The Rangers ran through the alleyways, desperate to stop Rat Capone making off with what was, in mouse terms, a barrowfull of gold coins. He had made good headway but the Rangers were unflappable, they continued the chase; over crates, through holes in walls (no, not cash machines) and across barren soil that had seen too many footprints in the past, but now found too few. Eventually the had him cornered in a more substantial alleyway behind a rather classy restaurant.
"Okay Capone," Chip called down the alley, "There's no way out! Drop the loot and come out with your hands up!" There was a slight pause before he replied.
"You Rangers are foolish! Let meshow you what I managed to fix up in here." He came out of the shadows, his burly sidekick carried the mouse-sized wheelbarrow of gold while Rat had some kind of rifle in his paws (by mouse standards). The Rangers hesitated for a while before Chip declared.
"You can't get away by threatening us, Rat Capone! Give up now and we'll say no more about it." His efforts to verbally rehabilitate the Ratia boss amounted to nothing, Rat pointed the rifle at Chip and pulled the trigger. Chip had only just managed to dodge the electronic surge but Gadget was right behind him and bore the full brunt of the blast, she fell over backwards blacking out, Chip looked at her inert body, then back at Rat who stood there in shock, then he turned to Monterey Jack and nodded with an expression of suppressed anger. The musclemouse nodded with the same expression and lunged at Capone, who dropped the electro-gun as Monterey reached for his throat, making it difficult for Rat to instruct his subordinate, Arnold Mouseneggar, to make a counter move. Dale dealt with this dim-witted wrestler by tossing a pebble at his head, causing Mouseneggar to drop the loot and run off, crying. Chip cradled Gadget's still inert form, checking for life signs, he was relieved to find a steady pulse but was concerned for the lack of noticeable breathing.
"And as a last gesture," Monterey growled at Capone, "For what you did to our li'l sheila..." He then lifted the criminal rodent over his head and tossed him over the wall, after which he rushed to Gadget's side along with Dale, who was already patting her forepaw. "I she...?" He asked the chipmunks, Chip looked up and shook his head.
"She's unconscious." He told them. "We ought to get her back to HQ." Monty then took the initiative and lifted the wheelbarrow that Capone and Mouseneggar had left behind. "Are you sure she'll be alright, lying on top of all that gold?"
"Well," Monty replied, "The police station ain't far from here; if we unload this loot there then there'll be plenty of room for Gadget on the way home." Just then there was a feminine groan, Gadget was beginning to stir. Chip and Dale bent over her again to make sure she was alright and then they lifted her up and on to the barrow.
By the time they had emptied the original contents of the wheelbarrow onto Spinelli's desk Gadget had come to, Chip was looking after her at the time.
"Are you alright?" He asked her. 'Oh, my dear Gadget,' He thought, 'I couldn't bear to lose you. We all love you dearly.'
"I'm alright." Gadget answered. "Golly, I didn't realise you felt so deeply about me." She compassionately took Chip's paw in hers, a look of bewilderment spread across Chip's face.
'How did you know, then?' He thought, 'I didn't say anything.'
"I thought you did." Gadget stated. "I heard you. But, for some reason, your voice echoed a bit, and you said it without moving your lips." Chip's eyes widened in surprise at what she had just said. "That's strange." She added. "It almost sounded like it was inside my head."
'Ah,' Monterey thought, 'Good old Gadget's up and about again! That was one terrible zap you got from that wretched Capone.' Gadget turned to him.
"Golly," She exclaimed, "It was so fast, wasn't it. Did he get away?!?" Chip shook his head and answered.
"No, we got him." 'Thanks to Monterey's fighting skills in particular.' He added in his thoughts.
"You mean...?" Gadget inquired, then Monty thought back to the scuffle. "Oh, Monty." She said. "Surely you didn't have to go so far." Now they were all stunned, none of them could understand why Gadget was referring to things they hadn't said or why she could remember the fight when she was unconscious throughout. Gadget started to become disturbed as she heard their voices in her head simultaneously, she focused on one fo their voices that seemed to be producing a theory. "Golly Dale, do you really think I'm...?" Dale looked straight at her and answered.
"Well, if you've heard my idea then you must be." Gadget now looked like she had gone straight through surprise and out the other end, into astonishment.
"But," She commented, "I can't see any reasonable explanation. I mean, it's never happened before." Chip frowned as he looked from Gadget to Dale and back.
'What are you talking about?' He thought, Gadget turned to him and said.
"Dale, would you care to deliver your theory to the others."
'What theory?' Zipper thought, Dale took a deep breath and said.
"Everyone, I think Gadget is... telepathic!" Chip, Monty and Zipper all gasped as their minds raced with whats, whens and hows.
"I can't think how electricity can cause this." Gadget stated. "It's almost as though that shock I got has stimulated something in my brain."
'But, you got hit in the chest.' Chip thought, he felt embarrassed as Gadget nodded to him. 'Don't dwell on it so much at once,' Chip deliberately kept this in thought, 'We should get back.'
"Okay guys," Gadget remarked, "Let's get back to Rescue Rangers HQ!" Dale and Monty nodded enthusiastically while Chip just nodded knowingly.
Curiously the Rangers spent that evening in much the same way as any other, Dale settled down to watch the TV while Monty started on their dinner as Chip and Zipper did some of the housework. Gadget was taking the revelation seriously and busied herself with analysing the workings of her telepathy, learning how it functions and how to control it, her head was filled with the echoing voices of the Rangers' thoughts as she aimed to suppress some and focus on others. Aside from her efforts to control her telepathy and the psychological impact from knowing that she could read their thoughts the evening went by as smoothly as always, it seemed so simple to them as Gadget was undoubtedly keep the most disturbing thoughts away from her own mind, any one that came through would be quickly suppressed in her own mind.
That night Gadget made notes on how to deal with this unusual power before she settled down and slept uneasily as she became unnerved with regards to what effect her subconcsious would have on her telepathy.
The next morning brought nothing new; no terrifying revelations, no chaos in any of the rooms and no trauma. Gadget immediately headed for her workshop in the hope of suppressing her telepathy by focusing her mind on what she'd always done with her mind, unaware that telepathy was just the tip of the iceberg, that there were more astonishing capabilities to follow. As she sketched and made notes something struck her, she considered what it meant to be telepathic.
'If I can hear what others are thinking,' She thought, 'Then maybe I can send my thoughts to the minds of others.' She made an attempt on this.
Dale lay awake in his bunk, not at all bothered to get up, when he heard something echo.
'Good morning, Dale.' Came Gadget's voice. 'Golly, you seem to be a heavy sleeper.' Dale looked around but could not see her at all.
'Where are you, Gadget?' He thought, bewildered by the fact that she was not in his and Chip's room. 'I'm not telepathic.' There was a mysterious but charming giggle before Gadget replied.
'I'm in the workshop. It seems I can broadcast my thoughts as well as receive those of others.' Dale jumped out of bed and thought aloud.
"Hey, neat." The rest came only in thought. 'How are you handling it?'
This last thought struck Gadget like a lightning bolt. "Golly." She exclaimed. 'I guess I've got it sussed!' She projected this thought to Dale.
By breakfast time Gadget and Dale had gotten over the shock but Chip and Monty were still unsure of this while Zipper felt rather nervous.
'Golly Chip,' Gadget thought, 'You don't have to worry anymore. I've got it under control.' Chip was astonished at hearing Gadget's voice in his head, Dale spotted his expression and said.
"She can put her thoughts in our heads as well as hear ours in her head." Gadget nodded and then telepathically commented.
'I have full control of this power and it will not activate without me intending to.' Then she spoke the rest. "I can assure you that I will not invade your privacy."
"Well," Monterey commented, "That'll come in useful on our missions. What d'you think, Chipper?" Chip cautiously thought at first, but Gadget's expression told him that she was not receiving his thoughts.
"It might give us some help, yes." He answered.