Inspector Gadget
Believe
A/N: This is based off the deviation What Became Gadget by Fpeniche on DeviantART. It explains a possibility of what happened to the good Inspector, this version being that after Claw and the rest of M.A.D had been put permanently behind bars, Gadget enjoyed a good retirement until it was discovered by the media that Penny and Brain had been solving all the mysteries, not him and the city lost respect for him. I like to think maybe someone thought he was still a hero- their hero, and here we are. I hope you like this, guys.
For anyone who feels they've lost their way,
Who feels that there's not a soul in the world who cares about them,
This is for you.
Under the shade of an old oak tree, on an old park bench in need of a new coat of paint and some anti-rust treatment, sat a middle-aged man in a grey trenchcoat and fedora. His eyes were dark, lost in memories of a time when he was a hero, a time when everyone respected him. A time when everyone praised the name of Inspector Gadget. Now, he was just John Brown, a retired police detective who couldn't do a thing without screwing up.
Out in the sun, children played and adults on picnic rugs talked over a sandwich or a cup of coffee or played with their children. Also out on the green, healthy grass was a seven-year-old with brown hair and blue eyes who was throwing a basketball through a hoop with a big smile on her face. Suddenly, the basketball hit the edge of the hoop and went bouncing away, and the girl gave chase.
A basketball rolled to a stop at John's feet, which he picked up out of curiosity. There were footsteps, and a brown-haired, blue-eyed girl in a blue dress with her hair in a braid stopped in front of him.
"Thanks for stopping the ball, Mister." She said in a cheery voice. John looked up from the ball to meet the kid's eyes.
"No problem, kiddo." He replied, tossing the basketball back to its owner. Suddenly, the girl's eyes widened.
"Holy cow! You're Inspector Gadget!" Holding the ball in one hand, she stuck out the other. "It's an honour to meet you!" John chuckled softly, shaking his head.
"Oh, I'm not Inspector Gadget anymore, kid," He said, shaking her hand. "I wasn't even a decent cop to start with." The girl hauled herself up onto the bench beside him with her ball in her lap.
"Oh, come now, you're just being modest." John sighed.
"Believe me, I'm not." Hadn't this kid paid any attention to the news? He was a fraud! A fake!
"Well, I reckon you are." John looked to the kid in shock. Was she serious? The girl giggled. "Hee-hee! I've never believed anything the media's ever said- I reckon you've always been a good cop."
"But I..." John looked down at his feet, his eyes lost in thought. After a while, he shook his head. "Listen, kid- I've always been a screw-up. A good-for-nothing walking comedy show. I've never solved a mystery, not once." The girl pouted and slapped the former Inspector's arm.
"That's not true!" She snapped through a scowl with a finger that wagged disapprovingly. "For shame, Inspector- I can't believe you'd actually buy into what the media said about you! They're just a bunch of bullies!" John looked to the girl with a tired look on his face.
"Then what can I believe? You don't hear a good thing about me anymore, just insults and rumours." The girl's scowl faded.
"I gave the last kid I heard saying mean stuff about you a black eye." She placed a hand on his. "You know why?" John nodded. The girl wrapped her arms around him as far as they would go.
"Because you're still my hero, Inspector Gadget." John was at a loss for words as tears came to his eyes. Then, with a cracking voice through the first smile in what seemed like forever, he said,
"Wowsers, kid...thank you." The girl sat up and giggled.
"Hee-hee! You said it! You said 'wowsers'!" She punched his arm playfully. "See? There's no reason to be sad! You've still got some people who love you- you just need to remember that, to them, you're their hero, gadgets or none." John ruffled the kid's hair.
"Thanks." The girl smiled broadly.
"You're welcome, Inspector!" She chirped, saluting him. Suddenly, a woman's voice drifted to their ears.
"Eliza-Jane! Time to go home!" Eliza-Jane hopped off the bench.
"Comming, Mamma!" She turned back to the former Inspector.
"I have to go home now, Inspector. I had fun talking to you." She stuck out her hand, which John shook with a smile on his face.
"You too, kiddo." The girl giggled and ran off, bouncing her basketball as she did, casting one last look at the former Inspector with a smile and a wave. John waved back just as she disappeared from sight.
Under the shade of an old oak tree, on an old park bench in need of a new coat of paint and some anti-rust treatment, sat a middle-aged man in a grey trenchcoat and fedora. A smile was plastered to his face and there was a twinkle in his eyes. And his happiness came from the knowledge that Metro City still had a place in its metaphorical heart for the goofball gadgeteer.