Virtual Reality
Rated PG for mild violence and peril.
I do not own anything here already copyrighted to Cosgrove Hall Films. Judas Franklin, Sabrina Panthera, and the rest of the non-copyrighted characters belong to me, so don't use them without my written consent, or I'll send Greenback after yer hides, ya varmints! ^-^
Author's Notes:
Well, I really have no special note for this particular episode. It was partially inspired by an old rumor that there would be a 3-D Danger Mouse movie, and it's an old concept, but other than that… nothing special. ^_^ Enjoy!Hidden away within the walls of his secret hideaway, Baron Silas Greenback busied himself in his latest scheme to take over the world. This time, however, his attempts were a bit more subtle than usual. "Stiletto! Sabrina!" he called out from his personal desk in the laboratory. "Would you hurry it up??"
On the other side of the laboratory, hidden among the various computers and other assorted gadgets, a tall lanky crow (known by most as Stiletto) poked his head out of the mess. "Cie, Barone!" he assured, tipping his hat gently.
A moment later, another one of the Baron's henchmen- this one a cat- also looked away from the mess, glaring at her boss. "Hey, Baron," she groaned, "when was the last time you had some of these things upgraded? A lot of these computers are about as old as I am, and more out-dated than my grandma's record player!"
Needless to say, this was not exactly the kind of talk Greenback expected from his henchmen. "That's beside the point!" he barked. "Now get to work before I lose my patience!"
Frustrated, Sabrina rolled her eyes. Not that he hasn't already, she pondered, turning back to her work. One day I'll show that old toad exactly what I think of all this manual labor, with no paid vacations!
While the female feline continued working, Stiletto had stopped for a moment. He glanced at Sabrina out of the corner of his eye and smiled; over the past few months, he had grown quite fond of her. They seemed to know each other better than anyone else, although there were a few things even he was not yet willing to admit.
Once more, Sabrina looked up from her work; this time, it was her friend that caught her attention. "Hey, Stiletto," she said, "mind helping me out here? These codes won't download themselves, you know."
Stiletto nodded, chuckling lightly. "Cie, Sabrina," he agreed, setting up the first codes.
Sabrina smiled. "You know, I think I'm getting used to all this," she commented. "It feels like one big adventure for me- why else would I have to steal my own food and clothes?"
A smirk crossed Stiletto's beak. Her sarcasm never ceased to amuse him, especially since he knew that there was an element of truth to it- crime was much easier once it became a habit.
As Sabrina typed busily at the computer consoles, she turned her head slightly, revealing a long thin tuft of hair. It was tied back like a ponytail with the use of a small plastic bead, and the top portion had been braided.
Oddly enough, the braid was enough to catch Stiletto's eye; it added a touch of femininity to her otherwise masculine frame. "I like-a your hair," he complimented. "Is new?"
The dark-furred feline grinned. "Yeah," she answered, "it's new. I grew it out a little- I thought a new look would be nice. You really like it?"
Before Stiletto could reply, the bellowing voice of their boss alerted them. "Stiletto! Sabrina!" he roared. "What is taking you?!"
Rolling her eyes, Sabrina plugged in the last code. "Alright, we're just about done here," she murmured, stepping away from the console. "We'd better get over to him while he's still in a reasonably good mood."
The henchcrow nodded, activating the final code and following Sabrina towards the desk of the Terrible Toad. "Ai, Barone," he addressed, "she's-a ready!"
Baron Greenback chuckled heartily. "Excellent," he remarked. "Now, have you been able to hack into the HenchSoft program?"
"That we did, sir," Sabrina assured, strapping a metallic helmet to the Baron's head. "Within minutes, you should have all the world's knowledge programmed into your brain- kinda like Steven Hawking, only without the wheelchair."
Greenback let a wide grin cross his face. "Let us begin," he permitted, glancing at one of his henchmen. "Stiletto- flip the switch."
Stiletto nodded in agreement. "Cie, Barone," he answered, pulling down the switch.
The room began to vibrate as the download commenced. At first, the Baron seemed to be fine (at least, not in any pain). In fact, for the most part, the programming went well.
All of a sudden, the lights began to flicker as the alarms blared. The laboratory went from a mild upset to a violent quaking. Quickly, Stiletto grabbed Sabrina by the arm as they ran and hid for cover, while Greenback was left alone in the chair to suffer the consequences.
A severe explosion shook the place for a moment. Soon, however, the quaking died down, and eventually it was safe to venture out into the debris. Most of the lab remained in one piece, though the same could not be said for the various computers and equipment.
Sabrina coughed. "Well, that could have gone better," she gasped. "What do you think happened to the Baron?"
Suddenly, Stiletto stopped dead in his tracks. He had gone back to the very spot they had left Baron Greenback… and yet, he was nowhere to be found!
The female feline cringed. "Well, there goes our job security," she muttered.
It was then that the two henchmen noticed something- the largest computer, still intact for the most part, had something quite unusual written on the monitor:
You imbeciles! Look what you've done! I'm trapped inside this blasted computer!!
...Well, don't just stand there! Get me out of here, NOW!
The henchcrow and his confidant glanced at each other. Despite the fact that they would have been happier without the Baron, it was clear that if they did not get him out, then someone else would. If that happened, they would be looking at more than a bash on the head.
With a heavy sigh, Sabrina walked over to the disheveled bookcase that used to be their technical library. "Come on, Stiletto," she groaned. "Let's get this over with…"
Elsewhere, in the Mayfare pillar-box hidden somewhere in London, Danger Mouse- the world's greatest secret agent- read the headlines of the local newspapers. Apparently, a new virtual reality game had gained international fame overnight: HedgeSoft. Apart from the basic information, not much else was available from the articles.
Curious, DM put down the newspaper and approached the videoscreen. Now this is odd, he thought, typing in the numbers to Colonel K's desk. I wonder if this is somehow connected with a bigger operation. Nothing like this ever happens literally overnight!
To his surprise and dismay, the agent found an interesting message on the videoscreen:
Online connection in progress. Please wait for disconnection...
Danger Mouse sighed and walked out of the parlor. "Judas," he muttered, walking down one of the hallways and approaching the bedroom of his recruit- Judas Franklin, a German Shepherd dog from the States.
Sure enough, DM found Judas sitting at his laptop computer, playing a video game of some sort. He squinted, concentrating only on his game, the joystick jostling about in his hands. "Die, evil ninjas," he growled. "Die!"
Rolling his eyes, the agent walked into the room. "Judas, do you mind?" he questioned. "I'm trying to find out-"
"One more level!" Judas cried. "Just one more level until I defeat the evil Ninja Lord! One more level!!"
With a heavy sigh, Danger Mouse came up behind Judas and snatched the joystick up from him. "Game over," he scolded.
The American pooch screamed in horror. "No!" he yelped. "I was so close to beating the Ninja Lord, and I was gonna beat my high score! How could you??"
Frustrated, DM walked over to the garbage bin in the corner of the room. "Like this," he spat, tossing the joystick in the trash. "Now, could you please stay off-line until I've figured out what the deuce this HedgeSoft rubbish is about!"
As the agent stormed out of the room, Judas whined and slumped down in his chair. "My video game," he murmured. "At this rate, I'll never kill the evil Ninja Lord!"
At that moment, a small brown hamster poked his head into the room. "Morning, Judas," he greeted, noticing Judas' saddened expression. "Why the long face?"
"I was born this way, Penfold," Judas replied. "Also, DM wrecked my video game."
Puzzled, Penfold sauntered over to the bed. "Oh, how come?" he queried.
Judas shrugged. "How should I know?" he whined, thinking for a moment. "Well, he did say something about HedgeSoft…"
Naturally, Penfold was quite curious. "What's HedgeSoft?" he inquired. "Some type of new computer game?"
The dog nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "I looked into it last night- it's a cool new virtual reality game. It's like any other video game, except it's got all these mazes, puzzles, and riddles programmed into it." He smirked, adding, "I downloaded it last night. You wanna play?"
The hamster smiled, approaching the computer. "Oh, yes!" he agreed, hopping into a nearby chair. "How to you play?"
Laughing, Judas turned to Penfold. "It's easy," he assured. "All you really need is a… joystick." He glanced at the garbage can out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, shoot."
Nevertheless, Penfold was far from upset. "Oh, that's alright," he said. "We don't have to play right now."
Of course, Judas had other ideas. "Don't worry," he remarked, taking the joystick out of the garbage. "It's in good condition. We can still play."
It was then that Penfold noticed something about the joystick. "Judas," he asked, "what's happened to some of the buttons on your joystick?"
Perplexed, Judas took a look at the joystick; sure enough, some of the buttons were missing. "Huh," he muttered. "DM's got quite an arm, doesn't he?"
"And the bottom's coming off it, too," Penfold continued, pointing to the joystick. "Are you sure we can still use it?"
The pooch remained unconvinced. "It works fine," he responded, giving the joystick to Penfold. "Here- I'll upload the game, and when I give you the go-ahead, press the start button. If something goes wrong, I'll be right here beside you."
As Judas began to open the game, Penfold fiddled around with the joystick. "So," he murmured, "what do you think of the game?"
Judas chuckled. "I dunno- I haven't played it yet," he admitted. "Still, it's supposed to be great, so I think you're in for a good game."
Finally, the main screen of the video game became visible:
Welcome to HedgeSoft!
Press SHIFT for Instructions
Press ENTER to Begin
Press ESC to Exit
Before Judas could explain anything, a familiar voice called to him from the other room. "Judas!" the agent addressed. "Come in here for a moment!"
The American dog sighed. "Coming!" he responded, quickly turning to Penfold. "Just get the instructions from the main page, and you'll be fine." With that, he rushed into the parlor and answered the call of the White Wonder. "What, DM?"
Danger Mouse approached Judas with some peculiar insight. "Judas, you seem to know your video games," he noted. "Have you heard anything unusual about this new HedgeSoft computer game?"
Uneasily, Judas nodded. "Yeah, sure," he replied. "I know about it. Why?"
DM sighed heavily. "I've just found out some interesting news concerning the game," he explained. "It seems as if some people are suddenly going missing, and last they were heard of they were playing HedgeSoft."
To say the least, Judas was unconcerned. "So?" he questioned.
"Once more," the agent continued, "all of these missing persons were playing using faulty equipment- broken joysticks and virtual reality helmets, apparently."
It was then that Judas was hit with a thought. "Oh, now I know what you're getting at," he remarked sarcastically. "Come on, DM- those weirdo mind tricks of yours don't work on me."
Unsure of what Judas was getting at, Danger Mouse cocked his eyebrows. "Judas, this is no joke," he assured. "Around a hundred people have gone missing from playing that game."
Judas laughed mockingly. "With broken equipment?" he repeated. "Come on- I have Penfold in my room right now, playing HedgeSoft with the same joystick you ruined after throwing it in the trash."
Needless to say, this was somewhat upsetting to DM. "It was nearly broken anyway," he reminded. "Besides, I know you have enough to go out and buy yourself a new one- you must been hoarding most of your parent's money, seeing as you're always freeloading off of me!"
Before Judas could reply, a scream from the other room alerted them. Unfortunately for them, that voice was all too familiar.
Quickly, the agent and his recruit ran out of the parlor and into the bedroom. Sure enough, Penfold had disappeared from the room; however, there was an interesting message on the computer screen.
Ahh! Oh fiddle! Oh heck! Ooh crumbs!!
DM, Judas- HELP ME!!
Both puzzled and afraid, Danger Mouse rushed over to the computer and typed a response:
Penfold! Penfold! Are you alright??
Within seconds, they got a quick reply:
Oh, DM! Thank goodness!!
I don't like being here... it's quite dark, and I have no idea what to do! Help me!
At that moment, Judas pushed past DM and wrote his own note:
Don't worry, buddy- we'll get you outta there! I know we will!
Another minute passed before they got another reply:
Erm... how do you plan to do that??
The agent scooted in once more and quickly typed a brief message:
Just give us a few minutes. We'll be on our way as soon as possible. In the meantime, just hold on.
One last response came to the computer screen:
... Oh... oh, alright. But hurry!
Standing from the computer, Danger Mouse glanced at Judas. "Well, let's go," he advised, leaving the room.
Confused, Judas followed after his chief. "But, what about Penfold?" he inquired. "How are we gonna get him out??"
"The same way any of our technological problems are solved," DM replied, hopping onto the couch. "We need to see Professor Squawkencluck."
A heaved groan escaped the American pooch. "Great," he muttered, joining the agent on the couch. "Just what we need- another visit with that crazy quack…"
Back in the Baron's lab, the two henchmen were hard at work, trying to determine the cause of their boss' mysterious disappearance. Stiletto searched the complex for frayed wires or other malfunctions, while Sabrina looked through every technical book she found. Sadly, neither of them was having much success.
After a while, Stiletto made his way back to the desk where Sabrina had been studying. "Any chance?" he asked.
The female feline growled in frustration. "No," she hissed. "I haven't found a single clue."
Concerned, Stiletto approached Sabrina and sat down beside her. He needed a break from all this work, and he could tell that she did too.
Sabrina sighed. "I just don't get it," she murmured. "We had it planned out perfectly! What could have gone wrong?"
It was then that an unusual smell caught the attention of the two confidants, and it seemed to be coming from beneath the desk. Curious, they peeked underneath and discovered the source of the stench- at first, it appeared to be a pile of ash, but of course piles of ash don't have eyes or antennae.
Both surprised and amused, Sabrina picked up the small blackened fuzzball. "Oh, look at poor little Nero," she cooed mockingly. "Did the big bad computer burn you to a crisp?"
Still shocked from his previous misadventure, Nero growled angrily, biting down on Sabrina's wrist. He was in no mood to be taunted!
A yelp of pain escaped Sabrina as she threw Nero to the floor. "You little runt!" she snapped, glancing at the wound on her hand and discovering yet another oddity. "What's this? A bundle of wires?"
Perplexed, Stiletto went over for a closer look. "Strange," he muttered. "This is-a from the main-a machine. Is-a looking like it has-a been chewed by-a something."
Her fury peaking, Sabrina glared at the ashy ball of fluff. "So, it was you," she growled, sneering evilly. "Why you little…"
As Sabrina chased after Nero, Stiletto glanced at Sabrina's research. While Nero's nibbling had done some notable damage, there was also another unfortunate cause. He came across the packaging for the program- apparently, he had stolen the HedgeSoft software, not HenchSoft!
The henchcrow stood there in shock. It was his responsibility to get his hands on any potentially helpful program and use it to help the Baron. Instead of a database containing all the knowledge of the world, he had hooked up a… computer game! Greenback would have his head for sure!
Finally, Sabrina lost sight of Nero and went back over to the desk. "Sorry," she mumbled. "I just needed to get all that anger out of my system." Upon seeing the HedgeSoft packaging, she became curious. "What's that?"
Fearful that she would be just as angry with him, Stiletto hid the program cover. "Nothing," he lied, taking out a few related articles. "I have-a found these, though."
The dark-furred feline picked up the newspaper clippings, skimming them over briefly. "Okay, here's the problem," she remarked, putting the articles down. "It says that there have been mass disappearances from around the world. Several people have gone missing, and every one of them was last seen using the same software with faulty equipment."
Stiletto shrugged. "Well, what-a do you know-a we should do?" he asked.
Sabrina frowned slightly. "The only thing we can do," she replied. "We have to go in after the Baron, and hope we can get out."
Although he would have been quite the coward otherwise, Stiletto was determined to make a lasting impression on the feline. He simply smiled and nodded in reply.
A smirk crossed Sabrina's face. "Come on," she said, walking over to the workstation. "Let's get to work…"
About half an hour later, Danger Mouse and Judas arrived at Professor Squawkencluck's laboratory. They had each been there many times before, usually with an important mission at hand. This case was no exception.
DM and his accomplice burst through the doors hurriedly, alerting the stocky mole professor. He turned around, smiling warmly. "Ach, Danger Mouse und Judas," he greeted. "How might I be of service?"
The agent approached the professor and shook his hand. "We hate to bother you, Professor," he began, "but it seems as if Penfold's gotten himself trapped inside a computer game."
The professor nodded. "I see," he murmured. "It must have been zhat HedgeSoft game, ja?"
Gritting his teeth, Judas nodded slowly. "Yeah," he muttered sheepishly.
"Is there anything you might have that will help us find Penfold?" Danger Mouse inquired.
Professor Squawkencluck thought for a moment. "Vell," he said, "zhere is von zhing I have. Is still experimental, boot could very well vork."
Before DM could say anything, Judas quickly interrupted him. "Experimental?" he queried. "As in, it's never been tested? On animals??"
Of course, the agent was willing to do anything to get Penfold back. "We'll do it," he agreed.
With a wide smile, the professor hurried over to his workstation. "Vundaba!" he exclaimed. "I vill go und zet it up for you."
Wide-eyed with shock, Judas turned the Danger Mouse. "Are you nuts??" he snapped. "This thing hasn't even been tested! How can you be sure we'll be able to get Penfold out?!"
Slightly irritated with Judas' doubts, DM turned to the pooch. "That's a chance we'll both have to take," he remarked. "We are going in, and we will get Penfold out of that blasted video game."
It was then that Professor Squawkencluck returned with two helmets. "Here you are, boys," he commented, giving them the helmets. "Zese are vhat you vould call 'virtual reality' helmets- except, I have altered zem a little."
Curious, Judas looked over the helmet; the plates covering the helmet were loosened to the point of falling off, revealing some frayed wiring. "You can say that again," he mumbled. "How exactly are these going to help us?"
The agent gave Judas a sharp glance. "It's the only way inside the video game," he answered, turning back to the professor. "By the way, how are we getting in?"
The professor swept his hands towards a large computer console. "Zhis game has un Internet database," he explained. "Zhere has been an unusual amount of activity, especially zince no von is visiting anymore und ze creators of ze game have lost ze original program."
Danger Mouse nodded. "Right," he said, looking at his recruit. "Are you ready, Judas?"
The pooch sighed heavily, but slowly nodded. "Yeah, sure," he muttered.
Professor Squawkencluck smiled. "Good luck, Danger Mouse," he commented, throwing the activation switch…
After a moment of confusion (not to mention a slightly singed hairdo), DM and Judas removed their helmets. Sure enough, they were no longer in the professor's laboratory- the area in which they stood was pitch black, void of all personal touch. It was like standing in the heart of a black hole.
Puzzled, Judas turned to the agent. "DM," he addressed, "do you have any idea where we are?"
Before Danger Mouse could reply, another harsh voice intervened. "You rotten rodent!" she barked. "What are you doing here??"
DM and Judas turned around and saw two very familiar faces. The female feline marched towards them aggressively, her Italian crow accomplice right behind her. Neither of them was too pleased.
Of course, both the White Wonder and the American dog knew who they were. "Sabrina and Stiletto," the agent growled. "What are you two doing here?"
"None of your business," Sabrina hissed, glaring at the two heroes. "Where is the little nuisance? Is he hiding somewhere in the shadows?"
Judas approached Sabrina, pushing her away. "None of your business, cat," he snapped back. "Besides, I don't see Greenback anywhere… why should we be afraid?"
Angered, Sabrina made a threatening gesture; she was in no mood to negotiate. Stiletto stood idly by, waiting for the brawl to take place- as much as he liked seeing her at her best, he was not above watching her at her worst.
His own temper rising, Judas snarled in disgust. He attempted to approach the dark-furred feline; of course, his chief grabbed the pooch's shoulder forcefully, holding him back.
It was then that, in the eerie darkness, large white words appeared before the two rivaling teams:
Welcome, friends. Welcome to a world unlike any other. Welcome to HedgeSoft!
You have been chosen, out of millions of players worldwide, to participate in an exclusive version of HedgeSoft. This version has an enhanced, realistic environment for you to enjoy. However, there are only five levels, which makes this version a greater challenge.
Because of your current situation, you must defeat the game if you wish to return home. You will be given three lives per game, and each time you lose all three lives, you must return to the first level and try again.
Thank you, and enjoy your new adventure!
For a moment, none of them spoke. They were all a bit perplexed by all this, unsure of how to react. The only thing they could do was play the game, and hope they found their accomplices.
Finally, DM spoke. "Alright," he muttered, "let's get this over with."
Suddenly, each of them felt something creep across their wrists. Colored bands had been wrapped onto their wrists, and each person had a different color- Danger Mouse had red, Judas had green, Stiletto had blue, and Sabrina had purple. It was official: they were playing the game.
A wide gap in the darkness opened before them. It had to be the first of the five levels. Again, none of them really wanted to do this, but it seemed to be the only way they could find Penfold and Greenback. One by one, they entered through the portal, fearing what lay on the other side…
Once all four players were on the other side of the portal, the gazed upon the playing field known as Level 1. Strangely enough, it was a huge arena, filled with hoops and hurdles and all sorts of odd objects. Once more, a bold white line trailed around the arena, covering each of the obstacles from where they stood to the portal to the next level.
To say the least, they were all quite confused, but it was the White Wonder that soon realized what type of arena they were in. "Now this is odd," he commented. "This set-up appears to be an agility contest."
Judas nodded. "It's a common sport for herding dogs," he informed, smirking a little, "including my breed."
Sabrina scoffed. "You?" she spat. "I bet you couldn't jump over a fence if you were right in front of it."
The pooch rolled his eyes and approached one of the hurdles. "Ha, ha, ha," he mocked, not looking where he was going. "I bet you think that's very funny-" Then, without warning, he walked right into the hurdle, falling to the floor pathetically.
Chuckling lightly, Sabrina laughed and shook her head. "You know, I do," she remarked.
Suddenly, Judas' body began to dissolve into the surrounding atmosphere. He soon reappeared with all the others, slightly perplexed. "Okay," he murmured, "what just happened?"
The agent thought for a moment. "Well, we are in a video game," he reasoned. "Perhaps you just… lost a life. That's it, really."
Needless to say, Judas was more than shocked. "I lost a life, on the first level!" he cried. "What am I- a two-year-old??"
"That's debatable," Danger Mouse mumbled.
Amused with the agent's comment, Stiletto laughed heartily. Even if they were enemies, he did have a point.
Judas let out a growl and rolled up his sleeve. "That's it," he snapped, approaching the henchcrow. "Come here, bird-brain- let's see if you can fly!"
Immediately, Stiletto turned tail and ran like the wind. In an effort to ditch the dog, he headed straight for the obstacle course- hopping each hurdle, running each ramp, speeding through the tunnels, and making the final leap through the three hoops!
Although still exhausted from his astounding feat, Stiletto still had enough energy left to taunt the American pooch. "Ha!" he scoffed, still catching his breath. "Look if-a you can-a beat that!"
A casual smirk crossed Judas' face. "I bet I can," he remarked, rubbing his foot into the ground. "In fact, watch me." With that, he ran off into the obstacle course, intent on beating the henchcrow to a pulp.
Of course, Sabrina had other ideas. "Not if I can help it," she spat, running after the recruit and towards the first hurdle. "Your hide is as good as mine, dog!"
With a heavy sigh, DM briefly flexed his muscles and sprinted after both of them. This won't be easy, he thought.
After having completed the obstacle course, most of them were too tired to even consider a brawl, especially Judas (probably a good thing, too).
Sabrina raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "So, agility is in your blood, huh?" she questioned. "I don't see why you have any reason to be proud- you're just as worn out as the rest of us."
"Shut up, cat," Judas gasped, walking over to the portal labeled Level 2. "Let's see what we've got in store for the next level." He poked his head inside the portal, and pulled back out a moment later. "Hey, guys- this one looks really easy."
Dubious, Sabrina pushed Stiletto forward. "Go take a look," she ordered. "Make sure he's not lying."
The henchcrow nodded and approached the portal, taking a brief look for himself. "Ai, pooch is-a right," he assured. "Is not-a that hard."
Smiling, Sabrina walked over to the American dog and the Italian crow, pushed them both aside, and stepped through the portal. Danger Mouse also brushed past them, going onto the next level.
Left alone, Judas and Stiletto glanced at each other in confusion. They shrugged, and soon followed their companions through the portal…
With a loud scream of horror, the four players ran through the portal to the next level. They had just barely survived Level 2, with near devastating results.
His tongue lolling out of his mouth, Judas smiled. "Well," he breathed, "that went well… at least, we're not dead yet."
"Although some of us," Sabrina remarked, "are getting pretty close."
Once the whole group had a chance to catch their breaths, they took a look around. They had already known that they were in Level 3, but it looked just as innocent as the two that came before it- it was a wide grassy field, where a huge herd of sheep grazed peacefully. It looked so pure… and yet they all knew it wasn't.
Judas cocked his eyebrows. "Alright," he murmured. "A large herd of sheep grazing in a sunny field- what's wrong with this picture?"
Sabrina shrugged. "Maybe they're not sheep," she commented, picking up a nearby stone. "Let's see for ourselves."
However, Stiletto had a slightly different idea. Sabrina had saved him on the last two levels, and he was somewhat determined to make a good impression on her. Quickly but gently he took her hand and lowered it, taking the stone from her. "Allow-a me," he pressed, tossing the small rock.
The stone flew swiftly through the air, hitting a nearby sheep. Slightly irritated, the sheep turned about and approached them, her ears flat over her fuzzy scalp.
Stiletto chuckled, kneeling down and petting the seemingly harmless sheep. "See this?" he said. "This-a is nothing but a harmless-"
Suddenly, the henchcrow was cut off when the sheep opened her mouth to bleat, breathing fire on her unsuspecting victim. He quickly dissolved, then reappeared with the rest of the team.
The American pooch blinked. "Okay," he muttered. "Fire-breathing sheep. That's… not exactly normal, is it?"
The female feline rolled her eyes. "Look, all we have to do is get by without agitating them," she reasoned. "We can do that…" She glanced at Judas, then Stiletto, then Judas again. "At least, I know I can do that."
The White Wonder, however, knew better than to assume. "I think I have a better idea," he remarked, hopping atop the sheep. "We can work our way over the sheep, rather than through them."
Of course, Judas couldn't grasp the concept his chief was getting at. "And this makes sense… how??" he questioned.
"It doesn't," the agent explained, "but it's a video game- anything can happen. Besides, it's better to walk over them- especially since they can't tilt their heads up."
Hopelessly perplexed, Judas groaned. "Look," he snapped, "I don't care how much sense it makes." He leapt into the air, towards the massive herd of sheep. "All I know is that there is no way that some of us are going to be able to walk across these sheep when we can't even…" He peered at the 'ground' beneath his feet, which was actually the fleecy backside of another sheep. He sighed heavily and added, "… Never mind."
As Danger Mouse and Judas made their way across the vast sheep herd, Sabrina glanced at Stiletto. "Well, let's get going," she pressed, hopping atop one of the sheep and extending her hand. "Come on, Stiletto."
The henchman nodded, taking her hand and lifting himself onto the sheep. Slowly but surely they guided themselves across the ocean of fleecy grazers, as did DM and Judas ahead of them.
Judas laughed, hopping from one sheep to the next. "Oh, this is too easy!" he commented. "I could do this all day!" Suddenly, his foot slipped, and he feel in-between a few of the sheep. Aggravated, they turned about, toasting the poor pooch with their fiery breath.
Once Judas had appeared back at the starting point, he sighed heavily and stepped atop one of the sheep. "Oh well," he growled. "I still have one life to go."
After navigating their way through the sea of fleece and fire, they all finally made it to the other side. Another portal soon opened up, revealing the next level.
Curious, Sabrina walked over to the next portal and stuck her head inside. "Oh, boy," she murmured, turning around to face the other three players. "The next level looks tough- you'd better watch yourselves, boys."
As Sabrina stepped through the portal to the next level, a moment of awkward silence followed. Then, one by one, the rest of them went on to Level 4…
The portal to Level 5 soon opened up. Danger Mouse, Judas, Stiletto, and Sabrina stepped through unscathed from the last level. Apparently, it wasn't as much of a challenge as they expected it to be.
A smile crossed the agent's face. "Well," he said, turning to the others, "if my guess is correct, we're on the last level. If we can make it past this one, we'll find our way out soon enough."
Sabrina sighed. "Good," she spat, "because this whole thing is getting pretty tiresome. If I see another portal to a harder level, I am going to scream!"
At that moment, a new voice interrupted their conversation. "Now, we wouldn't want that, would we?"
Needless to say, this got everyone's attention. Looking ahead, they saw a dense fog cover; it began to dissolve, revealing a tall slender canine figure. Upon closer inspection, it soon became apparent that this was a female anthro Border Collie. She wore a loose karate uniform, secured with a black belt; to match, she also had a red headband and a halfhearted expression.
Perplexed, Judas approached the female canine. "Hello," he greeted meekly. "Who… are you?"
The Border Collie snorted. "My name is Grace Keen," she answered, "but those who know me best call me Gracie."
Feeling better about himself, Judas approached Gracie and shook her hand. "Judas Franklin," he introduced himself. "So… what're you doing here?"
Gracie chuckled lightly. "I programmed myself into the game," she replied. "I can do that to my own game."
Surprised, Danger Mouse stepped forward. "Just a moment," he halted. "You created this game??"
"It was my design," Gracie responded. "I come from a long line of champion agility-contest-winning dogs; I thought it would be a good idea to make the experience more enjoyable, and less strenuous, for those who are unable to compete."
DM nodded. "Interesting," he murmured. "So, you're the game's programmer?"
Slightly angered, Gracie nodded. "I was," she began. "I used to work for the biggest game producers in the world… that is, until they accused me of fraud. They never got any of the checks I sent back to them, so they figured I wasn't going to pay them back at all and fired me on the spot." She looked up, giving them all a cold stare. "This was mere days before my game came out on the market. I never got anything from my own game- no money, no praise, no recognition…"
It was becoming clear what breed of dog they were dealing with, and the White Wonder had a good idea of what to expect. "Is that what this is about?" he questioned. "You want credit for the game you created?"
Nodding, Gracie gripped her fists. "Those imbeciles won't hire me back," she continued. "So, I decided that if I want to be recognized for my time, my skill, and my effort, I'm going to have to get it the hard way."
Of course, Judas was still confused. "So," he said, "you figure that if you kidnap all the folks who play your game, you'll get your fame and fortune?"
The Border Collie smirked. "I prefer to call it a hostage situation," she explained. "Besides, they don't know it was me, but they'll call me in to deprogram it. I'll just blame the sudden disappearances on the use of faulty equipment; no one will be the wiser."
Sabrina pricked her ears in amusement. "No one but us," she informed. "How are you gonna keep us from spoiling your little secret?"
Gracie laughed. "Simple," she answered. "I'll just say that you were all… lost in the server, no where to be found." She grinned evilly and added, "You'll spend the rest of your days trapped here, and you'll stay here until this software becomes obsolete… and then…" She swept her finger across her throat, signifying a sudden death.
Danger Mouse sneered. "Not if I have anything to do with it," he remarked, assuming a karate position. "Come at me!"
However, Judas had a different idea. "Wait!" he cried, taking Gracie by the arm. "Listen… it must be tough, not getting what you deserve for your hard work… but I'm sure we can work it all out." He grinned and raised his eyebrows. "Why don't you and I go and… talk about this for a while?"
Quickly, Gracie took Judas by the wrist, raising him above her head and thrashing him to the ground. His charms had no effect on her cold, grasping attitude.
Judas smiled weakly. "That's okay," he whined. "Maybe we can go out for pizza… or something…" He dissolved away, leaving only three players left.
"No! Judas!" DM shouted, then turning to glare at Gracie. "You –what have you done with Judas?? And where is Penfold?!"
Despite this, Gracie remained unusually calm. "Your friends are safe," she assured. "Your romantic recruit was sent back to the first level, and that little hamster friend of yours is currently… in my possession, along with someone else you might be interested in…" She gave Stiletto and Sabrina a sidelong look, indicating their boss.
The female feline stepped forward. "Let's make a deal," she murmured. "You give us Greenback, and we promise not to spill the beans on your little operation."
The Border Collie chuckled. "I appreciate the thought," she remarked, "but as the old saying goes, 'there is no honor among thieves'."
The henchcrow sauntered off, followed closely by his feline confidant. "Is perfect," he muttered. "Here-a we are, trapped like-a rats."
Sabrina sighed in dismay and nodded. "We're doomed to play this stupid game," she spat, "over and over and over again."
It was then that the agent was hit with an idea. "That's it!" he shouted, turning to the two henchmen. "I know how we can get out of here… but I'll need your help."
Needless to say, neither Stiletto nor Sabrina was all that willing. "Why should we?" they snapped.
Of course, Danger Mouse knew exactly how to deal with them. "Now, I don't like the idea either, but we really have no choice," he explained. "Do you really want to be stuck here forever?"
For a moment, no one spoke. Even DM was unwilling to accept this temporary truce, but hey- if they made it this far with little difficulty, why not?
Finally, the White Wonder spoke again. "Alright," he began, "we'll need to go back to the previous levels and find something to use against Grace. However, we'll also need to stay here and hold our ground; we might not be able to defeat her, but we can weaken her."
Dubious, Sabrina cocked her eyebrows. "And, how do you suggest we do that?" she hissed.
Danger Mouse sighed. "Well, at least two of us will have to stay here and fight Grace," he explained, turning to Sabrina. "You seem like the scrappy type; how well do you fight?"
The female feline grinned. "Better than anyone I know," she answered. "My friend Rocko knew all sorts of fighting styles, and he taught me everything he knew… at least, before the cops dragged him off to the big house."
Rolling his eyes, DM shook his head. "Fine," he commented, "you stay here with me- Grace will find it hard to fight two opponents at the same time. Just in case, however, we'll need backup; we need someone to go back to the first level and inform Judas." He and Sabrina slowly turned their attention to the Italian henchman. "Stiletto?"
It didn't take long for Stiletto to figure out his position; he immediately backed off, waving his arms. "No, no, no!" he refused, turning around and crossing his arms. "Not-a chance!"
Sabrina gave the agent a sidelong glance. "You know, he may have a point," she muttered. "What's in it for us?"
"Besides leaving this wretched cyber-universe?" Danger Mouse pointed out. "You and I both have our reasons for being here- I need Penfold, and you need Greenback." He sneered, adding, "Normally, I would refuse to make such a bargain, but under the circumstances… in exchange for your help, I'll let you run off with the Baron, this time."
Suddenly, Stiletto turned back around. Both he and Sabrina knew what an advantage they had here; not only could they get away with the Baron, but also they could make good use of the White Wonder's honesty and good will…
Of course, DM had yet more to say. "Should you decide to not fulfill your end of the bargain, however, the Baron will come back to the agency with me," he threatened, glaring at them. "If he is detained, you will be hunted down as well. Even if you do manage to elude the police, where else do you really have to go?" He smirked and added, "Then again, it's your choice."
The two henchmen glanced at each other; they knew what they had to do. They sighed, and reluctantly nodded.
The agent smiled. "Good," he remarked. "Now, will Stiletto be going back for Judas?"
Stiletto held his ground; after that pup almost killed him, he wasn't about to face him again- not alone! "No," he said firmly.
Quietly, Sabrina took him aside. "Come on- just do this," she pressed. "The sooner we get out of here, the better."
Shocked, Stiletto stared at her, wide-eyed in disbelief. "You see what-a he almost do to me??" he snapped. "Not-a this time! No again!"
It was then that Sabrina was hit with an idea. "You sure?" she inquired, raising her eyebrows. "I could throw in something a little… extra special for you."
Curious, the henchcrow leaned in closer. "Cie?"
At that moment, Sabrina pulled Stiletto closer, embracing him tightly. She glanced at him for a moment, and then… she kissed him. Yes, it was just a kiss… and yet, so much emotion had gone into it.
Finally, Sabrina gently stepped back, admiring the dumbfounded look on her comrade's face. "Now," she said softly, "would you mind going back, and getting that mutt for us?" She grinned suggestively. "There's more where that came from, if you get back quick enough."
No words could possibly describe the look on Stiletto's face. In the excitement of the moment, however, he curled his own hand into a fist and knocked himself out, falling to the floor. Not a moment too soon did he fade away, wasting his last life on that kiss.
Sabrina smiled. "That worked better than I thought," she remarked, turning to the puzzled agent. "No offense, rodent, but I do have the gender advantage."
Gracie coughed sharply. "If the two of you are finished," she spat, "perhaps you'd like to get this over with?"
A cruel smirk crossed Sabrina's face. "With pleasure," she replied, charging for the Border Collie.
Suddenly, Gracie disappeared from view; Sabrina skidded and collapsed to the ground. Gracie reappeared in her spot as Sabrina dissolved, reappearing next to the agent.
Danger Mouse stared wide-eyed at Gracie. "Just a moment," he muttered. "What was that?"
Gracie smirked. "You said it yourself, Danger Mouse," she commented. "This is a video game- anything is possible. As the game's programmer, I can practically make myself invincible."
The female feline growled. "You cheat!" she hissed.
A laugh escaped the Border Collie. "Try all you might," she taunted, "but I can assure you there's no way you or your friends are leaving this wretched place. Not even a miracle could save you now."
DM sneered. "Well then," he uttered under his breath, "we'll just have to try…"
Meanwhile, Judas trudged his way through the fiery herd of sheep on Level 3. "This is just perfect," he grumbled. "Now I have to do everything all over again just to get back to DM!" He sighed heavily. "Well, at least I'm making progress, and I haven't lost a life yet."
Then, the pooch's foot slipped, causing him to fall betwixt the sheep. He swallowed hard as the sheep surrounded him. "Here we go again…"
In a blazing boom, Judas was blown back to the beginning of the level. He shook his head vigorously. "Great," he complained.
It was then that another figure stepped through the portal to Level 3- Stiletto! He looked around and finally spotted Judas. "Ai, pooch!" he called out.
Perplexed, Judas turned his head and noticed the Italian crow. "Stiletto?" he inquired, standing. "What are you doing here? Where are the others?"
"Is what I come-a back to tell you," Stiletto answered. "Grace is-a too mighty. We are-a needed to bring-a back some items from-a these levels to stop her."
Of course, Judas was a little more than dubious. "Oh, yeah?" he queried. "Why should I believe you?"
Stiletto glared at him. "You have better idea, maybe?" he questioned.
Judas sighed. "You're right," he muttered. "Even you wouldn't make up a lie in a situation like this." He glanced around, and was struck with an idea. "Hey- we don't need to look. We've got a whole arsenal right here!"
Looking at the whole herd of fire-breathing sheep, Stiletto grinned. "Ai- you right," he responded. "How-a do we move-a them all?"
At that moment, Judas noticed something else- a grouping of long, thin vines trailing down the cliffsides. "Say, Stiletto," he remarked, "ever see those Dakota Jones movies?"
To say the least, the henchcrow was puzzled by the notion. "What-a you thinking?" he asked.
The pooch grinned. "Let's just say we're going to borrow a few tips from the original adventurer…"
Back in Level 5, Danger Mouse dodged and bolted his way along the arena. "I need to stop," he gasped. "A quiet place to think!"
Seeing an open crevice out of the corner of his eye, DM ran over and hid inside. "Perfect," he muttered. "Now, how can I-"
Suddenly, Gracie appeared that the opening of the crevice. She grinned evilly; she had the agent cornered. "Peek-a-boo," she taunted, jabbing him in the chest.
Danger Mouse recoiled in pain as he dissolved, then reappeared at the beginning of the level. Sabrina soon joined him, giving him a cold stare. "Well, this is just great," she hissed. "We're both down to our last lives, and neither Stiletto or that stupid mutt of yours has come back! You'd better have a plan, rodent!"
"Just give me a moment!" DM snapped, rubbing his temples. "I just need to think…" At last, an idea came to mind. "That's it!"
Puzzled, Sabrina cocked her eyebrows. "What?" she questioned.
Before he could answer her, the agent approached their Border Collie captor. "Come at me, Grace!" he challenged. "I'm not afraid!"
A smug smirk crossed Gracie's snout. "Very well, then," she agreed, charging at the White Wonder with lightening speed.
Quickly, Danger Mouse stepped out of the way, bolting off in a similar fashion. When Grace had reached her stopping point, he reappeared behind her, shoving her to the ground.
As Gracie dissolved away, Sabrina stared wide-eyed at DM. "Wait- hold on," she spat. "What just happened here?"
The agent smiled. "Remember- this is a video game," he reminded. "Our very thoughts can control not only our movements, but their potency as well. In other words, we can be stronger and quicker if we think we can."
The dark-furred feline nodded. "Wish I'd known that earlier," she muttered, then noticing Grace's reincarnation. "Oh boy- here we go again."
Gracie fumed angrily. "You fools!" she barked. "I don't know how you did that, but rest assured it won't happen again!"
Sabrina sneered. "That's what you think," she growled, disappearing in a cloud of dust. She darted back and forth in an effort to confuse the Border Collie, and finally rammed her in the back.
Satisfied, Sabrina walked back over to Danger Mouse. "Can't argue with that," she commented.
After having reappeared a second time, Gracie was getting more and more frustrated. "That's it," she growled. "I've had it with you! I would have gladly sent you back to the first level with little to complain about, but now you have crossed the line. No one ruins my creation and gets away with it!"
At that moment, the ground rose up around them, enclosing them all in a small space no bigger than small bedroom. Gracie grinned evilly as she approached the agent and the henchman, both of them unsuccessful in their attempts to escape.
DM swallowed hard. "This can't be good," he muttered.
The Border Collie cackled. "Well, I'd leave you with one final request," she admitted, "but seeing as you'll soon be back here anyway, there's no need for a formality." She cracked her knuckles in a threatening gesture, a wide smile across her face. "I'll see you soon."
Before she could react, however, Gracie stopped to consider her surroundings. "That noise," she murmured, pricking her ears. "It sounds like sheep… but the sheep are back a few levels… why would they…"
Suddenly, a vast portal opened, and a great herd of fire-breathing sheep rumbled downwards. Two new figures appeared, apparently Judas and Stiletto, astride two huge fiery rams. "Yeah!" the pooch cried. "This is awesome!"
Relieved, Danger Mouse ran towards the herd of sheep, bounding over each beast in an effort to reach his recruit. "Judas!" he called out.
Upon seeing DM, Judas grabbed a long vine wrapped around his waist and tossed it out to the agent. "DM!" he shouted. "Grab on!"
Quickly, the agent reached out and grabbed the vine, pulled in swiftly by the pooch. "Good show, Judas!" he complimented.
Meanwhile, Sabrina struggled to stay above the stampeding herd of sheep. "Stiletto!" she yelped.
In response, the henchcrow unfurled the vine wrapped around his own waist and threw it in his companion's direction. She took hold, making her way up the vine over to her friend. "My hero," she replied with a smirk.
After a good long time of mad fire-breathing sheep running rampant in a void of space, the madness seemed to die down. The sheep cleared away from one area, where a badly beaten Gracie lay barely conscious.
Concerned, Danger Mouse rushed over to the Border Collie. "Grace," he addressed, "are you alright?"
Gracie snarled. "You'll never get away with this," she growled. "None of you will…" With that, a gaping portal opened beneath her, and she disappeared inside.
The agent glanced at his recruit. "I'm going in- Penfold could be on the other side," he informed. "Are you coming?"
The pooch nodded hard. "You bet!" he agreed. "Let's go!"
As DM and Judas jumped into the portal, Stiletto and Sabrina looked at each other. Honestly, they had nothing to lose; if Penfold was there, then so was Greenback. Even if they weren't there, it couldn't possibly be any worse than what they already had to put up with!
Unsure of himself, Stiletto swept his hands towards the portal. "Ladies first," he permitted.
Sabrina smirked. "That's either very polite or very cowardly of you," she commented, gazing into the huge gaping hole. "There's only one way to know for sure, though."
With a heavy sigh, the two henchmen approached the portal. They took each other's hands, so they would at least stay together, and quickly jumped inside…
Danger Mouse and Judas soon found themselves in a large abandoned house. The atmosphere was cold and dreary, despite the fact that the house itself was in tolerable condition. There was no sign of anyone living there… and no sign of Gracie.
DM glanced at Judas. "Let's begin a search," he instructed. "Wherever we are, at least we're in the real world… and chances are that she has Penfold, and perhaps Greenback, held hostage here."
Puzzled, Judas followed his chief around the house. "What makes you think that?" he questioned. "This could just be another dead end."
It was then that a door creaked open at the far end of a nearby hallway. Curious, both the agent and his recruit walked over, opening the door wider to reveal…
"Penfold!" the agent shouted.
Indeed, it was Penfold. He had been sleeping on a small bed with tainted sheets, a lumpy pillow, and a light blanket. His glasses, along with a small glass of water, sat on the shoddy wooden nightstand next to the bed.
The young hamster's eyes blinked open. "DM," he yawned. "Thank goodness you're alright. I was very worried for you."
Judas sighed, sitting down on the bed next to Penfold. "So were we," he remarked.
Of course, Danger Mouse was a bit concerned with what Penfold had been through. "What happened?" he inquired.
Penfold sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Oh, it was awful!" he whined, putting on his glasses. "There were so many terrible things I saw, and by the time I got to the end, I thought I wouldn't make it." Then, a small smile crossed his face. "When I woke up, however, this nice lady named Grace found me; she told me that I had gotten trapped in the game, and that she saved me."
Upon hearing that his friend had met Grace, DM listened more intently. "Go on," he urged.
"Well, I told her how you were already coming to get me," Penfold explained. "She knew who you were, and she told me that she had also found Greenback and reported him to the authorities. She also told me that if she found you, that she would do what she could to get you out." His smile turned into a grin. "I'm glad everything worked out."
For a moment, neither the agent nor the recruit spoke. They both knew that it was far from the truth- that Gracie was, instead, trying to keep them from him. So long as she could fool the naïve little hamster, she could get off scot-free.
The silence was broken by a loud scream. "What do you mean, he's not here?!" a familiar female voice shrieked.
Quickly, the heroic trio rushed out of the room. It was Stiletto and Sabrina- they made it out of the game. They approached Gracie; although still a Border Collie, she was dressed in average clothes. "Greenback didn't want to stay, you imbeciles," she clarified. "He wanted to go back, so I gave him some bus money; I have a few friends in the business, so I can assure you he got back safely."
Needless to say, Penfold was shocked. "But she… she said…" he stuttered, "how could she… why…"
Sabrina snarled. "Wish you had told us that earlier," she snapped. "Do you know what we had to put up with? The dog was a total moron, and the rodent thought he was such a big shot! Working with them was impossible!"
Gracie rolled her eyes. "I know the feeling- my old job was full of morons and big shots," she spat. "You know, you don't have to stay; I don't wanna be responsible for keeping you here anyway. Besides, the Baron is probably waiting for you."
Stiletto tipped his hat. "Glad you are-a seeing things our road," he responded as he and Sabrina made their way outside. "Grazi, Grace!"
Devastated, Penfold leaned against the wall and fell to the floor. He was speechless- how could someone so nice, so caring, so generous be so… evil?
Danger Mouse stepped out of the shadows and approached Gracie. "Alright, Grace," he addressed, "you've had your fun and games… but it's over now. Come quietly, and I can assure you a lighter sentence."
Surprised, Gracie reached for a small remote control on the floor. "That's what you think," she threatened. "I have here a remote, which can send my own body back and forth through my computer. So long as I have this, no one can catch me- not even you."
It was then that Penfold looked out from behind DM. He stared right at Gracie, a sad look on his face.
For a minute, Gracie was silent. She knew that she would have had to tell him sometime; now was her last chance. "Sorry, lad," she said, almost apathetically, "but I have other ideas. You'll understand when you're older." With that, she pressed a few buttons on the remote control and faded away.
Judas looked over to the agent. "Now what?"
The White Wonder sighed. "There's only one thing we can do," he answered, "but it's quite drastic."
Fortunately, Judas knew what his chief was talking about. "Oh," he replied. "Well… maybe we should get Colonel K's advice."
Glancing at the computer, Danger Mouse shook his head. "We don't need to," he commented. "I already know what he would want us to do."
A small tear rolled down Penfold's cheek. This couldn't be happening… it just couldn't!
Concerned, Judas knelt down beside Penfold and hugged him, rubbing his back as if he were a baby. He looked at the agent out of the corner of his eye and nodded; it was for the best.
With a heavy sigh, DM approached the computer… and pulled the plug. Gracie had unwittingly locked herself into her own prison, and it would most likely become her life sentence.
After a moment of silent thought, the agent stood. "We should be going," he murmured. "It will be a long bus trip back to headquarters…"
About a week or so later, things returned to normal for the most part. Every HedgeSoft program was tracked down and destroyed, and everyone who had been reported missing returned home. Most of them applauded the efforts of the one "who had saved them from their computerized nightmare"- Grace Keen, the creator of the game.
As for Gracie, she was long gone. Her computer had been taken back to headquarters and analyzed by Professor Squawkencluck, before being locked away under heavy protection. According to the newspapers, she was nowhere to be found, despite the fact that her old company offered her job back. Little did they know…
Baron Greenback remained interested in his technology, but made the decision to stay away from computers for a while. The incident was so puzzling that he and his henchmen rested for a few days before returning to work. By the way, Stiletto never did get that kiss; better luck next time.
Now, as for Danger Mouse…
Danger Mouse walked out from beneath one of the trees, tossing a worn baseball through the air. "Catch!"
Not too far away, Judas watched intently. When the ball came his way, he leapt up… and caught the ball in his mouth.
Frustrated, DM buried his head in his hands. "Judas, for the last time," he muttered, "do not catch the ball with your mouth!"
Judas spat the ball out, wiping it off on his shirt. "Come on," he whined. "I'm a dog- you'd have to expect that from me!"
"And I suppose that I should expect you to chase birds and herd animals?" the agent snapped sarcastically, taking the ball from Judas.
The pooch snorted, his ears flat across his head. "Look, just toss the stupid ball," he growled. "I came here to play ball!"
Rolling his eyes, Danger Mouse leaned back and curved his wrist, tossing the ball a great distance. "Use your hands this time!" he shouted.
At that moment, a middle-aged sheep passed by. He saw DM, and immediately recognized the face. "Danger Mouse??" he gasped, running over. "It is you! Well, guv, it's so good to finally meet you!"
The agent turned to the sheep, giving a small smile and a nod. "Hello," he greeted uneasily. "Erm, have we met before?"
The sheep shook his head. "Oh, no!" he admitted. "I'm just grateful for what you did for Ms. Keen- helping her rescue everyone. I was so worried when my son went missing playing that game!"
Again, Danger Mouse nodded slightly. This wasn't the first person he had met who had mistaken Grace for who she really was, but could he really tell that to this gentleman, and his son? Sure, but they probably wouldn't have believed him.
It was then that a mad cry went out. "Sheep!" Judas cried. "Sheep! Sheep!!"
Shocked, both DM and the sheep gentleman turned to see Judas running towards them… or more precisely, the gentleman. "Sheep!" yelped the pooch.
Suddenly, the sheep gentleman became very afraid. "Um, if you'll excuse me," he squeaked, running over to a parked car near the park. "Start the car, luv! Start the car!"
As the sheep jumped inside and the car sped off, Judas suddenly broke out of his insanity. "Huh?" he murmured. "What happened?"
With a heavy sigh, the agent turned to his recruit and slapped him across the face. "That's it!" he screamed. "The next time we come, you're wearing a leash!"
After Danger Mouse stormed off in the direction of the Mayfare pillar-box, Judas stayed behind and thought for a moment. Oh, did I forget to tell him about that… thing that runs in my family? He pondered. That would have been so embarrassing-
"Judas!" DM shouted. "Are you coming or what??"
Shrugging, Judas picked up the baseball and ran after the agent. "Coming!"
THE END!
PS- yeah, this was another long one. You'll be happy to know that at least I shortened it somewhat by doing some editing before putting this up. ~_^
In case you're wondering, Grace will (most likely) not appear in the series again. Don't think that I hate Border Collies, though- far from it! They're one of my favorite breeds! ^_^ My next-door neighbors have a Border Collie named Gracie, which is where I got the character's name. The real-life Gracie, however, is such a sweetie!! ^-^