to consider its situation, the SnowBot attempted to move away, tugging on the rope and pulling Blue forward. With gritted teeth, she attempted to dig in her heels - even if she wasn’t strong enough for the robot in a one on one match, maybe at least she could make it lose its balance-

She felt someone move behind her, and it suddenly became a lot easier to fight against the robot’s struggles. Frowning in confusion, she looked over her shoulder - to find out that three other agents had just grabbed the rope as well, and were now attempting to help her pull.

“We got you.” one of them said, and Blue couldn’t help but return the grin they gave her.

“Right. Let’s… go!” she called, and all four of them pulled at the same time. The SnowBot was dragged forward for several feet, its board scratching against the sand, before it finally caught on something and the robot fell forward, face first onto the ground.

It simply laid there, unable to move its arms or even attempt to get up. “Warning. Balance disrupted. Upright mobility function impaired. Steering mechanism jammed.”

“Is it down??” One of the agents behind Blue asked nervously.

She nodded. “I think it’s gonna be hard for it to stand up on its own like that. Nice job, guys!” she chuckled. The SnowBot wasn’t gonna be doing much of anything anymore. “Can you keep an eye on it for me?”

The agent nodded.

“I guess they got the WheelBot, too.” the other one spoke up.

Blue turned to look around, taking notice of the rest of the party - and oh, yeah, the WheelBot was definitely down. At least ten different agents were gathered in a circle around the robot, nearly burying it with relentless snowball throws.

“Optical sensor strength at negative 120%. Hydraulic functions disabled.” it kept repeating uselessly, no longer moving at all.

Blue couldn’t help but chuckle. She looked up - only one Test Bot left, then.

Up in the sky, the Tactical agents were doing some genuinely impressive work - throwing java bags at the JetBot in an attempt to bring it down, then flying down to catch the same bags before they hit the ground so they could throw them again. Blue could barely keep her eyes away - Jet had trained his team well.

Still, the JetBot seemed to not be having any issue dodging their attacks. The Tactical team would still need a little help.

As much as Blue hated to admit it, there was no way she would be able to throw a snowball that high up into the air. She pulled out her phone from her pocket - G’s radar system, however, probably could.

Quickly skimming through the app’s instructions, she set her target on JetBot and attempted to launch an attack. Surprisingly, unlike all the other tools G had worked on recently, this one was surprisingly hard to use. It was tough trying to match the speed the snowball needed to reach that high - Blue ended up losing some throws along the way, and two of her attempts just straight up missed the target.

Third time’s the charm, though, and finally, coming from a hidden anti-robot cannon somewhere, a snowball cut through the air and hit the flame of JetBot’s jetpack. It stuttered, disappearing entirely for a moment - for those precious, precious seconds, the JetBot lost its ability to fly, and the Tactical team made good use of that time.

The robot was directly hit by two java bags, one after the other, each hit making him go down several meters as it still attempted to stay in the air. Blue heard Jet Pack Guy yell something to his agents, and then he was flying straight at the JetBot. With wide eyes, she watched as he twisted in mid air, both of his feet hitting the robot right on in a powerful, very literal flying kick.

The force of the hit sent the JetBot straight down, where it crashed against the ground with a thunderous bang. Luckily all the agents had already cleared that area, moving away so nobody would get hit by it.

“Er-r-rrrrror: Jet engine and navigation s-s-systems offline.”

“Critical damage detected.” the WheelBot stated.

“Broadcasting emergency signal.” said the SnowBot from behind her.

“Agent B!” Jet yelled at her, flying lower. “This is our chance - use the Robotomy!”

“I’m on it!” she called back to him, switching apps on her phone.

From where she was standing, the program should easily be able to reach all three robots. She pressed down the button on her screen, and it was just like before - a flash of light, a loud screech, and the three Test Robots suddenly let out a metallic rumble and a burst of sparks.

“Operation: Total Devastation failed. All systems shutting down.” they stated all at once, their robotic voices turning lower and distorted until they shut off completely.

Blue slipped her phone back into her pocket. “And that’s how it’s done.” she grinned.

A cheer of celebrations took over the Dock, as the Tactical agents prepared to land and all the others started congratulating each other.

“G, you there?” Blue asked, raising a flipper to her ear. “The problem’s dealt with. You’ll be getting three deactivated Test Robots delivered straight to the Gadget Room very soon.”

A relieved sigh came from the other end. “Excellent news, Agent B. Please, work with Jet Pack Guy to make sure the Dock is accessible to the public again as soon as possible. We can’t let this get in the way of the Earth Day celebrations more than it already has.”

“I’m on it.” Jet assured them, landing right next to Blue and giving her a discreet smile. “Yo, awesome work, B. Though that was expected from our resident robot-deactivating expert.”

“Are you kidding me? You were awesome, Jet!” she told him, her eyes shining with excitement. “Dude, you gotta teach me that flying kick move, that was the coolest thing I’ve seen all month!”

He chuckled quietly. “After this is all over, we can go on some training sessions together. Just like old times.”

“Deal.” she grinned, looking around at all the other agents - she crossed eyes with several of them, barely registering the awe written across their faces. “Finally a win for us, at least. Without those robots, Herbert and the Protobot just lost a valuable resource.”

“Yeah, well, let’s just hope they don’t build any more of these things.” Jet grumbled.

Blue shrugged. “If they do, we’ll just bring them down again. It gets easier each time, anyway.”

-

It took a few hours, but soon enough, the Test Robots were delivered to G, and the Earth Day Party went on as planned - although the EPF continued to monitor the island, just to be sure.

Unsurprisingly, it didn’t take long for the island’s most loathed villains to react to their own failed plan.

Herbert:
'Curse you fowl fools! How did you EVER figure Protobot's 'brilliant' plan? You must think you're 'smarter' than he is.'

Protobot:
'Error. Probability of Elite Agents calculating attack: 0 percent. Test Robots destroyed. Retreating for now.'

“I think there’s trouble in paradise.” Blue commented, raising her eyes from her phone as she and her friends gathered around the meeting table at the Command Room. “Herbert sounds like he’s done with Protobot, while Protobot seems to be getting suspicious.”

“Better for us, if they fight.” Jet said, not taking his eyes off the report he was busy typing as he downed half of his current coffee cup in one gulp. “It’ll make it easier to bring them both down.”

“The way they’re going, I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them betrays the other sooner or later.” Dot said.

“Well, isn’t that kinda what Herbert already did?” Rookie asked.

“Indeed.” G nodded. “It seems like Herbert might want to jump ship at any moment. We should wait and see what he plans on doing next.”

Blue stared at her hot chocolate with a thoughtful frown. It was always hard to tell what went on inside Herbert’s brain, or what he would do next…

… but this time, she was confident she had a pretty good guess.

The Earth Day Party came and went. Two weeks passed, and there was no signal of Herbert or Protobot.

The EPF allowed themselves to lower their guards, just a little bit. Blue remained on edge.

So when she walked into the Command Room one morning and found the whole place nearly empty, she was a little taken aback.

“Ah, Agent B!” G greeted her. “Good timing.”

“Where’s everyone?” she asked, looking around. There were a few Generalists waddling around the room or chatting quietly around the coffee machine, but it was far from the normal buzz of activity that filled the room.

“Considering we seem to have gotten a much needed break over the past few days, Dot, Jet Pack Guy and Rookie decided to run their teams through some drills.” he explained. “They’re around the island, working on Field-Ops.”

“Oh, I see. What about the Tech agents?”

He shook his head. “I believe my agents have already worked hard enough over the past few weeks, trying to keep our systems running smoothly. They deserve a proper break. In any case, like I said before, you arrived at a good time - follow me, please.”

She did as such, and they crossed the room until they reached a small computer terminal, near the radar system. “Something wrong?” she asked quietly, suddenly feeling a little nervous.

G lowered his voice as well. “I have received a strange file on my computer earlier today. It is unusually coded, and its source is unknown. I’ve moved it to this terminal, and I want you to help me decode it.”

Blue frowned. “That could be dangerous. What if it’s a virus? Or a trap?”

“Don’t worry. This computer is isolated from the rest of the EPF systems. If it is some sort of malware, we’ll be able to deal with it easily.”

“Good to know. Why do you need my help with it, though?”

“Like I just told you, my Tech agents are enjoying their time off - you don’t get that luxury just yet.”

Blue snorted. “How mean, Gary.”

A smile twitched on his beak. “I just figured you would like to take a look at the information first hand, just in case it is related to the current threats we’re facing.”

She nodded. “And you’d be right. Let’s get to it, then.”

Decoding the file and getting through its several layers of protection ended up taking longer than expected. The two penguins spent over thirty minutes in front of the small computer terminal; G, naturally, doing most of the work, while Blue offered support as needed using her Spy Phone tools.

At last, they managed to open the file.

“... how odd.” G muttered. “It’s just a text file. Seems to be addressed to ‘Gerald the Gadget Guy’, which I assume is meant to be me… but the rest of it is just gibberish. Random characters in a string.”

Blue ran her eyes through the displayed text. ‘I evah a lasoporp rof uoy’… “Actually, I think this might be a coded message, G. And not a very hard one to read, either…” she went on, her eyes getting wider with every word.

“Agent B? Blue, is something wrong?”

She turned to face him, nearly at a loss for words. “I think we need to call the others over for a meeting.”

-

'I have a proposal for you. The Protobot has worn out its welcome. I might consider a partnership to deal with it. Keep it between us, and let me know your decision.'

“It’s a message from Herbert.” Blue told everyone, without a shadow of a doubt. “It can’t be anything else.”

“Sent straight to our computers. I’ve run seven different scans on the file; there was nothing threatening on it.” G confirmed.

“I don’t trust this at all.” Jet crossed his flippers. “We’ve tried working with him before, and he has not proven trustworthy.”

“But he helped us last time, didn’t he?” Rookie asked, a little confused. “We wouldn’t have been able to stop that geyser without him.”

“And then he escaped, and started rebuilding the Protobot to attack us again!” Jet pointed out. “Whatever truce we had going on that day clearly ended a long time ago.”

“That’s true, Guy. But I think Herbert has realized how dangerous Protobot is now.” Dot said. “If he’s willing to help us, I say we accept. Might be our only chance to get the drop on Protobot.”

“He’s not trustworthy.” Jet insisted. “I don’t buy that he would be willing to become a ‘good guy’ and help us out of nowhere. There’s gotta be something else behind this.”

“We don’t need him to become a good guy.” G said. “We just need him to temporarily cooperate with us.”

“Information straight from the source about the Protobot’s plans might be what we need to defeat it once and for all.” Blue said. “If Herbert is willing to give us that, I think it’s an opportunity too good to pass up.”

“... but JPG might be right - what if Herbert takes advantage of it to attack us again later?” Rookie worriedly asked.

“If that happens, we’ll deal with him later, too.” Blue said in a serious voice. “But I feel like it would still be better for us to fight just Herbert than Herbert and the Protobot at once.”

“We can’t continue on this stalemate forever. It’s been months.” Dot said. “Something’s gotta give.”

The Director, who had been silent the whole meeting so far, chose that moment to speak up. “Protobot must be taken offline at all costs. We must act before it has a chance to finish rebuilding itself. That time is now, agents.”

Jet sighed. “Right. If that’s the call, then I guess that’s what we’ll do.”

G took his Spy Phone. “I’ll send him a message. I can make the channel we all share safe against the Protobot for a moment.” he said while typing.

G:
'Alright Herbert. We decoded your message. What is your proposal for taking care of Protobot?'

The agents glanced nervously at each other.

“Sooo, how long until he replies?” Rookie asked.

“It shouldn’t take too long.” G said, although he didn’t sound completely sure. “Herbert sent the file just today, so he’ll probably be waiting for an answer.”

“It’s not like he doesn’t have enough time to sit in front of his computer all day.” Dot mumbled.

A few seconds later, G’s phone rang.

They all looked at each other again, and then he put his phone down on the table and answered the call. “Hello, Herbert. You’re on speaker phone.”

“It was about time you fools made a good decision!” Herbert’s voice came from the device. “I’ll send you Protobot’s location. You do remember how to use those fancy defense cannons, right?”

“You mean the physical ones or the ones I used to kick your butt at System Defender?” Blue couldn’t stop herself from taunting. “Because we can still use both just fine.”

“Obviously I mean the physical ones, you frozen-brained fowl. Laugh while you can, Agent B - my defeats at those times were merely tactical defeats. But I don’t expect you to understand the brilliance of my plans.”

“Yo, good to work with you again, Herbert.” Jet said. “I almost missed your unpleasant attitude, as well as having to struggle to save the island from your dumb ideas.”

“That sounded a little sarcastic.”

“That’s because it was, Rookie.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe next time you could think twice before building a huge robot of mass destruction, Herbert?” Dot asked, frowning at the phone.

A groan came from the phone. “Keep talking like this and I might think twice about this partnership, you icy idiots.”

“Enough talk.” G interrupted them all. “Herbert, Protobot’s location, please?”

“There’s a cave hidden in the woods north of your silly little Cove. I’ll send you the right coordinates.” Herbert said, though he clearly didn’t seem too pleased about cooperating.

“Thank you. Can you give us any information about the place’s defenses?”

“Unfortunately, I cannot - I haven’t been there in a while myself. As far as I can tell, those Test Bots could have renovated the whole place before you all shut them down.” Herbert sighed. “You’re on your own. But if I may suggest, get some water into those cannons of yours.”

“We’ll begin the preparations to raid Protobot’s hideout immediately.” the Director stated. “Herbert, you’ve provided us with vital information to our success - and for that, you have our thanks.”

“Not mine.” Jet immediately said. “With all due respect, Director.”

“Whatever. Don’t think this changes anything. I’ll still go on with my plans to warm up this miserable island and end your noisy parties.” Herbert promised. “This is a temporary alliance - so don’t get used to it.”

“The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?” Rookie grinned.

“We are not friends, my dear dumb green agent.”

“Alright, we’ve heard enough.” Blue shook her head. “There’s work to be done. Expect to hear about Protobot’s defeat soon, Herbert.”

“I can’t wait for it, Agent B.”

And with that, G took his phone again and ended the call.

“We have to prepare.” Jet said, standing up. “I’ll go get my team.”

“G, Director, requesting permission to go ahead and scout the area with my Stealth agents to gather intel.” Dot immediately asked.

“Permission granted. We’ll trace a plan of action.” the Director stated. “Get to work, everyone - this operation should be ready to be launched by tomorrow morning. We’ll deactivate the Ultimate Protobot - for good, this time.”

Everyone nodded, determined expressions on their faces.

It was time for this fight to finally end.

Early the next day, right before sunrise, dozens of Elite Penguin Force agents had assumed their positions around the island.

Dot and her Stealth agents had found Protobot’s hideout, right where Herbert told them it would be. They mapped the area and brought the intel back to the Command Room, so everyone else would know what to expect before the raid.

G had worked tirelessly over the previous day and well into the night, assisted by his Tech team, to adapt their defense cannons. They now had a much bigger range, enough to be able to hit Protobot’s lair, and could shoot water as well. It would be enough to fry any robot’s circuits.

They also made smaller, portable versions of said cannons for the team that would break into the hideout - which, despite the circumstances, amused Blue immensely.

“So, we’re gonna attack the Protobot with toys?” she joked, aiming the water pistol she received at a target nearby.

“That’s not a toy, Agent B. It’s important equipment for the mission.” Jet lightly scolded her, crossing his flippers. “And so are the water balloons.”

“Riiight. You can’t tell me that’s not a little funny, at the very least, Jet.”

Rookie and the Comms agents watched over the EPF frequencies until the time of the raid, monitoring Protobot’s activity and ensuring that their preparations wouldn’t be caught by it.

Jet Pack Guy and his Tactical team were the ones who would actually be on the field for this operation, and they got ready for the confrontation. They ended up splitting into three different teams - one that would actually raid the cave, led by Jet himself; one that would manage the defense (or, in this case, attack) cannons; and a third team that would wait on standby, just in case this was somehow an elaborate plan by Herbert and the Protobot to make them walk headfirst into a trap.

Blue thought that last one was a little unnecessary, but nobody managed to talk Jet out of it. Either way, as the agent with more experience when it came to dealing with Protobot, she would be joining the Tactical agents in the field, and using the Robotomy to deactivate the robot as soon as they managed to bring it down. She told them about all the Protobot’s weak points, so everyone knew how to proceed during the confrontation - and what to aim for.

The time for the operation was approaching - and every single EPF agent could feel the tension in the air.

The first rays of sunlight had just started shining among the trees while Dot guided Blue, Jet and his Tactical team through the most stealth route to Protobot’s lair.

“It’s right up ahead.” she muttered after a few minutes of silence, after they reached a small clearing. On the other side, they could spot the cave’s entrance. “You’ll have to go ahead by yourselves now.”

“Thanks, Dot.” Jet told her.

She nodded quickly in response. “Take care while you’re in there.”

“Remember, the Remote Robotomy will only work if the Protobot’s systems are vulnerable.” G reminded them through the earpiece. “Overloading his circuits with water should take care of that.”

“Good luck, agents.” the Director told them all. “It all rests on you, now.”

Moving silently, the group of agents moved towards Protobot’s cave. Blue took a deep, quiet breath.

“Nervous?” Jet muttered at her side, his voice as lighthearted as he would allow it to be in a situation like this - though he tried not to let his agents hear it.

Blue gave him a small smile in return. “Not even a little. Let’s show this bucket of bolts what we got.” she whispered back.

Letting Jet take the lead, the group of agents walked into the cave. It was dark inside; but they had been prepared for this, and turned on the night vision goggles they were all wearing. They looked around, though it appeared there wasn’t much to see - the cave wasn’t too big, and it was littered with tools, mechanical parts, computer hardware scattered around the ground…

… and right in the middle, the threatening figure of the Ultimate Protobot was standing, looming above the agents and staring right at them.

The scene brought Blue back to the first time she found herself face to face with the Protobot - though, this time, the robot seemed a little different than before. And there also wasn’t a desperate G trapped inside its head.

“Intruder alert. Proximity breach. Threat level… inconclusive.” its head turned, lifeless eyes taking a second to look at each agent. “Start defense protocol. Scanning enemies… identification, Elite Penguin Force. Objective-”

“Yeah, yeah.” Blue cut him off, taking a step in front of the others. “No surprise here, so you can cut the blabbering. You’re going down, Protobot!”

The other agents nodded, each of them getting ready for the fight ahead.

Protobot’s eyes stared at Blue for a long moment. “Identification, Agent B. Threat level: extreme. High priority enemy. Eliminate at all costs.”

She raised her brows, taken aback. “Uh, what?”

“Agent B, get back!” Jet shouted as the Protobot raised one of its mechanical arms.

Blue did so, jumping back and rolling out of the way, the other agents doing the same as Protobot punched the floor where she’d been standing. “Okay, it’s never done that before!” she shouted in alarm. “Is this thing trying to kill us now?!”

“I think it’s trying to kill you, specifically.” Jet muttered in concern, noticing how the robot never took its eyes off Blue. “I guess it got tired of losing to you. Alright, we’ll handle this - you step back and protect yourself until it’s time to use the Robotomy.”

“Jet, do you even know who you’re talking to?” she frowned. “That’s not how I work!”

“I don’t mean any disrespect, boss, but I don’t think now’s the time to argue!” an agent shouted, taking aim and shooting his water pistol at Protobot’s face.

Jet grunted. “Right. All agents - move in!” his loud voice echoed through the cave.

“Begin Operation: Total Doom.” the Protobot said, raising its arms to try and hit the penguins again.

The whole Tactical team was immediately on the move. They easily dodged Protobot’s waving arms, striking back with their pistols and water balloons whenever possible. Jet took flight, effortlessly maneuvering through the air around the cave despite the cramped space, dropping balloons on the Protobot’s head where the other agents’ attacks wouldn’t reach.

Suddenly, a powerful water jet, shot by one of their cannons outside through the cave’s entrance, hit the Protobot right in the face. It was pushed back a few meters by the pressure, but its balance didn’t waver.

“Internal system leak. Water excess damage: irrelevant. Resuming attack pattern.” it said, swinging its telescope-arm at one of the agents, who barely managed to dodge it.

Despite her wishes, Blue found herself actually standing back from the fray. “This thing really isn’t messing around this time.” she muttered, studying the Protobot’s movements and throwing a water balloon at it, managing to hit it in the shoulder. “It’s not even trying to be smart anymore - it just wants to crush us!”

“The cannons can work, but we’re gonna need to hit more than once to get any results.” Jet said through the earpiece, likely to all the agents. “Keep at it, agents!”

“Scanning enemy movement… Loading new attack pattern.” the Protobot said. Blue frowned - it’d said something similar back when she fought it in the System Defender. If it was adapting to their attacks now too, then that meant-

“Guys, watch out!” she yelled, but wasn’t quite fast enough. The robot’s next swing hit one of the Tactical agents straight on, sending her flying through the air.

Blue choked in a cry of alarm, already running to help - but the other agent expertly did a flip and landed on her feet, not looking any worse for wear beyond being a little out of breath.

“... wow. I guess that Tactical armor really is top notch.” Blue smiled, immensely relieved as she watched the agent immediately jump into the fight again.

Jet landed. “Agents - switch attack pattern!” he ordered his team. They seemed to comply immediately, changing the way they had been attacking the robot so far.

Two more water jets from outside hit the Protobot then, both striking it right in its chest plate. It staggered for a moment - by now, it was positively soaking in water.

“Internal systems waterlogged. Water excess damage: moderate. Activating spin dry.”

Knowing what that meant, all the agents swiftly retreated from the Protobot as it started spinning at high speed. The penguins took the opportunity to regroup at the cave’s entrance while the robot couldn’t attack them.

“This isn’t good. It’s gonna undo all the progress we’ve made with the cannons.” Blue muttered. “They’re powerful, but it’s still not enough to get it drenched.”

“I hate to say it, but the water pistols and the balloons haven’t been very effective, either.” Jet muttered. “And we’re almost running out of those, too.”

“So what’s the plan?” one of the Tactical agents asked. “Can we stop it from spinning, somehow?”

“I don’t think so. Not with what we have right now.” Blue frowned, trying to think of an alternative. “... if we can get all the cannons from outside to shoot and hit the Protobot all at once, that might weaken it enough to use the Robotomy.”

Jet nodded, raising his flipper to his ear. “You heard her.” then he turned to the other agents. “Get into your positions. We engage when it stops spinning - our goal is to stop it from moving and from escaping the cave.”

They all nodded.

Just in time, the Protobot’s voice filled the cave again. “Excess water removed. Resuming offensive.” as it started advancing towards the agents, the Tactical team immediately moved to stop it in its tracks.

Blue took one look at the Protobot, and her eyes widened. “The glass panel in its chest is damaged!” she pointed out to Jet. Indeed, while the glass wasn’t fully broken, one of the corners was covered in several cracks. “If we have access to the inside of its chest, then I can take the chance to try using the Robotomy.”

Jet frowned. “B, that’s still too dangerous. We need to make sure the Protobot is fully disabled before you approach it.”

“I don’t think you have that kind of time, Jet.” Blue argued, looking at the other agents with concerned eyes. They were still moving, but it was clear that the Protobot was adapting to their moves again, getting closer and closer to hitting them each time. “Your team can’t just change combat strategies forever. We have to give it a try.”

Jet stammered, trying to scramble for another argument to get her to stop and wait.

But she had already decided. With her expression changing into steely determination, Blue pulled her Spy Phone from her pocket and ran forward, dodging Jet when he tried to grab her flipper.

A groan came from behind her, followed by a shout. “Everyone, cover Agent B!”

The other agents immediately obeyed Jet’s orders, changing their positions to try and divert Protobot’s attention, using their water pistols to make it retreat. With a thankful smile, Blue charged ahead, rolling to dodge one of the robot’s arms and sliding on the rock floor to stay behind it.

“High priority enemy detected.” the Protobot stated once again, trying to turn around and swinging its arms at Blue - but with the help of the other agents, she managed to stay out of their reach.

“Come on, come on…” she whispered to herself, looking at her phone screen as she attempted to start the Robotomy gadget.

“Scanning enemy movement… Loading new attack pattern. Proceed with offensive.”

The Protobot swung its arm wildly, managing to hit most of the Tactical agents in a single movement, sending them all flying out of its way. Blue watched it happen with wide eyes, and then the Protobot was turning to fully face her, staring at her from above.

She felt a sting of panic for a moment, before quickly swallowing it - and before the Protobot could do anything else, she covered her eyes and pressed the button on her Spy Phone’s screen.

A bright light flashed. A shrill echoed through the cave.

… and nothing else happened.

“Attempted firewall breach detected.” the Protobot emotionlessly stated. “Systems unaffected. Resuming offensive.”

“Oh shoot.” Blue whispered, the panic coming back full force as she gripped her phone tightly in her flippers.

“Agent B - get out of there!” Jet’s voice came from somewhere in the cave.

She tried to do so - as the Protobot raised its arm, Blue staggered back, unable to take her wide eyes off the robot. Her heel caught on something and she fell back with a cry, her shoulders and head hitting the cave wall behind her just as the Protobot’s hand came crashing down over her.

A loud, metallic clang echoed through the cave on impact, accompanied by the sound of rocks shattering.

“Blue!” Jet shouted.

“Agents, report!” G’s distressed voice came through their earpieces. “What’s going on in there?!”

For a long, long moment, all agents were frozen, staring at the scene with wide eyes.

Blue let out the shaky breath she’d been holding, her wide eyes staring up at where Protobot’s metal claw had smashed against the wall, barely an inch above her head. Her hat had been knocked off by the hit - but better it than her skull, she supposed.

Lowering her eyes to see what was in front of her, she looked past Protobot’s robot face to where its chest was sitting unprotected.

She huffed, her face turning serious. “Right. Let’s try this again.”

Likely moving faster than the Protobot anticipated, Blue lunged at the thing that had made her trip earlier - a perfectly nice rock - and, as she fell to the floor, threw it with as much strength as she could towards the robot’s chest plate.

The glass shattered on impact, and it made Protobot recoil, standing upright again. “Chest chamber compromised. Structure at 20%.”

Taking the moment of distraction, Blue stood and ran past the Protobot, catching her hat on the way and shoving it on her head as she moved towards the cave’s entrance and the other agents.

As soon as he could reach her, Jet grabbed her flipper and pulled her behind himself, not letting go as his other flipper went for his ear. “NOW!”

A powerful water jet entered the cave then - it looked to be at least four or five times larger than the ones they’d seen before. The Protobot, having turned to follow Blue as she dashed past it, was hit by the full-power water blast straight in its open chest, and its force made the robot fall down with a thunderous noise that shook the whole cave.

Jet turned to Blue, his alarmed eyes wide behind his sunglasses. “Holy- Agent B, are you okay?!”

She nodded reassuringly. “I didn’t get hit. It’s fine.”

“It’s not fine! That was way too close, are you insane?!”

Blue huffed. “We can argue later, just let me go now so I can use the Robotomy before Protobot does something to get away!”

“Uh, I don’t think that robot is going anywhere anytime soon.” one of the agents pointed out.

Blue and Jet turned to look. Indeed, the Protobot was still just… laying there. It was moving its arms without much coordination, but that was all.

“Internal system leak. Water excess damage: critical. Error. Unable to initialize spin dry. Traction system unresponsive. Ground Mode status disabled. Aerial mode status missing.”

“... can it not get up if it falls on its back?” Blue mused in confusion.

“It would be… an interesting weakness.” Jet said.

“Well, whatever.” Blue shook her head, raising the phone she was still holding - and which was thankfully undamaged as well. “Time to deactivate this pile of scraps.”

She ran forward, jumping up until she was standing on what still remained of Protobot’s chest plate.

“High priority enemy detected. Threat level: error. Integer overflow.”

Despite everything, Blue chuckled. “Sweet dreams, Protobot." she grinned, pressing down the button to execute the Robotomy.

A bright light flashed. A shrill echoed through the cave.

And the Protobot was defeated.

“Bzzzzzzzzzzzzk - error. Severe water damage detected. Firewall breach detected. Internal circuits compromised. Systems shutting down. Must… escape- bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzk.”

The cave was submerged into a profound silence. For the next few moments, nothing else happened.

Blue was the one to break it. “So… that was it?”

The loud sound of rocks shifting was the only response. Raising her eyes, Blue noticed that, from where Protobot had punched the wall trying to get to her earlier, a large crack was spreading to the cave ceiling - and small rocks and dust were already falling over the agents.

“This place is gonna collapse!” Jet shouted. “All agents - fall back! Now!”

The agents near the entrance obeyed immediately. Blue barely had time to jump down from the Protobot before Jet took flight and grabbed her, flying out of the cave as fast as he could. They’d just reached the outside before the ceiling fully caved in, large rocks falling down and burying everything that had remained inside the cave, possibly forever.

All agents collectively let out a sigh of relief.

Jet spoke into his earpiece once more. “Jet Pack Guy here. Ultimate Protobot successfully neutralized. There was a cave-in, so we won’t be able to recover its parts.” a small pause. “Yes, we’re all safe. There were some minor injuries, and I think Agent B hit her head.”

“Wh- I’m fine!”

“I’ll believe it after you let one of our medics take a look at it.” Jet glared at her. “And G is asking us to return to the Command Room to give a mission report. I look forward to you telling him about the stunt you pulled there.”

Blue groaned, letting herself fall back until she was laying on the soft, fluffy snow.

It didn’t matter what they thought - what mattered is that they had managed to defeat the Protobot. Now, Club Penguin would finally be safe once again.

-

Okay, maybe what her friends thought mattered a little bit.

“What were you thinking, doing something like that?” G crossed his flippers, frowning at her. “The whole point of the cannons and sending a team with you was to guarantee the Protobot would be vulnerable before using the Robotomy - why would you charge ahead like that?”

“You should know better, Ace.” Dot scolded. “You’ve dealt with those robots more than anyone, why would you think that rushing things was a good idea? Especially against the Protobot?!”

Blue had the decency to lower her eyes, at least. “Listen- I freaked out a little! The Protobot was being more violent than usual and our water tools weren’t working. Someone was going to get hurt if we took too long - I thought of something that could have worked and I gave it a try!”

“Dude.” Rookie shook his head, sounding exaggeratedly disappointed. “Do you know how scary it was when we received the signal of the failed Robotomy, and then everyone just went quiet? We were worried sick!”

“Next time, please listen to me when I tell you to stand back.” Jet grumbled, sounding angry.

They all did, really - though Blue could see the concern behind their words. “Guys, it’s fine. I’m fine! See? It worked in the end, and the Protobot is gone, so you don’t have to worry. Really.”

“Blue, this is serious.” Jet hissed in frustration. “You could have gotten seriously hurt!”

Before she could reply, their phones all pinged with a new notification.

G sighed, before turning a stern look at Blue. “We’re not done with this conversation.” he told, as all of them took out their Spy Phones to look at the new message in their private channel.

The moment Blue saw the name of the sender, her stomach dropped and her eyes widened. “That’s impossible.”

Protobot:
'Bzzzk. Calculations complete. The only way the EPF could have known my location was if the polar bear told them. Correct?'

“Impossible.” Blue repeated, stunned. The other agents seemed equally staggered. “It was shut down. I used the Robotomy, it was drenched in water, a whole cave fell on top of it, how can it still be-?” she interrupted herself, turning to typing instead.

B:
'HOW are you still here'

Protobot:
'Emergency system mode. Scanning for repairs.'

At that moment, another message arrived in response to Protobot’s previous one.

Herbert:
'That’s right, you mechanical menace! I should never have rebuilt you! I want to DEFEAT the Elite Penguin Fools, not destroy them!'

B:
'Wait, say that again?'

Rookie:
'Whoa. That’s… surprisingly nice, coming from you, Herbert.'

Herbert:
'Don’t get used to it.'

Protobot:
'Reclassifying - polar bear is now our enemy. System damage unrepairable. Retreating until new engineer can be located. Bzzzk.'

Blue turned to stare at the others. “So… that’s it, right?”

G nodded. “It’s very unlikely that it will ever find anyone else to rebuild it, and its intelligence module will forever be buried under that cave.”

“I’ll go fly over the area as soon as I can, just to make sure.” Jet mumbled.

Their phones pinged again.

Herbert:
'Mwa ha ha! All too easy! Now that Proto-bumbler is out of the way, I can begin my NEW plan! Prepare ‘ye fools’ for I ‘cometh’ soon.'

Dot:
'That’s not how you say those words.'

Jet Pack Guy:
'Yo, I KNEW we couldn’t trust you, Herbert! I dare you to show your face at the Medieval Party - we’re ready for you anytime, anyplace!'

Herbert:
'Temper temper, Jet Pack George.'

“I’m cutting the line.” G stated, quickly pressing some buttons on his phone.

Blue sighed. “I guess it’s not quite over yet. Then again, when is it ever?”

“Stupid polar bear. I can’t wait for the day we finally catch him once and for all. I’d give anything for that.” Jet grumbled.

“I mean, that’s what they say, right? An agent’s work is never done.” Dot smiled, trying to console the others.

“Indeed. Which is why, from now on, we’ll focus everything we have on trying to figure out Herbert’s plans.”

“I’m ready to start the investigation, G.” Blue offered.

“Of course, Agent B. Here are your orders: go home and rest. I don’t want to see you back here until tomorrow.”

“Oh, come on!”

Chapter Text

For the following days, the EPF remained on high alert.

Jet Pack Guy and the other Tactical agents flew over the area where the Protobot was deactivated several times. They found no signs of movement, but reported that they were unable to enter the cave to verify if the robot’s remains were still there.

In other words, it was impossible to tell if the Ultimate Protobot was truly gone for good this time. But whether that was the case or not, he was not a real threat at the moment, so the EPF closed that file and focused on the more pressing issue.

That issue being Herbert P. Bear.

After analyzing his latest messages, G was convinced Herbert would try something during the Medieval Party. The celebration had just started, and every agent was under orders to do full security sweeps around the island and watch out for suspicious activities.

Some agents had found a tracker hidden in the decoration, with a message from Herbert attached to it - but it gave the EPF no real leads to follow. Without any clues of Herbert’s plan, and with the bear suspiciously silent after his first threat, all they could do was keep every secret agent ready for the eventuality of a polar bear attack.

“G, this isn’t fair!”

Except one.

Not that she was very happy with that situation, either.

“Why am I grounded?” Blue complained, sitting backwards on one of the Gadget Room’s office chairs - leaning with her head resting on her flippers over the chair’s back. “Herbert could attack at any moment now, and yet you and the Director are keeping me here in the Command Room instead of letting me help out there with the Field-Ops!”

“You know why, Agent B.” G replied from the other side of the room, and even though he kept his back to her, Blue could still hear the smile in his voice. “The medics haven’t cleared you to do strenuous fieldwork until next week. You’re lucky you’re even being allowed to keep up with the investigation - under normal circumstances, you’d be on full medical leave.”

She groaned. “This is so unnecessary. It was a small bump on the head! I wasn’t even concussed this time!”

“We’d rather not take any chances with your health.” G said, still fully focused on the invention he was currently working on. “We need you fully back on your feet when Herbert attacks. If it means grounding you for a few days until you recover, so be it.”

“Boring.”

“Nothing personal. It’s the protocol.”

“Oh really?” Blue raised a brow that went unseen. “Because I distinctly remember someone going back to work the very next day, with a concussion, after getting a bump on the head from a minecart-related accident.”

“... the protocol was created afterwards”

She scoffed. “Yeah, sure. You’re just being cruel.”

“If you’re that bored, you can always go take a walk.” G suggested. “Nobody’s keeping you locked in here, Agent B. We just ask you try to avoid doing any secret agent activities out there.”

“And that includes…?”

“Patrolling the island, going on Field-Ops, searching for clues, or trying to find Herbert by yourself.”

“You say that as if I could just ‘turn off’ my secret agent brain.” Blue grumbled.

“Just take it easy, will you?” he requested. “We don’t want you to end up delaying your recovery because of- oh dear. This isn’t good.”

Immediately recognizing that tone of voice, Blue kicked her chair further away from G, ducking behind it just as a loud boom shook the entire room.

Once it was quiet again, she peeked over the chair’s back. “G? You good there?”

He let out a mix of a sigh and a cough, waving a cloud of smoke away from his face. “All is well. This Cauldron 2000 prototype is just giving me some trouble. I’ve been working on some EPF gadgets based on my inventions for the Knight’s Quest this year… but it seems they still need some work.”

“Yeah, it sure looks like it.” Blue winced at the mess the explosion had caused. “You want some help? Synthetic lava is a pain to clean.”

G shook his head. “I’ll be fine - though perhaps it would be for the best if you left to go on that walk now. If you’ll excuse me, Agent B…”

“Alright, then. See you later, G - and good luck with that.” With a short nod to him, Blue left the Gadget Room, the door immediately locking itself behind her.

She considered her options for a moment. G’s idea wasn’t all that bad, honestly - taking a walk would likely quiet her restlessness a little bit. And it would also allow her to see for herself how things were around the island. The difference between walking and patrolling was basically semantics, anyway.

Making up her mind, Blue swung by her igloo to take Nebby along - the poor little thing had been antsy to go on a proper walk for quite a while, now - and set to enjoy the sights of this year’s Medieval Party.

-

She had to admit: she should have done this a lot sooner.

The party committee had certainly gone above and beyond with the decorations this year. Everywhere she went, Blue spotted knights, princesses, wizards and jesters running around, playing and enjoying themselves. Even with the occasional play fights, the island’s atmosphere was peaceful - certainly no signs of Herbert’s possible attack coming from anywhere.

Leaving the Coffee Shop with a warm cup of hot cocoa in her flippers (somehow, the Barista had heard that she got injured on a mission, and insisted on giving her free hot chocolate everyday, despite Blue’s assurance that she was fine), she walked by a large group of penguins, who were all talking excitedly about their victories at the Knight’s Quest and the battle against the Hydras.

She couldn’t help but slow down a little, hiding a smile behind her drink. G had done an excellent job building the robots to be a fun challenge for the penguins at the party. It was even more impressive that he’d managed to do that while the EPF was also dealing with all the incidents from the last few months. He really was a genius.

Man, she really wanted to go fight the Hydra too. Based on the other penguins’ comments, though, the whole Knight’s Quest could take hours, and she didn’t want to be unavailable for that long in case the EPF needed her help.

Not even mentioning that, if any of her friends saw her going to the caves, they’d probably break in and drag her out before she even managed to get through the first room. She did not need to take it easy, thank you very much!

Blue was distracted from her thoughts by Nebby tugging her forward, apparently tired of waiting for his penguin to stop getting distracted. She chuckled. “Alright, alright, we’re going!”

As they walked around the island, Blue found herself relaxing a little - it was hard not to, seeing everyone else having fun without any worries. It certainly seemed like everything was fine. When was even the last time she got to enjoy a party without having to worry about the island or the EPF being attacked?

From the Ski Village, Nebby took the lead and dragged Blue towards the Lodge - which had been transformed into a very pretty castle. Inside, a group of princes and princesses were having a tea party together, playing Find Four and complimenting each other’s dresses. Blue smiled at them, but walked right past - she was not dressed for the occasion.

Instead, she went to the Attic, which was always one of the prettiest rooms during Medieval Parties, in her opinion. The large fountain in the center was beautiful as always, and the whole place was empty, save for a solitary princess sitting on its edge, her eyes fixed on looking out through the window.

Slowing down slightly, Blue frowned, squinting at the princess. She was… very familiar.

Apparently recognizing her as well, Nebby let out a quiet chirp of happiness and bounced ahead towards her. Blue followed, watching with a grin as her puffle jumped into the princess’ flippers, startling her enough that she almost fell back into the water.

“Nice dress, Dot.” Blue said quietly, sitting down next to her. “I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Well, you were the first.” Dot chuckled, already recovered from the startle and mindlessly petting the puffle in her lap. “Though I have to admit, I much prefer my usual EPF uniform than this gown.”

“It is a little weird.” Blue agreed. “But I think you look pretty like this. Red is a good color on you.”

Dot smiled. “Thanks, Ace. I like your hat, too.”

Blue instinctively raised her flipper to her head, where now a blue wizard hat was sitting. “Heh, I don’t have that many costumes, but still gotta look the part for a Medieval Party, right?” she said. “Anyway… what are you doing here?”

“Hmmm… I’m not sure I should tell you.” Dot teased. “You’re not cleared for the investigation yet.”

“Oh, so you are here on EPF business.” Blue raised a brow. “Let me guess, then. You’re in a stakeout for polar bear sightings.”

Dot rolled her eyes. “Alright, I suppose that wasn’t too hard to guess.”

“Nope!” Blue grinned. “Nobody would look twice at a princess during the Medieval Party, right?”

That got a quiet laugh out of Dot. “Nobody except you, it seems. But yeah - I’ve been staking out places all over the island. No signs of Herbert so far. G is starting to get nervous.”

“Don’t I know it. His inventions are already paying the price.”

“Which one blew up this time?”

“The Cauldron 2000.”

“Oh dear. Synthetic lava is a pain to clean.”

“Yep.”

For a few moments, the two agents stood seated by the fountain, looking out through the windows, the only sounds being the water running behind them and Nebby’s contented sighs.

“So, are you feeling any better?” Dot finally asked.

Blue held back a groan. “It was a small bump on the head. I’ve been fine since day one - the only thing that’s been bothering me is everyone stopping me from doing my job!”

“Maybe, but we know you, and we know you’d be saying the same thing even if you were actually hurt.” Dot argued. “So you taking a few days off is better for everyone’s peace of mind.”

“Except mine, apparently.” Blue huffed, crossing her flippers.

“Can’t blame us for being a little overprotective after what happened.” Dot shook her head. “Anyway, Ace, you know I love talking to you, but I’m technically on the job right now, so can we pick this up again some other time?”

“Oh- of course! Sorry to bother you, Dot.” Blue stood up, picking up her nearly-asleep puffle from the other’s flippers. “See you around.”

“Take care, now.” Dot smiled warmly at her as Blue walked away.

“You know, you guys don’t really have to follow me around everywhere.” Blue frowned at the two penguins walking next to her.

Rookie grinned unconcernedly. “We like your company, though!”

“Sure, let’s just pretend that’s the reason.” she sighed, turning to Jet. “I thought we reached the point where it was ‘all flippers on deck’ now. Don’t you guys have your own things to do instead of watching over me?”

The Medieval Party was set to end in two days - and the EPF still did not have the slightest idea of what Herbert was planning. All agents were under orders to search the island one last time, looking for anything suspicious that might give them a clue.

But the searches continued to wield no results; even their surveillance system showed nothing unusual. G was in a state of constant stress, unable to understand how they had managed to find nothing so far.

So Blue had stopped waiting for his permission and decided to go out on her own - though Rookie and Jet seemed to have caught onto her faster than she anticipated.

“Our job is to search the island. That’s what we’re doing.” Jet shrugged. “Honestly, knowing you and your luck, I wouldn’t be surprised if you managed to stumble onto some new clue magically. So I’d rather be around if that happens.”

“You know what, I’m gonna do my best to never get hurt in the line of duty again - just so I don’t have to keep dealing with all this babysitting.” she sighed.

“Whatever keeps you from getting hurt.” Jet said. “And it’s not babysitting. We really do like your company.”

“Fine, fine.” she said, unable to hide a smile any longer. “So, I know everyone is busy, but you guys managed to enjoy the party at all?”

“Not particularly.” Jet grumbled. “I’ve been focusing a lot on the searches.”

“So have I - but I did take the time to check the party decorations while I was patrolling!” Rookie said excitedly. “It’s all super cool! Have you guys checked the puffle pens? They’re a bit smelly. Not, like, suspicious smelly. Just regular smelly.”

“What about the Knight’s Quest?”

Rookie winced. “I tried, last time I got a few minutes for myself. I didn’t even get past the first room!”

“I find it hard to believe any agent had the time to try battling the Hydra.” Jet said. “And that’s a shame. It could be a good training exercise. Maybe I should talk to G about it, do a rerun after the party is over…”

“Man, I miss being able to enjoy the parties without having to worry about Herbert.” Rookie complained. “After we defeat him, I was even thinking about trying to help out at the party committee for future events!”

Blue raised a brow. “You know what, Rookie? I think you’d be great at that.”

The other penguin beamed at her words.

“What about you, Blue?” Jet turned to her. “I’ll be honest, I was a bit surprised you never went to the Knight’s Quest. I kept expecting I’d hear about you sneaking into the caves or something.”

“Bold of you to assume you’d catch me if I really wanted to sneak in.” Blue turned to him with a challenging look.

Before Jet could rise to the bait, they were interrupted by a beeping sound coming from Blue’s phone.

The three of them immediately stopped. Jet and Rookie turned to Blue as she took her Spy Phone out of her pocket with a frown. They looked at her screen, where the words ‘signal detected’ periodically blinked.

“... that’s weird.” she mumbled, feeling a little like she was stating the obvious.

“Huh. My phone isn’t catching anything.” Rookie said, looking at his own, blank screen.

“Neither is mine.” Jet stated. “Agent B, would you mind…?”

With a short nod, Blue ran the code breaker gadget on the signal.

And the message that was decoded wasn’t what any of them was expecting.

‘Hello, Agent B. Surprised to hear from me? It's been a while since we've spoken face to face. Wondering what I'm up to? I'm sure you are. But you'll just have to wait a little longer.’

“Huh. This feels a little targeted.” Before any of them could say anything else, her phone started ringing. Wincing as she saw who it was, she tapped the screen to answer it. “Uh, hey, G-”

“Agent B, mind telling me why your Spy Phone just ran a Code Break when I explicitly told you to stay away from agent work?” G asked, the disapproval evident in his voice.

“Oh, come on- it wasn’t my fault! I guess Herbert decided to send me a private message or something?” she tried to explain. “I was just walking around and my phone beeped. I swear!”

“Can confirm, G. We were even keeping an eye on her and everything.” Jet said.

“Oh, so that is what you were doing!” Blue cried out in mock betrayal.

G sighed. “I swear… all of you, please come to the Command Room. You too, Agent B.”

“Nice!”

-

“This does not give us a lot to work with.” G finally admitted in a defeated voice, after spending several minutes analyzing the message. “The signal’s structure does not allow us to track its origin. Though it is curious that Herbert directed it to your phone alone, Agent B.”

“I guess he still considers me his ‘arch-nemesis’ or something like that?” Blue said, making air quotes with her flippers. “Based on what he said, I’d guess that whatever he’s planning involves another confrontation with me.”

“I mean… have we considered that maybe Herbert decided not to do anything bad?” Rookie hesitantly asked from the other side of the meeting table. “The party ends the day after tomorrow, and still no sign of him. Maybe he’s a good guy now!”

“Rookie, did you miss the part where he literally just sent a message threatening Agent B?” Jet deadpanned. “He’s not a ‘good guy’. He’s planning an attack on us right now!”

“Maybe his plan is just to do nothing.” Dot ventured a guess. “He might just be enjoying himself, watching us run around for no reason.”

“Nah, that’s not his style.” Blue said. “He always has a convoluted ‘genius plan’ behind everything.”

G sighed. “So we’re still at square one. We’ll keep on high alert until the Medieval Party ends… and for the following days, just to be sure.” he stated. “And you, Agent B-”

Blue held back a sigh. “What? Gonna send me away again?”

“Not quite.” G shook his head. “I’m clearing you for duty. It’s pointless trying to get you to take it easy if you’re just gonna patrol the island behind my back anyway. This way, at least, there’s a chance you’ll work with the team instead of trying to do everything by yourself.” he said with a small, fond smile.

Blue’s eyes widened, followed by a huge grin. “Finally! I was about to go insane - thank you, G!”

“Now, back to work, everyone. We’ve still got an island to protect.”

The days passed, and the Medieval Party ended.

Herbert did not show up.

The EPF remained alert - G ordered all agents to keep patrolling the island, to make sure everything really was fine and that nothing suspicious was going on without their knowledge. Blue helped, waddling around the rooms, watching the construction crew take down the party decorations and discreetly listening into others’ conversations as she went by.

“... and I’m gonna miss being able to wear that dress.

“I mean, you can still do it, nobody’s stopping you…”

“... and I put the shield as decoration in my igloo! It looks really nice…”

“Hey, man, what happened to those robot Hydras?”

“Oh, Gary picked them up yesterday. Probably took them back to his lab or something.”

Blue slowed down, turning to look at the two construction penguins who were chatting as they worked.

“Really? I didn’t see him stopping by. Normally he lets us know when he picks up those crazy party inventions of his.” the first penguin said.

The other one shrugged. “Maybe he was in a hurry. But I checked earlier and the Hydras weren’t there, so he must have picked them up, right?”

“Um, excuse me.” Blue said, approaching them. “Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing you - when did the Hydras go missing, exactly?”

“Uh, last night, maybe?” one of them said, not sounding too worried. “We left them where they were after the party was over, and they were gone early this morning. Gary told us he’d get them right after we closed the Knight’s Quest, so it’s not a surprise, really.”

“I see…” Blue muttered with a frown. Something wasn’t right, though - G had told her the previous day that he would be unable to pick them up on schedule, since he was busy with EPF work. “Did you notice anything strange happening recently, by any chance?”

One of the penguins frowned, giving her a suspicious look. “No, not really. Why do you ask?”

“Listen, lass, we still have some work to do here, if you don’t mind…?” the other one said, clearly dismissing her.

Blue held back a sigh. Shame she couldn’t be wearing her uniform right now - penguins were a lot more cooperating when they knew they were speaking to a secret agent. “Right, of course. Sorry for bothering you.” she said, walking away.

As soon as she was out of earshot, Blue took her phone from her pocket, intending to call G to ask about the Hydras - but she was interrupted by the sound of a loud explosion echoing through the air. She instinctively ducked, and many of the penguins nearby let out startled shouts.

Raising her head, Blue looked around quickly, trying to understand what had just happened - and her eyes widened as she saw the huge smoke column rising from the Ski Village. She had already changed into her uniform and teleported over there before G’s message even appeared on her phone.

'RED ALERT! All agents report to the Everyday Phoning Facility immediately! We are under attack! This is not a drill!'

-

The scene she found there was worrying.

Dozens of agents were standing outside, their eyes wide, talking to each other in hushed whispers. The Everyday Phoning Facility was not in good shape - broken windows, cracked walls, and the rooftop covered by a large, dense cloud of dark smoke.

With a worried frown, Blue looked around until she spotted the penguin she was looking for. “G!” she called out, running to him.

G turned around, relief appearing on his face as he noticed her. “Agent B. I’m glad you arrived so quickly.”

“What happened?!”

“An explosion on the rooftop. We detected a hostile signal nearby mere seconds before the attack.” he quietly explained. “The Command Room wasn’t too badly damaged, but we decided to evacuate everyone, just as a precaution.”

“Bad news, G.” Jet landed next to them. “I tried flying over the area - there’s too much smoke for me to see anything. No idea what he’s doing up on that rooftop.”

“He?” Blue repeated with a frown. “Herbert?”

“Indeed.” G sighed. “He finally decided to show up. And…”

“... and?”

“He made it clear that he wants to see you, B.” Jet said.

Blue turned to look up at the rooftop. “Well, let’s give him what he wants, then.”

“I don’t think it’s wise to send you up there alone.” G argued.

She shook her head. “Come on, I’ve done this before how many times now? I’ll be fine, G.”

“Are you sure?” Jet asked, not sounding too happy with her plan either. “I could get my Tactical team ready to back you up, but it would take a few minutes to get everyone into position.”

“I’m sure. I got this.” Blue insisted. “Can you teleport me up there, G?”

G seemed to struggle to come up with a response for a moment, before giving up with a long sigh. “Be careful up there.” he asked, tapping at his phone’s screen.

“I will.” she promised, fixing her hat on her head.

And in a flash of light, Blue found herself standing on the rooftop.

Beyond the huge smokescreen covering the area, the first thing she noticed was the large hole in front of her. She could see the inside of the Everyday Phoning Facility down there - with half of the ceiling now covering the floor.

The second thing she noticed was Herbert.

The polar bear was standing on the rooftop’s edge, his back turned. When he noticed Blue’s presence, he looked over his shoulder before turning, a smirk on his face. “Ahh! Look who decided to show up.”

“Herbert.” she greeted him, raising a brow at his theatrics. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Are you impressed by what I’ve done to your Entirely Phony Facility?” he asked, spreading his arms. “This is what happens when you leave dangerous equipment lying around after a certain pesky Medieval Party!”

“What are you talking about?” Blue asked - and the realization fully hit her a second later.

“Just a certain monstrous Hydra machine you penguins built for your ridiculous celebration.” he chuckled. “I have, of course, made a few upgrades to it. Now it’s a perfect machine for destruction! And after I’m finished with you and your precious headquarters, I’ll be moving on to the rest of Club Penguin!”

“Oh, no you won’t!” Blue raised her voice, stepping forward. “Give yourself up now, Herbert!”

“Tell that to my brilliant new invention!” Herbert laughed. “Klutzy! Bring down the Hydra Bot!”

A large shadow suddenly covered them both; Blue watched, eyes wide, as the giant Hydra Bot came down from above, landing right behind the Everyday Phoning Facility. Herbert jumped down on top of it - and seconds later, Blue found herself facing the three Hydra heads, with Hebert and Klutzy inside two of them.

“... oh, shoot.”

“Agent B!” G’s panicked voice came from her earpiece. “We just saw the Hydra coming down - is that what Herbert is using to attack us?”

She raised her flipper to respond. “Yep. And apparently he made some improvements to it.” she said quietly. “It looks like I’ll get my Hydra battle, after all.”

“We can get the backup team up there with you shortly, they will be able to-”

“No, I got this.” Blue interrupted him. “There’s really not enough space on this rooftop for a whole team of agents to fight, it’s too unstable. I can handle the situation, G.”

“... I have some things in the Gadget Room that will be useful to you. I’ll be heading there right now.” G said, though the worry didn’t leave his voice. “They still need some minor adjustments, so try to hang in there for a few minutes.”

“Don’t worry.” she tried to reassure him. “You know I’m not letting Herbert win.”

“Are you done chit chatting with your buddies already, Agent B?!” Herbert’s loud voice came through a speaker on the Red Hydra. “It’s time for you to feel the power of DOOM!”

The Hydra Bot immediately spat two fireballs at the rooftop - they hit the building, one at Blue’s left and the other at her right. She raised a flipper to protect her eyes from the light, before ducking and grabbing a fistful of snow.

“Try aiming better next time!” she yelled, flinging the snowball at the Red Hydra.

It was surprisingly effective. The robot flinched from the hit, making Herbert’s grin fall slightly. “Hey! Watch where you throw those things, it took me the whole night to build this robot!”

“May I suggest trying to make them snow-proof next time?” Blue grinned, slinging two more snowballs in quick succession.

Herbert’s response was shooting two more fireballs at her, this time forcing Blue to dive roll out of the way of the blast.

For the next few minutes, the two of them kept going through those same steps - Blue tried her best to stay close to the rooftop’s center, in order to avoid getting cornered, and threw snowballs at the Hydra Bot at every opportunity. Herbert kept getting more and more frustrated as she dodged his attacks, until she noticed the robot wasn’t responding to his controls anymore.

Herbert growled. “Klutzy, to the next robots!” he yelled.

The two of them ducked inside the Hydra, and the heads moved around, changing positions until Blue found herself facing the blue head, with Herbert now sitting inside. She noticed Klutzy had appeared inside the Red Hydra too, and was hitting the control panel with a wrench - probably trying to fix it, or something?

Eiher way, she’d rather not give them the opportunity to repair anything. “Alright, so, what does this one do?”

Instead of saying anything, Herbert simply made the Hydra spit a large ice ball at her. It missed Blue by mere inches, and froze the area she was standing next to.

She took a quick step away from the ice. “Okay, got it.”

“Try using your puny snowballs on THIS one!” Herbert laughed, keeping up his attacks.

She was quick to find out that he was right. She tried taking a couple of shots, but none of them had any effect - apparently, the Blue Hydra was immune to snowballs. Soon enough, Blue saw herself forced to simply dodge Herbert’s attacks, as she tried to figure out a way to bring this head down as well.

“G.” she whispered into her earpiece, jumping away from an ice ball that hit the roof way too close for comfort. “You built these things - how do I beat the Blue Hydra?”

“I’m teleporting something to you right now, Agent B. Look up - and don’t let Herbert notice.”

“Huh?” A small flash of blue light above the Hydra made her raise her eyes - and she saw a big cauldron of synthetic lava, attached to two jetpacks, floating above the robot. She bit back a grin. “This one isn’t gonna explode, is it?”

“Even if it does, it will hit the Hydra anyway. Make sure to hit the target at the right time.”

“Got it.” she said, diving out of the way of another attack.

Finding the right opportunity took longer than she expected - still, after dodging between two of Herbert’s ice balls, she managed to stand up and throw a snowball at the cauldron. It hit the target, and soon the Blue Hydra was being doused in scalding, hot-sauce-based synthetic lava.

The robot ceased to move immediately, letting out a rain of sparks and clouds of smoke. When they cleared, Blue couldn’t hold back a laugh as she saw Herbert inside, his fur bristled and covered in soot.

He growled, shaking his head to get rid of it. “What even was that?!”

“What? I thought you’d appreciate the warmth, Herbert.” she chuckled. “Too hot for you?”

“Grr… Klutzy! Next robot!” he yelled, punching the Hydra’s panel.

As they switched, Blue raised her flipper to the earpiece once more. “G, Yellow Hydra next - what do I do?”

“Use the new app I just sent to your Spy Phone. Activate it, hold your phone tightly - and do NOT dodge away from the Hydra’s attacks.”

“Wait, say that last part again?”

“Trust me, Agent B!”

“Time for the Electric Beam of Doom!” Herbert yelled.

“Do you have to put ‘of doom’ after everything you say?” Blue asked - a small part of her genuinely curious.

He rolled his eyes. “It’s an inside joke, you wouldn’t get it!”

And the Hydra opened its mouth, preparing to attack.

Blue got her Spy Phone from her pocket and opened the new app that showed up - the Laser Shield 3000. As soon as she activated it, small green holographic particles started floating around her - but nothing happened beyond that.

“... I hope this is one of G’s inventions that actually works.” she muttered to herself, watching as the Hydra shot an electric attack at her.

Despite her brain screaming at her to get out of the way, Blue stood still and didn’t move an inch. As the attack was just about to hit, a green shield formed in front of her, reflecting the attack back at the Hydra. The robot flinched back violently, and Herbert’s eyes widened in surprise.

“How did you do that?!” he furiously shouted.

Blue let out a relieved chuckle. “You made a small miscalculation, Herbert.” she told him. “We are the ones who built that Hydra - we know its weak points, and how to bring it down!”

“Did you like my new invention?” G said, an audible grin in his voice. “I took the technology used on the Gold Staff and Shield used on the Knight’s Quest, and transformed it into magnetic microparticles that can be activated by-”

“G, you know I’d love to hear you talk about the science stuff, but can it wait until later?”

“Oh, yes, of course. My apologies.”

“That makes NO sense!” Herbert yelled, frustrated. “Why would you build something with weak points on purpose?!”

Blue rolled her eyes. “When you figure out the concept of ‘fun’, maybe I’ll waste my time trying to explain it to you!”

With an angry roar, Herbert resumed his attacks. This time, instead of dodging, Blue tried her best to throw herself in the beams’ way - reflecting all of them back to the robot. Luckily enough, she managed to put the Yellow Hydra out of commission before it brought down the whole building under her.

Herbert brought both fists down on the control panel, growling. “No! You’re not stopping me this time, Agent B!” he shouted.

“Should have thought about that before asking for me to come fight you, Herbert!” she crossed her flippers, trying to hide the way she was starting to get out of breath.

“KLUTZY! Next robot!” he shouted, sounding angrier than ever.

“Click click click!”

“Klutzy, I don’t care that the Red Hydra isn’t 100% repaired - I just need to hit Agent B once, and then we’ll have won!”

Blue watched as they switched Hydras once again. “Back to square one then, huh?” she chuckled.

“Laugh all you want, Agent B.” Herbert taunted. “You can’t dodge forever!”

“I don’t have to.” she said, picking up another snowball. “I just have to aim better this time.”

And Herbert shot another fireball at her as she threw it.

The robot wasn’t quite as efficient as it had been in the first round, now slowed down by the damage it took, as well as Klutzy’s seemingly not that efficient repairs. Still, the way the fight was dragging on was starting to have its effects on Blue as well.

“Agent B?” G asked in a worried voice. “How’s the situation? Everything okay up there?”

She dived out of the way of another fireball, hurrying to throw a snowball that missed the Hydra’s head by inches before jumping away again. There was no time for her to focus on responding to G. She picked up another snowball, standing up in the middle of the roof to take aim at the Hydra.

It was then that she miscalculated, and by the time she noticed the fireball coming straight at her it was too late to dodge.

The small, stumbly step Blue managed to take to the side was just enough to prevent her from taking the hit at full power, but she got caught by the blast anyway. There was barely any time to process the smoke blocking her vision and the heat hitting her feathers before she was flying backwards. She fell hard on her back, her vision going dark for a second as her head cracked against the roof.

A quiet, pained groan left her mouth as she slowly tried to focus her vision on the sky above her, still covered in a heavy cloud of dark smoke. She’d landed near the edge of the roof - way too close to falling all the way down for comfort. There was a loud ringing inside her ears, loud enough that she couldn’t even understand the words a familiar, frantic voice was shouting at her through the earpiece, interrupted every now and then by bursts of static.

Still, she knew G well enough that she could take a good guess at what he was saying. Blue attempted to take a deep breath, intent on saying something to calm him down - but a dry cough cut her off, all the smoke in the air making her throat itchy. “I’m fine.” she tried again, not too sure the words had come out quite right.

Slowly, she tried to push herself up, grunting with pain when even sitting down made her feel dizzy. Her left flipper was stinging, but she ignored it, taking another deep breath and trying to stand up again. She couldn’t stay down doing nothing, not when Herbert could attack again at any moment-

Herbert… wasn’t attacking.

She frowned as the realization hit her, finally noticing the way the rooftop had gone strangely silent around her. Surely… surely Herbert would take the opportunity to attack while she was down, right? So why wasn’t she blown off the roof by now?

Raising her eyes, she tried to focus on the Hydra again. Herbert was standing right near the rooftop, the robot’s head pointed right at Blue. But he wasn’t gloating, or moving to attack. In fact, he wasn’t doing much of anything other than staring at her with wide eyes.

For a moment, she could only stare back in confusion, trying to make sense of the look on his face.

She couldn’t tell for how long they stayed there, stuck in that standoff - but as soon as Blue managed to catch her breath and start thinking a little clearer again, she closed her flipper around a bunch of snow from the ground and, in a single movement, shot up and threw the snowball right at the Hydra.

Apparently, the robot had been on the edge of destruction that whole time; the single hit was enough to make it explode into sparks, just like the other two heads. Like the flip of a switch, the spell that had fallen over the rooftop was broken - and Herbert let out a furious cry as his invention dismantled itself around him.

“Darn it, Agent B!” he yelled, sounding as angry as he had before. “This isn’t over! I’ll be back, Elite Pitiful Failures, and next time you will be defeated!”

Blue didn’t feel like she had the energy to engage him at the moment. “Herbert… just come out of that robot so we can arrest you.” she said in a breathless voice, extending a flipper towards him.

“Never!” He shouted, punching down a button on the panel. “Klutzy, let’s get out of here!”

And to her surprise, the Hydra’s heads were shot upwards into the sky, and a few seconds later the remaining of the robot’s body exploded.

Blue raised her flippers to protect her face from the light and smoke; when she managed to look up again, there was no sign of the robots anywhere. In the distance, she could barely see two of the Hydra’s heads floating away, powered by small propellers, until they disappeared completely.

Herbert had escaped again. But at least she’d defeated him.

Blue let out a deep, tired sigh, leaning forward and trying to catch her breath.

“Agent B, please respond!” G’s voice came through the earpiece again, his tone indicating it wasn’t the first time he was asking.

Blue swallowed once before attempting to respond. “Hey. So, uh, the Hydra Bot exploded. Herbert and Klutzy got away. There’s… a lot of damage to the roof, and probably to the back of the building too-”

“Forget that, what about you?!”

“...I’m fine.” she mumbled, starting to take notice of the way everything around her was becoming blurry. “... actually, I… I might need a little help up here.”

She couldn’t hear G’s response as her vision went dark once more.

Chapter Text

The first thing Blue noticed after opening her eyes was that the room she was in was very bright.

“Blue?”

The second thing she noticed, as she looked around, were the four worried penguins staring at her.

“Are you awake?” Rookie asked nervously.

She blinked, staring blankly at her friends for a few seconds before realizing she was supposed to answer out loud. “I- yeah. Hey, guys.”

The others breathed out a collective sigh of relief as Blue pushed herself up until she was sitting instead of laying down. She was in a bed at the EPF’s infirmary, and that fact made the memories from earlier in the day come back to her after a moment.

“How are you feeling, Ace?” Dot asked softly.

“... fine?” Blue shifted in place. Her left flipper was covered in bandages and seemed to be a little numb, and she could feel something wrapped around her head, too. “A bit sore, but I’m alright. What happened?”

“I feel like we should be the ones asking you that.” G stated, his voice weirdly emotionless.

“We couldn’t see much of what was happening on the rooftop from where we were.” Jet explained. “We heard the explosions, and Herbert’s yelling, but that was it.”

“You passed out right after telling us Herbert had escaped. According to the medics, you have suffered a few superficial burns on your left side and also took a nasty hit to the head.” G went on. “Based on the evidence, I’m assuming it was the Red Hydra’s attack that did this. Correct?”

“... yeah.” Blue admitted quietly. “It wasn’t a direct hit, but I couldn’t dodge fully out of the way.”

“... I see. It seems that Herbert really did manage to increase the Hydra’s firepower.” G muttered, lowering his head. “Those attacks were never meant to cause any harm.”

“How long was I out for?” Blue asked, turning to the others.

There was a noticeable hesitancy before Rookie spoke up. “Nearly the whole day; night just fell a couple hours ago. You made us super worried, Blue!”

“Herbert really crossed a line this time.” Jet crossed his flippers, a quiet anger simmering in his voice. “Things could have ended up a lot worse.”

“According to my calculations, it is my fault that Herbert stole the Hydra.” G said quietly, shame leaking into his voice. “None of this would have happened if I had picked it up last night, when I said I would. I should have been more careful with it. I’m sorry, everyone - you especially, Agent B.”

“Nah, it aint your fault, G.” Jet shook his head. “I shouldn’t have lost my cool last time and dared Herbert to attack us. It’s my bad - I apologize.”

Blue frowned at them. “The only one at fault here is Herbert, guys. We won in the end, and nothing got damaged that we can’t repair.”

“It could have, though.” Dot said, so quietly it went unheard by the others.

“... Did anything else happen?” Blue asked after a small pause. “After I was- uh, out?”

Rookie shook his head. “I guess Herbert left for good. And knowing how things went the other times he attacked, I think he’ll leave us alone for the next few months, at least.”

“Well- that’s good news, right?” she turned to them all, offering them a grin. “That means now we’ve defeated both the Protobot and Herbert. We might actually get to enjoy some peace on the island, for a change!”

The others stayed silent, none of them returning her smile. Seeing her attempt to lighten the mood fail, Blue's face fell as well.

They were angry. Very angry, she could tell - even if they weren’t saying anything, their body language showed it clearly enough. It wasn’t totally unexpected; they were also angry the last time she got hurt, just a few weeks earlier.

This time, though, it felt different.

“This is not a matter that should be taken lightly.” G stated in an even voice. “What happened today is unacceptable.”

“... I’m sorry.” she said quietly, and maybe she was still a bit confused from just waking up after taking a hit to the head, because- “Are you guys mad at me?”

That seemed to break through whatever was going on with them, because three pairs of slightly panicked eyes turned to look back at her.

“Wh- no! Of course not!” Rookie immediately said. “You got hurt, we wouldn’t get mad at you because of that!”

“Yeah. It’s not you we’re angry at.” Jet muttered.

“Maybe we should save this for another time, boys?” Dot told them. “Blue just woke up, we should let her rest.”

G let out a long sigh, but his shoulders remained rigid with tension. “Dot is correct. The Director has already issued orders to all agents to rest and celebrate. After those past few months, everyone has earned a break.” he paused. “Though I am tempted to make you redo some of our training about safety in the line of duty, Agent B. We are not happy with your recent rate of work-related injuries.”

“Oh, come on, I’m fine!” Blue complained. “I got the job done both times, didn’t I?”

“You are most definitely not fine. And there are some prices we are not willing to pay for a ‘job well done’.” G said in a fierce voice. “The safety of our agents being one of those.”

“The safety of our friends, too.” Jet stressed.

“Also, I don’t think your hat is gonna last for much longer if you keep doing these things.” Dot said, lightly tossing Blue’s hat into her flippers. The recent adventures had definitely left their mark on the item, making it look a little worse for wear - though still perfectly wearable, in her opinion. “It fell from the roof during the battle, another agent found it and brought it in a while ago. Can’t have our Ace without her hat, now, can we?”

Blue chuckled. “Thanks, Dot.”

“Well, are we gonna go celebrate then or what?” Rookie asked them, his voice filled with enthusiasm. “It’s all-you-can-eat night at the Pizza Parlor - and the Music Jam is gonna start soon!”

“We are going to celebrate.” G said, turning a cold grin to Blue. “Agent B is gonna stay here and rest until the medics clear her to leave.”

Blue groaned, leaning backwards until she was laying back down again. “You guys are the worst.”

“We’ll bring you a slice of fish shrimp pizza.”

“... deal.”

For once, she wasn’t very inclined to argue with them about it. With the island now free of threats, maybe she could afford to take a few weeks off to actually rest.

-

She was alone when, a few hours later, her phone pinged with a new message.

Picking it up, Blue squinted against the bright screen in the dark room to see what it was - and found out it was from Herbert. Because of course it was.

‘GRR! You penguins have no idea how to build a proper bot! Your Hydra Bot broke down after being blown up only a few times. CURSES!’

With a soft chuckle, she typed out a quick reply.

‘Better luck next time, Herbert. :)’

“You seem to be in a good mood.” the Barista smiled, handing Blue her drink. “What’s the occasion?”

Blue chuckled. “It’s a secret.” she stage-whispered, dropping a few coins on the counter.

The Barista collected them without bothering to count. “Oh, I see. Work related, then?” she asked quietly with a knowing grin.

“In a way.”

“Does it have anything to do with the reason why you haven’t shown up around here for the past three weeks?” she asked, crossing her flippers.

“Uh, maybe?” Blue self-consciously scratched the back of her head. “But hey, I’m here now - and I’m not going anywhere.”

“You better.” the Barista said. “But I guess if you’re happy, that’s good news for the whole island. Are you taking a cookie today?”

“If you let me pay for it.”

“You don’t pay for cookies here, Blue. We’ve talked about this already.”

“You know I’m gonna break into your register and leave the coins there if I need to.” Blue lightly threatened. “You’re not even gonna see me coming.”

“I’d like to see you try getting past me in my own Coffee Shop.” The Barista laughed. “Have a good day out there, Bee.”

“You too!” Blue said with a smile, before leaving towards the exit.

The nice, cold breeze of a Club Penguin morning lightly hit her face as soon as she stepped outside. She took a deep breath, allowing herself to stay there and enjoy the moment - the warmth of the sun and of the drink in her flippers, the wind ruffling her feathers, the distant sounds of construction penguins working and of unconcerned, cheerful laughter.

The island was safe. Things were peaceful. Blue was allowed to take a walk outside for the first time since the Battle of Doom. Needless to say, she was in a very good mood.

She wandered aimlessly around, sipping from her hot chocolate from time to time and simply enjoying the walk. It wasn’t every day Blue allowed herself to take some time off from work like this, but after the chaos of recent months, and after spending so long recovering, she could make an exception.

That, and technically she was following the Director’s orders. Rest and celebrate. Yeah, she could do that.

She walked over to the Dock. The Music Jam was going to start the next day, and Blue wanted to see the progress on the decorations. She stood a safe distance away, so as to not bother the construction crew, and watched as they worked to set up what looked like a large stage.

“Oh, Blue, my darling girl!” a voice from behind suddenly startled her, and she turned around. “It’s been a while!”

“Oh- hi, Aunt Arctic!” Blue greeted her with a grin once she realized who it was. “How’s it going?”

“Everything is excellent, thank you for asking.” Aunt Arctic smiled at her, stopping at Blue’s side. “It is great to see you like this again. You seem to be doing well.”

“I am. I guess we haven’t stopped to get a coffee together for some time now, huh? I just came from there, actually.” Blue chuckled, awkwardly gesturing to the empty cup she was still holding.

Aunt Arctic smiled serenely at her. “Well, it’s not time for my coffee break yet, anyway. I’ve been very busy recently.”

“Oh yeah, no doubt about it. The past few months have been crazy.” Blue mindlessly agreed.

“Really?” Aunt Arctic asked, suddenly interested. “What have you been doing?”

Blue froze, stupidly staring at the news reporter with her mouth open for a few seconds. “Uh- you know! Just… been around. Doing this and that. Enjoying the parties.” she laughed unconvincingly.

The other penguin raised her brows, though her smile remained unwavering. “I see. Well, as long as what you’re doing brings you joy, darling, I guess you’ll be alright.” Aunt Arctic said. “Are you excited for the Music Jam? I’m sure you’ll enjoy your free time celebrating, right?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Blue immediately clinged to the change of subject. “I’m hopeless at making music, but I do enjoy listening to it - and dancing, too, every now and then. I’m sure it’ll be a great time.”

“You know, I’ve been talking to several penguins around here, asking about their expectations for the party tomorrow.” Aunt Arctic said, suddenly holding a notepad she’d gotten from who knows where. “Would you like to make a declaration for the Club Penguin Times? I could publish it anonymously, if you’d prefer that.”

“Uhh…” Blue’s smile wavered a little, and she unconsciously shifted back. “I don’t think I have anything interesting to say to the newspaper, really.”

“Of course, my dear, I understand.” Aunt Arctic nodded. “Still not too fond of giving interviews, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Blue chuckled.

“Still, thank you for the chat - it was lovely seeing you again! I need to get back to work now, but enjoy the party!”

“You too!” Blue waved as Aunt Arctic stepped away.

The conversation, although short, had been nice - still, as the hours went by and Blue continued to get distracted by the excitement for the new party, by the end of the day it had already completely slipped from her mind.

Blue walked over to where her friends were gathered around the meeting table, her eyes wide as she tightly clutched a newspaper in her flippers. “Uh, guys? Have you seen today’s issue of the Club Penguin Times yet?” she asked in a slightly too high-pitched voice.

Dot raised her eyes from the report she’d been reading with a frown. “Not yet. Why?”

Without a word, Blue dropped the newspaper on the table, and everyone leaned closer to see the words on the first page.

‘Are elite agents among us? High-tech force of elite agents has been protecting the island in secret.’

“I read it on the way here. The article talks about our tech, our resources, even our Command Room!” she explained in a concerned voice. “All classified info being put out there!”

“Oh, I see.” G said, turning back to the laptop he’d been typing at.

“Huh, I didn’t think they’d publish it so quickly.” Rookie mused, turning to Jet, who only shrugged in response.

Blue frowned bemusedly at their dismissal. “It- shouldn’t we investigate this? Whoever this ‘anonymous source’ is, it just leaked our secret to the whole island! I thought the whole point was that nobody was supposed to know about us this time around?”

“Don’t worry, Agent B.” G said - sounding very much not worried. “The Director and I were aware of this even before the issue was written. The information was made public with our knowledge.”

Blue blinked. “Wait, really? But you said-”

“Let’s just say that our priorities changed.” G simply stated. “As it is now, our enemies are aware of our existence anyway, so we’ve decided hiding the EPF from the public won’t bring us any benefits. And although our identities and activites will, of course, remain a secret, perhaps the civilian population will feel more at ease knowing that we are here to watch over them.” he smiled. “The Director will be giving an interview to the Club Penguin Times next week.”

“For real? Wow. I… guess it makes sense? We weren’t really worrying too much about hiding during field operations anymore, anyway.” Blue chuckled. “Still, couldn’t you guys have warned the rest of us beforehand? I almost had a heart attack when I got the newspaper today.”

“You survived, it’s fine.” Jet said, unbothered, while drinking his coffee.

Dot rolled her eyes at him. “It was a bit of a last minute decision, Ace. But we’ll let everyone else know the situation is handled later today. Well - Rookie will, that is.”

“Oh yeah!” Blue turned to him with a grin. “Are you gonna become our PR guy again?”

“Yep!” Rookie nodded enthusiastically. “It’s been a while - I’m glad to be back in the position!”

“The role suits you well.” she smiled, clearly relieved. “Glad to hear everything’s in order, then. I was starting to think our peaceful break was over already.”

“It very well could be.” G mused. “If we’re public knowledge now, it is likely we’ll see an influx of new recruits over the next few weeks. We’ll have to make sure to welcome them properly.”

“Yeah. Maybe we could prepare some new training Field-Ops or something?” Dot suggested.

“Well, lucky for me, that’s a problem only you EPF Leads can handle.” Blue chuckled.

“Keep that attitude up and I’ll make you run laps next time we train, Agent B.” Jet threatened her, while Dot rolled her eyes again and G shook his head.

“Oh yeah? Careful with that - you're just giving me more chances to beat your best time.” Blue grinned, crossed her flippers.

“That's never going to happen.” Jet said with a confident smirk.

"You say that, but may I remind you of how close I got yesterday?"

“And may I remind you both that Agent B is still not cleared for strenuous training or fieldwork?”

“Oh, come on, G!”

“Complain to our medics if you must.” he told her, without even raising his eyes from the screen.

“Uh, ‘scuse me. Agent B?”

Everyone turned to see the new agent who’d walked up to them. Blue squinted - they looked familiar… “You’re Kay, right?”

They looked a little startled. “Y-yeah, I am. I… didn’t expect you to remember me.”

“Of course I do. You were very helpful that one time.” Blue smiled at them. “Do you need something?”

“Uh.” Kay glanced nervously at the table, where all the others were already pretending to go back to their own work. “Can we talk?”

Taking the hint, Blue nodded and followed Kay through the room, away from the table and up the stairs towards the Field-Op terminal, walking by several other agents on the way.

The atmosphere in their headquarters was livelier than it had been in months. The air was filled with cheerful voices as the agents talked to each other, either passing the time or helping each other with their tasks - every now and then, quiet snickers or even full-blown laughter would echo through the room. It was a refreshing change of pace from the neverending tension they’d lived in for so long now.

Blue thought she could get used to this.

Eventually, Kay stopped walking. She waited, but they merely shifted nervously in place, apparently unable to find the right words.

“Come on, out with it.” she said gently. “What’s up?”

Kay took a deep breath. “You… well, first things first, I’m happy to see you here in the Command Room again, Agent B.” they said. “We were all worried when you got injured, so it’s good that you’re doing well now.”

Blue’s brows raised slightly in surprise. “I- thanks, Kay. I’m surprised you even noticed I was gone.” she chuckled.

They frowned. “I mean… I was there, when Herbert attacked with the Hydra Bot. We all saw what you did, and what happened after.” they paused. “That’s actually what I wanted to ask you about.”

“Okay… you can ask, then.” Blue said, mildly intrigued.

Kay stared at her in uncertainty, and she could actually see the moment they steeled themself into speaking up. “You’re the agent from the RV PSA missions, aren’t you, Agent B?” they asked, the words coming out slightly too fast.

It was Blue’s turn to be taken aback. She stared at them for a moment, speechless. “I…” she shook her head. “Where did you get that idea from?”

“I mean…you told me the first time we talked that you were a veteran agent.” they said. “And all the other things you said, too - I think it was very clear that you were speaking from experience.”

Blue raised a brow. “Huh. Glad to know you took my words to heart, at least.”

“I did.” Kay nodded. “But it’s not just that, either. I mean, it would be hard not to notice the work you did during the past few months. Whenever something happened, you were always the one in the front lines. Defending our systems, working with the leads, standing up against the robots and then against Herbert… you were always G’s first choice for anything.” they said. “And I'm not the only one, most of the other agents realized it too. You act just like the PSA agent in those missions did.”

“Huh.”

“That and, well…” they chuckled quietly. “Herbert clearly had something against you specifically. And so did Protobot and the Test Bots. When you think about it, it gets a little obvious.”

After a short pause, Blue sighed. “Well, I guess when you put it like that…”

“So it is you?” they asked, eyes shining with admiration.

“Listen… let’s just say there’s a reason the name in those files is classified, and leave it at that.” Blue told him with a smirk. “Don’t go mentioning anything to the other agents, got it?”

“Got it!” they nodded with enthusiasm. “I mean, I probably won’t need to, anyway. We all can connect the dots by ourselves. But I, uh, just wanted to say something to you.”

“What is it?”

They fumbled for a moment, going for a salute, before aborting the moment and holding both flippers behind their back. “I- we appreciate your service, Agent B. Your actions to protect the island were inspiring to every EPF agent, and we hope to one day reach the same level of skill and commitment you’ve shown.” they chuckled nervously. “We look up to you a lot, and it is an honor to be able to work by your side.”

Blue could only stare at the agent in front of them, stunned beyond words. After a short moment, however, a warm smile appeared on her face. “I… I appreciate it, Agent Kay. It is an honor to work with agents like you, too.”

Kay beamed, this time actually saluting Blue before turning to walk away, presumably to return to their duties. Blue watched them go, noticing how several Generalists around had been not-so-subtly watching their conversation, and were now pretending to go back to their own work.

“... secret agents these days are a little too observant for their own good.” she muttered to herself, shaking her head fondly.

Still… maybe having her other coworkers knowing who she was wouldn’t be so bad.

“How ‘bout Mancala?”

“Absolutely not. … I never really understood that game, to be completely honest.”

“Ice hockey?”

“I’ve tried it, it’s not for me.”

“You could help me work on the crab dictionary I’m writing!”

“... I’ll pass, Rookie.”

“Oh, c’mon, it would be so fun! I’ve been even thinking about making one for robot as well! Their language has a lot of interesting nuances…”

Blue sighed. “You could at least try to cooperate a little bit, Jet.” she complained, picking up a slice of pizza.

“I am cooperating. You’re the ones seeing a problem where there’s none.” Jet insisted.

“There’s obviously a problem, Guy.” Dot said. “You can’t just not have a hobby. Everyone needs one!”

He shrugged. “I don’t.”

“How about fishing?”

“You know I’m terrible at it, Blue.”

“I could teach you!”

“You’re not getting me to wear one of those hats, so don’t even try it.”

Blue chuckled, taking the Cream Soda bottle and refilling her own glass. “Worth a shot.”

Rookie turned to stare at the ocean, where a few penguins were busy Catchin’ Waves, while thoughtfully chewing a slice of hot sauce pizza. “Alright, I’m all out of ideas!” he dramatically announced. “We’ve suggested every minigame in the whole island, and JPG refused all of them!”

“What do you even do when you’re not working?” Dot asked.

“I fly and patrol the island.”

“That’s still working, Jet!” Blue stared at him, unimpressed.

“Oh.” he frowned, deep in thought. “I… review my old reports, train at the gym and do maintenance on my equipment?...”

“Once again: still work.” she sighed. “What do you do that’s not in any way related to the EPF or flying?”

The silence that followed lasted long enough for things to start getting awkward, but none of the other three agents felt like taking Jet out of his misery.

“... maybe you’re right that I do need something else to do.” he finally admitted in a quiet voice. “But what about you guys, huh? You work just as much as I do, B!”

“I have hobbies!” she defended herself. “I just talked about fishing less than five minutes ago.”

“He has a point, though, Ace.” Dot grinned. “I doubt you spend all your free time fishing. What else?”

“Hmm… Nebby has been dragging me to play Puffle Launch like, several times a week recently. He’s about to break his personal record.” Blue told them. “And I got a really good score at the Dance Contest just the other day.”

“... alright, you pass.” Jet grumbled. “What about you, Dot?”

“Well, I suppose I do spend a lot of time at the Gift Shop.” Dot chuckled. “I guess fashion and style are my hobbies, and Club Penguin has a lot of fantastic clothes for that! I love making new outfits for other penguins… when I’m not making new disguises for our agents, that is.”

“That’s just a variation of your normal job!” Jet accused. “How come Dot can do the same thing as her work and her hobby, but if I say I enjoy flying in my free time, suddenly I’m wrong?”

“Dot gets a pass.” Blue shrugged, earning a thankful nod from the other.

“You’re just conspiring against me.” Jet mumbled.

Rookie chuckled, patting his shoulder. “See, your problem is that you don’t fly to relax, JPG. As long as you have a jetpack on your back, your brain never leaves ‘agent mode’!”

“I can’t just turn off my brain, now, can I?” Jet complained.

"Well, guys, one thing I know for sure. If we're talking about hobbies, then Rookie's got us all beat." Dot chuckled. 

Rookie grinned. “I mean, there's so much fun stuff around, of course I gotta do everything! Games, tours, parties, food fights at the Pizza Parlor… and oh, I’m actually looking into a new hobby! I’m going to join the Party Committee and help organize future parties!”

“Oh, yeah, you did mention that before.” Blue said. “You’re going ahead with it, then?”

“Yup! They’re looking into my application.” he beamed. “I have so many ideas! April Fools, the Fairs, even the Halloween Parties! I have a list full of them - even with ideas for my own parties, if I can throw them some day! How does an Anvil Party sound to you guys?”

“The ideas are one thing, but do you think you can handle the ‘organizing’ part?” Dot asked.

“Of course! I’m an EPF Lead, aren’t I?”

“Shh, not so loud, Rookie!”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. But yeah! If I can lead a whole class of agents, surely I can organize a party without any disasters happening!” he confidently declared. “I mean, maybe not at first, but eventually!”

Blue chuckled. “Yeah, you’ll be fine.”

“Hmm. Well, Rookie isn’t the only one who’s thinking about trying something new.” Dot told them with a grin. “I’ve been thinking. About my whole ‘fashion and style’ thing? I thought I could try creating a civilian cover identity for myself. Like a fashion designer or something.”

“Wait, really?” Blue said, taken aback. “I thought staying out of the public eye was more your thing, Dot.”

“I’ll admit, I’m surprised too.” Jet said. “Do you really want to make public appearances like this?”

“I mean, someone has been trying to convince me that being noticed is not always a bad thing, so… why not?” Dot shrugged with a grin. “Besides, no one will know it’s me. Is there a better disguise than that? With all the other leads taking on more public roles, I figured I shouldn’t let myself fall behind.”

“Well, good luck with that to you guys.” Blue said, taking the last slice of pizza. “I’ll stick to the ‘secret’ in ‘secret agent’.”

“Woo, yeah! You’re gonna be awesome at this, Dot!” Rookie cheered. “Think you could make me a new style? Something with a really fancy wig?”

Blue couldn't help but chuckle. “Still at it with the wigs, Rookie?”

“I think your current style suits you a lot, Rookie. You really don’t need a wig.” Dot said, looking at him with a thoughtful look. “Though, I guess a cool shirt could really fit you… how about we swing by the Gift Shop later today?”

“Yay! Shopping trip!”

Blue rolled her eyes with a fond smile, finishing her food as the conversation derailed into colors and clothing patterns, with even Jet joining after a while. The sun was shining, she had her friends by her side, and the pizza was tasty - things were about as good as they could be.

It was a wonderful day in Club Penguin.

“G?” Blue poked her head inside the Gadget Room, finding the guy he was looking for at his desk, writing something on a notepad. “Got a moment?”

G looked over his shoulder, greeting her with a small smile. “Hello, Agent B. I’m actually a little busy at the moment - but what do you need?”

“It’ll only be a moment.” she said, stepping inside and letting the door close behind herself. “I just wanted to talk to you about something.”

“I’m all ears, Agent B. What is it?”

She shifted slightly, taking a deep breath. “It’s about Herbert.”

G froze for a barely noticeable moment, his demeanor instantly getting a little colder. “What about him?”

“Well…” Blue hesitated. “Do you think he’s been acting… different?”

“Since when?”

“I guess… since the EPF became a thing?” Blue mused. “Like, he’s been more… I don’t know, cooperative?”

G frowned, taking a concerned step towards her. “Agent B, what on earth are you talking about?”

She sighed. “Okay, okay. Sounds dumb, I know, but hear me out. Back during the geyser incident - the whole thing was his fault, yeah, but he actually helped us fix it.”

“Because not letting the island sink was in his own best interests, too.” G raised a brow. “You are aware of this, right, Agent B?”

“Yeah, but like - he still helped us!” she insisted. “He listened and did what we told him to do. I didn’t even think he was capable of doing that!”

“To be fair, I think you terrified him into behaving himself.” G chuckled quietly. “According to Jet Pack Guy’s report of the incident, you were so angry at times he thought you were going to try attacking Herbert with your bare flippers.”

“... I may have considered it a few times - but anyway, that’s not the point!” Blue shook her head. “And more recently, when Protobot’s plans started going off the rails-”

“You mean after Protobot and Herbert - who, as a reminder, was the one who rebuilt Protobot to begin with - spent months attacking us at every opportunity?”

“... yeah.” Blue faltered only slightly before carrying on. “But when Protobot started getting a little too destructive with its plans, Herbert started sabotaging them, and actually took the initiative to give us the information we needed to deactivate it.” she argued. “And he even said that he didn’t intend on ‘destroying’ us.”

G didn’t look convinced. “Considering how Herbert threatened to attack us immediately after that, I find it more believable that he had other motives for getting Protobot out of the way. Perhaps he didn’t want to share the glory, or, more likely, was tired of being ordered around by it. What are you getting at, Agent B?”

Blue bit back a sigh. “I’ve just been thinking about those things, is all. Especially after that last confrontation I had with him at the rooftop.”

“... what about that could have possibly made you think Herbert is more ‘cooperative’?” G asked, flabbergasted. “He tried to blow up our headquarters - for the second time. He tried to blow you up.”

“No, he didn’t.”

“... I am pretty sure he did, Blue.” G frowned. “It took days for you to even be allowed to leave the EPF infirmary.”

“Well, yeah, but what I’m saying is - up there, while I was down after the first hit, he had the chance to attack again. Defeat his ‘arch-nemesis’ once and for all, right? Why would he pass up the chance?” Blue shook her head. “But he didn’t do it. He just stood there.”

At the time, she couldn’t quite figure out what the look on his face meant - but now, whenever she thought back on the memory, it seemed to be almost as clear as day.

Blue knew better than anyone that Herbert, while admittedly a clever guy, suffered from the inability of thinking things through. He never considered the consequences of his plans until they, inevitably, ended up making things worse for him. It was way too easy for him to let himself get carried away. And it’s not like Blue thought that excused anything - she’d called him out for it during the geyser incident, and apparently he hadn’t gotten even a little bit better since then.

Still, based on his reaction when she got hit by the Hydra Bot, Blue couldn’t help but feel that, whatever Herbert’s plan had been, he hadn’t really wanted to seriously hurt her.

“I think he even looked a little bit concerned about me.”

A long silence followed.

“... Agent B, have you considered that you might be confused after taking that hit to the head?”

“What? No - I know what I saw, G!”

“Either way, I think you might be reading too much into it.” G said, shaking his head. “So, Herbert is maybe not as bad as he could have been, and he may even have a line he won’t cross. That doesn’t change the fact that he’ll continue to attack us at every opportunity he gets. And considering how he has a pattern of every attack being more vicious than the previous…” his voice lowered into a mumble.

“See, that’s what I’m trying to get at. Because Herbert is showing that he isn’t as unreasonable as we used to think!” Blue said. “Like, what does he even want? What is his goal here?”

“To dismantle the EPF and make life on Club Penguin miserable for everyone?” G deadpanned.

“... yeah, but before that. That’s just his means to an end - his whole thing is that he wanted a warm, quiet place to live. I don’t think anyone would have a problem with that - Herbert just keeps choosing the worst possible way to go about it.” she shook her head. “But if we can get him to stop and be willing to hear us out for a moment, then maybe…”

“Maybe what?”

She took a deep breath. “Maybe we could reach an agreement? Like- I don’t know, give him a cave in the north with free heating so he’ll stop attacking us, or something like that. It would be in everyone’s best interests - the only thing preventing us from doing something like this since the beginning was Herbert’s stubbornness, but if we can get him to cooperate again-”

“Agent B.” G cut her off. “While that is an admirable point of view, I think you would have to agree that there is a world of difference between convincing Herbert to work with us once for his own gains, and convincing him to stop his attacks on us entirely.” he said. “I fear that antagonizing us is too ingrained into his personality by now for him to agree to drop it so easily.”

“Well, yeah - now. But what about in the future?” Blue said. “We’ve made some progress, we can keep it going - until the day we reach the point where we can convince him to ‘retire’, so to speak.”

“And how long will it take?” G asked. Blue didn’t really have an answer for him. “Do we just allow him to keep attacking us until then?”

“He’s gonna do it anyway, so what’s the alternative? We keep this rivalry going forever?” she argued.

“The alternative is what it has always been, Agent B.” G stated. “We’ll work to capture Herbert, and he’ll pay for his crimes.”

Blue sighed. “You know I’m not against that either, G. In fact, the day we succeed will probably be the greatest of my career.” she said. “But you have to agree we never really had much luck with that whole ‘capturing’ plan.”

“It is still more likely to achieve success than us having to rely on Herbert doing something sensible.”

“... okay, that’s unfair. You know there’s no way for me to disagree with that.”

G chuckled. “Don’t worry about it, Agent B. The Director and I always take new developments into consideration when discussing how to deal with Herbert.” he assured her. “And we are already looking into ways to go on the offensive before he has the chance to attack us again. When the right opportunity arrives, we’ll do what’s best for the island.”

She nodded. “I know, and I fully trust you guys. Just, you know…” she waved vaguely. “Thinking of alternatives, is all.”

“And your input is very valuable to us.” He nodded as well, seemingly satisfied. “Is there anything else you need? Because otherwise, I’ll have to get back to work - I’m terribly behind schedule on this as it is.”

Blue frowned, lowering her eyes to the sketches he’d been working on. “Need any help?” she offered.

G grinned. “Oh- I’m glad you asked! See, I’m brainstorming some ideas for ways to improve the AC 3000 - two heads are always better than one for that!”

As G rambled on and on, Blue listened, offering her own thoughts every now and then - still, part of her mind was elsewhere.

While she couldn’t deny that G had some pretty good points, she still felt that her impressions were correct, too. That they could convince Herbert to stop and end things peacefully, given the chance.

And even if the EPF didn’t want to follow that idea officially, well… she was still always going to be the agent sent to deal with the polar bear. Nothing was stopping her from taking matters into her own flippers and trying to push Herbert in the right direction, next time he decided to show his face around.

And whether he decided to cooperate or not, one thing Blue was certain of - as long as she was on the case, Herbert’s attacks against Club Penguin would soon become a thing of the past.