Chapter 2 - The Mission

The two agents arrived at Control headquarters and entered Larrabee's office. F3 was riding on Max's shoulder and had her tiny backpack on. Max was carrying his suitcase.

"Hey, F3, it's really good to see you," said Larrabee, as they passed. "Are you on a case?"

The cat nodded and waved at Larrabee.

"Gee, you're cute, F3. Have fun on your assignment!"

Max stopped in front of Larrabee's desk. "Larrabee, are you ignoring me?"

"Oh, hi Max. I didn't see you."

"You didn't see me, but you saw the cat? Who do you think is carrying her around?"

"It's an honest mistake, Max."

Max rolled his eyes and attempted to enter the Chief's office, but instead bumped the end of his suitcase into the automatic sliding door which seemed to be a bit slow this morning. He dropped the suitcase on his foot. "Owww!" he yelled, hopping around on one foot.

Meanwhile, the tiny blue-eyed cat had gracefully jumped off Max's shoulder and through the partially opened door, padding softly over to the Chief's desk where she jumped with one swift leap. She nuzzled the Chief's hand with her head and he rubbed her ears.

Max was still having trouble with the suitcase. The suitcase had fallen into the partially open doorway. Max turned around, looking for it and backed into the suitcase, falling over backwards into the Chief's office. Somehow he did a back flip and ended up standing, but facing away from the Chief. He straightened his tie and vest and turned.

"Hi, Chief. How are you? What's new?"

The Chief and F3 rolled their eyes. "Max, that was quite a performance. But this isn't the circus! Will you just sit down?"

"Sure, Chief."

The Chief noticed that the suitcase was still stuck in the partially opened door and the door was buzzing loudly, trying to close. "Max, the suitcase is still stuck; will you get that? Wait…never mind, just stay there." He put on the intercom and buzzed Larrabee.

"Larrabee, will you get Max's suitcase out of the door?"

"What's that, Chief? I can't hear you. The door is buzzing so loud I can't hear a thing on the phone? By the way, did you also know that Max's suitcase is stuck in the door? I have a feeling it shouldn't be there…"

The Chief, mumbling to himself, went over to the door and pulled Max's suitcase out of the way. The door closed and all went back to normal…well…maybe not normal…

"Chief, what is this all about…what's going on?" He paused and looked up. "Where's the Cone of Silence?"

"Max, I had it removed."

"No! You had better get it back or KAOS will know all our secrets, Chief!"

"Max, it never worked."

"Why sure it did."

"Max, take my word for it. And I've had a request to take it out anyway."

"A request, Chief, a request? From whom, may I ask?"

"Ummm. One of our agents felt it was a detriment to our security instead of a help. You see, you have to shout in there, and it was felt that KAOS could hear us shouting."

"That's ridiculous, Chief." Max was seriously pouting. "It's always been our best security tool."

"Max, I made sure there is ample security. I had the lab put invisible security wires all around the room. If there is ever a bug planted or any other type of breach, the security system will inform the mainframe and it will send us a message."

"Chief, I really liked the Cone of Silence…this is like…losing an old friend…"

"Max, don't be ridiculous. The shouting under that thing was getting out of hand."

"And it hurt my ears too," spoke up F3, licking her paw. "And it smells nasty under that thing. Like dirty plastic."

"Yes, that's right," said the Chief, petting her back. She wound the end of her tail around his wrist. "F3 is absolutely right."

Max squinted and got a bit closer to the Chief. "You mean to tell me that you listened to a silly cat, but you won't listen to me, a faithful Control agent who has worked his fingers to the bone, slaving for Control night and day…summer and winter, 24 hours a day…going to the ends of the earth every day…"

"Max, get a grip on yourself. You are my best agent, it's true…and you do go on difficult missions and put yourself in danger….but what has this got to do with the Cone of Silence?"

"I want it back!" Max pouted.

"All right," sighed the Chief. "I knew you'd be upset, so…I've asked Carlson to come up with a portable Cone of Silence. I was going to surprise you." He buzzed the intercom again.

"Carlson, are you there?"

"Yes."

"How are you coming on a replacement for the Cone of Silence?"

"I'll be right up."

The scientist who came up with many of the Control gadgets walked through the Chief's door. He had several white plastic bowl-like apparatus in his hands. He put them down on the Chief's desk upside-down. One had the name "Chief;" one said "86", a tiny one said, "F3" and another normal one said "99."

"I brought one for 99, Chief, for the next time she's on a case."

"Very good, Carlson. So how do they work?"

"Well you just put it on your head, like this." He demonstrated by putting 99's apparatus on his head like a derby. Under her name were several buttons. He pushed one. "You push this one to receive, when you want to hear someone." He pushed another button. "You push this one when you want to send…in other words, talk. That's it. When you take them off, they are deactivated, when you put them back on, they immediately reactivate." He paused. "And the best part of it is, you can't be heard by anyone unless they are wearing one of these."

The Chief smiled in appreciation. "Carlson, that's ingenious! I am impressed. Thank you. We will use them right away."

"Oh and F3, there are some slits through the top of yours for your ears and it's lined with blue velvet to make it soft."

F3 purred in appreciation. Max looked at the Chief. "Chief, why does she get special privileges? Why can't I have a velvet-lined one too?"

"Max…." chided the Chief.

"By the way, they're called the Hats of Silence, if you were wondering," said Carlson as he made his exit.

The three put on the Hats of Silence and tried them out. They worked perfectly.

"Max and F3, I told you about the scientists who are being kidnapped and their brains stripped of scientific information."

"Well, Chief," said Max slowly. "You actually told F3 and she told me."

"Yes, that's correct, Max." The Chief sighed. "Anyway, you are to infiltrate KAOS and pose as a scientist and his cat. You will wait at this hotel," here the Chief gave F3 a card with an address that she put in her backpack…"until you get further instructions."

"Chief, about that…don't you think you should have come up with a better disguise for F3? I mean, she really is a cat, so how is having her be a cat a disguise?"

"Max…" the Chief was getting pinkish around the edges of his face. "This is all worked out. No questions. Do you understand me?"

"Chief, you said, 'no questions."

The pink started infiltrating the Chief's cheeks and turning red. "Look Max, just go to the hotel, wait until we find the KAOS building. We will give you directions and then go there and see what you can find out. It's as simple as that. Goodbye."

"Can I just ask if we're through here, Chief?"

The Chief arose from behind the desk, his face becoming a lovely shade of purple. "Max, don't forget to take off the Hat of Silence! Leave it on my desk! And don't forget your stupid suitcase…and get out of here!"

Max took off the Hat, picked up his suitcase and walked out, forgetting F3, still on the Chief's desk. The Chief took her Hat off and stroked her fur. She rubbed his hand with her head and he calmed down.

"They don't really do anything, do they, Chief," said the cat.

"No, it's just to make Max feel better. I had Carlson make them up so we could actually speak to each other without shouting. And the wired security system will take care of any real security breaches."

F3 paused, "He forgot me…"

"He'll be back…just about…now…"

The door opened at that moment and Max nodded to F3, who ran over to him and jumped on his shoulder. The Chief sank back in his chair exhausted from briefing Agent 86.