Part 7

"Boss, it's all falling apart! Gadget is here and he's already gotten past the Vandals and Dent!"

"I am disappointed in you, Frazier. Do what you can. Should the police take you, I'll make sure your incarceration is not permanent. I may have need of you again in the future."

I pushed the doors to Neuro-Core open and stepped inside to see Kira's holographic lying down on the projector grip, nearly done for.

"Inspector, please help me," she whispered.

The computers in the room were flashing with the message 'Memory Overload' and one monitor was showing the progress of the virus. I interfaced with the computer to stop the virus.

ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE UPLOAD

SOFTWARE ACTIVATED

While I was tending to the virus a door behind me marked 'High Voltage' opened and Frazier came out, carrying a fair sized electrical cable with him.

"Inspector, look out!" warned Kira.

I turned my head and saw the doctor but I couldn't disconnect from the terminal until the anti-virus software was done purging the system. It was almost done but wouldn't be done soon enough.

"You've ruined everything!" exclaimed Frazier as he approached me and buried the cable against my back.

The anti-virus finally finished and I disconnected immediately and hit Frazier full in the chest. He flew into another computer terminal and fell to the ground while the cable hit another terminal. Suddenly the lights on the floor went out and Kira's image dissolved.

"She's dead," said Frazier. "Technically I had to kill her twice but she's finally dead."

"You are under arrest," I said and approached him.

But before I could take a second step the system rebooted and the lights came back on along with Kira.

"She's back! No!" he exclaimed and ran for an elevator.

"Thanks for the help," Kira smiled.

"Glad to be of assistance ma'am," I smiled back and tipped my hat. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to arrest Dr. Frazier."

"Don't worry, he won't get far."

BUILDING OPERATIONS

ACCESS ELEVATOR CONTROLS

In the elevator Frazier was planning how he was going to evade arrest when the lift suddenly went into freefall, stopped a few floors before the ground floor and shot back up just as fast. Kira watched Frazier through the security feed as she played with the lift and laughed to herself.

The cops were finishing stuffing the Vandal gang into the port-a-perp when they heard a noise behind them. They turned around with their guns ready.

"Whoa, don't shoot! Carter Slade, Archangel," he exclaimed with his hands raised.

"Chief, that's the guy I was telling you about, he's Frazier's friend," said Ashley.

"It's him, that's the guy!" gasped Penny after she recognized him.

"That's who?"

"The Ripper, he's the one who gave that man the shot!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," glared Slade. "You're lying."

"I think she's telling the truth," Steele smirked. "Miller, your case your call."

"Thank you chief. You, hot shot, are under arrest for… HEY!"

Slade suddenly pulled a fast one and managed to lock an arm around Ashley's throat and held another syringe close to it.

"All right, nobody move or she gets it!" he warned.

"Drop it!" I ordered as I appeared on the scene after taking the stairs.

"Back off, inspector, or I turn your friend into a statue!"

"Just shoot him, Gadget!"

"Quiet, Tinkerbell!"

That choice of words was a big mistake on Slade's part. Ashley, spited by the name, grabbed her captors arm and twisted it around before jabbing it, and the syringe, into Slade's leg.

"Oh shit," muttered Slade when he realized what he had done. He tried to run but stopped when he realize he had run into the path of an incoming car. "STOP! STO-"

The words died in his throat as he froze up and the car stopped just an inch in front of him. It was Mr. King's limo and got out and stared in shock at his Vice President.

Frazier was still being thrown around like a pinball in the elevator which was still going up and down like one of those slingshot rides at amusement parks. Finally it went all the way down to the ground floor and the doors opened. It took him a few seconds to comprehend what had happened but Frazier crawled hurriedly out of the lift and latched on to the police man who was waiting outside to apprehend him.

"Please, take me away! She's everywhere! Nowhere is safe!" he pleaded.

"And I want to assure you that Archangel does not condone any of Mr. Slade's actions," King explained to the chief.

They were interrupted by a ruckus which turned out to be a pair of cops dragging a panicked and still shouting Frazier to the port-a-perp.

"Well, let's see. I apprehended a dangerous street gang, recaptured the city's most dangerous criminal, stopped a takeover of Archangel and arrested the man behind it, and it's not even nine o' clock yet," I grinned at Shelby.

"And you got me a front page story in the process," she added and kissed me.

"And now, I guess it's time to take you back to Family Services," I said and looked at Penny.

"No! I don't want to go back there!"

"Then I guess someone's going to have to adopt you," I commented as I kneeled down to look her in the eyes.

"Really? You mean it?"

"Of course, if it's alright with you, Shelby."

"David, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Of course I'm sure! After all, we've been married for a few years haven't we?"

"Well if it's all right with you, I guess I can't argue."

"That's what I'd hoped you say. C'mon, let's go home."

Penny gave a whoop of joy and ran back to Gadgetmobile with Shelby and me following close behind.

Elsewhere in the city someone was not happy with what had taken place. The dim room was illuminated mainly by the small TV screen in the desk the person was sitting at.

"You win again, but I'll get you next time."

The TV showed my face and he smashed it with his hand which was made of metal.

"Next time, Gadget. This is far from over, as you'll soon see. This is just the beginning."

NEXT EPISODE: OBSOLETE?