Zero Witching Hour

by Grey-X

Gadget Hackwrench has always seemed delightfully absent-minded and cheerful, but a deep insecurity has always lurked under the surface. Upon learning that Fat Cat and Professor Nimnul have teamed up, and getting badly wounded on the Rangers' first case going after them, it bubbles to the surface. Can the newest Ranger, a human named Isaac Osceola, keep Gadget off this dark path?

11. Winds of Change

Zero Witching Hour
a Chip n' Dale Rescue Rangers story
Chapter 11: Winds of Change
8-27-2011
by Grey-X

Disclaimer: Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers and all related characters are the creation and property of Disney…and I guess Marvel too. Whoopee.

xxxxxx

Zipper flew about anxiously as the streetlamps clicked on, as if expecting trouble at any moment, from any direction, now that it was dusk. It wasn't as if Rebecca Nimnul was making any effort to conceal herself at the moment; her Flyers hoodie only did so much. She stood there with Isaac and Gadget, though thankfully the latter was once again magically disguised. Rebecca looked down all the streets, eyes taking in all the hustle and bustle, filled with an odd mix of sorrow and serenity. Zipper never expected to see the latter from this human, not after what Isaac told them about the Nimnul family. "Florence…she loved it when I took her to these parts. All the liveliness, all the people…she just loved everyone," she said somberly. "It's different now. Now with all the crime in this area, crime that that Aldrin Klordane introduced, and Norton helped with…"

"At least we can try to set one thing right, Aunt Becky," said Isaac, hoping to snap his aunt out of it.

Rebecca took a deep breath. "You're right. Now's the time for action." She turned to Gadget. Zipper flew down closer, noticing how Chip and Dale were clinging to Gadget's neck, obscured by her hair. "OK, Norton has no idea we're here. But the more we snoop around, the more likely we'll be found out. So we'll start here. This part of the city that's become its smelliest armpit. From what I've read, a lot of Klordane's slimy tentacles ran through here, and Norton might be using some of those old contacts."

"Movin' that steel from Pittsburgh, fences ta sell some o' his ill-gotten gains, that sort o' thing," came Monterey Jack's voice, though Zipper couldn't see where he was. "Yeah, if what ya say is true, lass, this is the place to start."

"Not to mention, there's animal criminal connections he can exploit now, thanks to Fat Cat," added Gadget.

"So it's settled. We'll split up into two groups. You and Isaac will take that end, do a little snooping, and have those chipmunks do some digging under the radar. I'll take the other end and bring the rest. There might be some old friends still in town who owe me some favors," said Rebecca. Zipper hoped Gadget would argue; the way this human was bossing all of them around was getting on his nerves. But Gadget simply nodded and turned to leave. Sighing, Zipper flew down and landed on Rebecca's shoulder. Looking up, Zipper saw the fire and fury in her eyes. Zipper grimaced. He knew Norton Nimnul would bear the brunt of that fury, and felt no pity for him, but the way that fire spilled out against the Rescue Rangers was irksome.

As Zipper settled onto the soft, thick fabric, Rebecca's shoulder suddenly jerked, almost throwing him off. Looking up again, Zipper saw Rebecca had grabbed Gadget's shoulder, just as Isaac was walking away. "And you watch my nephew's back, you hear me? You're his 'conduit' or whatever, so that means he's your responsibility too." Gadget just stared back with an even gaze, saying nothing. She simply nodded again, then ran to catch up with Isaac.

Rebecca watched them go, and Zipper could sense her lingering distrust. "I can feel your eyes on me, little fly. Got anything to add?" she said suddenly. Stunned, Zipper couldn't think of a retort. "Alright then. Your buddy and the bat are here too. We're all set." She turned to briskly walk down the other street. As Rebecca walked on, Zipper noticed that it was getting darker, and the streetlamps did little to alleviate the gloominess, the dread of hidden dangers. Rebecca must have felt the same way. "Tension's getting pretty thick out here, Foxglove. You're the only other one who's familiar with this hocus-pocus, so I'll need you to spread your wings and keep a lookout. If you smell anything not kosher, just holler, and keep it off my back till I get a bead on it."

Without a hint of protest, Foxglove flew out of Rebecca's hoodie pocket and hovered above them. Zipper noticed the round bulge in the other pocket, and figured that's where Monterey Jack was. Plus, I bet she's hiding at least three guns under that gaudy hoodie, Zipper thought dourly. Ugh, these humans and their guns…

As the minutes rolled by, Zipper lost track of where they were, how far Rebecca had walked. Eventually, the smell of restaurant cooking wafted up to his nose…along with the copious amount of garbage right behind it. Looking up, he saw a big neon sign saying 'TAD'S PHILLY EMPORIUM'. "So, Tad did inherit the business," whispered Rebecca in surprise. "He was…always such a stupid risk-taker. Got in deep with Klordane's crooked dealings. But I heard he cleaned up his act once he got out. Glad I heard right."

"Well, everyone deserves a second chance," said Zipper dubiously

"Tad might be legit now, but mark my words, he'll still keep his ear to the ground. If he knows of anything fishy, he'll tell me," Rebecca hissed to him.

It may have been a shady dive and a front for Klordane years before, but now, it did look like a legitimate business. The place had been renovated, and at least fifty trees like the Ranger's could fit inside here. Plenty of pool tables, air hockey tables and flat-screen TVs playing sports. Long counters serving as bars, the smell of grilled food everywhere. The din was absolutely deafening. Zipper doubted Rebecca would find anything useful, the way the place was jumping.

As if Rebecca read Zipper's mind, she whispered, "We're in luck, that's Tad tending the bar right now." Zipper looked over to see a human easily pushing fifty, balding and a little stocky, but otherwise full of spirit.

As Tad saw Rebecca approach, more of that spirit bubbled to the surface. "Well, the prodigal mid-child returns!" he beamed at her, spreading his arms wide. "Never thought I'd ever see you in this dive again. Can I getcha somethin'?"

"Nah, still fighting off the last hangover. I could use something else, though: information. Tad, it's Norton. He's back in town."

"Norton has the cahonies to come back here after what went down?" asked Tad. "Dunno who's the bigger shock, actually, him or you. I remember seeing him in here days after it happened, downin' one shot after another with Klordane and his goons. Couldn't look like I was runnin' to tip off the fuzz, but by the time I snuck away to call you, they were gone."

"What matters is now, Tad," said Rebecca stiffly. "He's back, and he's got new accomplices. Can't tell you too much, and you…wouldn't believe me if I did. But I know you still hear things. If you've heard anything out of the ordinary, no matter how outlandish, you've got to tell me."

Tad regarded Rebecca carefully for a moment. "You really gonna gun him down, aren't ya?" he asked dubiously. "Well, sure as hell don't wanna interject in a blood feud," he added dismissively. "As for weird stuff, well, last night I hear some whackbag truck driver claiming he passed a tanker truck driven by some alligator. Seriously, don't they drug test anyone these days?"

"A local truck driver? If so, I'm in the right place." When Tad stared at Rebecca blankly, she said, "Like I said, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I still don't believe all of it myself. I just need to know of any other unusual things you've heard, weird crimes…anything that might point to Norton."

"Now that you mention it, I do hear some weird buzz, about someone commissionin' hoods over a hundred mile radius to rip off every clinic, pharmacy and chemical storehouse in sight. But it ain't anything to make explosives or counterfeit cash or nothin'. Got no idea what's it for. Seriously, what use is…"

"Propylene carbonate and potassium bromide?" Rebecca asked delicately. When Tad's eyes widened, she said, "Never mind what it's used for. What about under-the-radar shipments coming into Philly, especially from Pittsburgh? I already know Norton needs a lot of stuff brought in from there."

"Hang on a sec, you wouldn't be talking about Norton Nimnul, would you hon?" came a deep voice from behind them.

Zipper recognized it instantly. "Oh no no no, not HERE too!" Zipper cried breathlessly. Slowly turning his head, he saw none other than Kirby, now in regular street clothes, and thankfully looking just fine after his brush with death.

"Uh, and if I was, what business is it of yours?" Rebecca spat back.

"Hey now, is that really you?" asked another voice. As Zipper feared, Muldoon was here, too. Even without his hat, red hair partially obscured his eyes. "Well, I'll be, if it ain't Bombshell Becky. Meetin' again in Philly, of all places." Zipper's jaw dropped. Rebecca Nimnul knew Muldoon?

Rebecca sighed. "Never thought I'd ever get called that again," she muttered.

"Really? You never got called that, in all your years in the Army?" Muldoon asked, incredulous.

Kirby cleared his throat. "Hey Muldoon, care to introduce me to your old friend?"

"Old flame is more like it," said Rebecca. "Our senior year, we…were kind of an item."

"Heh heh, took me that long to work up the guts to ask her out!" cried Muldoon. "That's the reason everyone called her 'Bombshell Becky'. Made all the boys drool, but had such a hot-temper she was liable to flatten any guy who looked at her the wrong way. Even a LINEBACKER on our high-school team dropped like a fly when he made moves on her." Zipper bristled a little.

"And then, after our senior year, I up and enlisted. I never had the courage to properly say goodbye. That…must sting, after all these years, I'm sorry." Zipper was surprised by the sudden mood change, the sensitivity in Rebecca's voice.

"Don't be, Becky. We always knew that's where you felt you had to go," said Muldoon with a wave. "Bygones are bygones, and all that."

"But, what're you doing here? I thought I saw you on the news, that you and your partner here almost drowned," said Rebecca.

"Well, as you can see, we didn't," said Kirby glibly. "Kind of a…funny story about that." Zipper couldn't help but to snicker a little.

"But after that, the chief decided we should, uhhh, go ahead and start our vacations a little early. And here we was, blowing through Philly real quick before heading to Florida for Halloween," said Muldoon. "Hang on a sec, Becky. You got a fly on your shoulder."

Muldoon tried to swat Zipper away, who reflexively flew up. He swore at Muldoon, but a loud "PSST!" from above got his attention. Looking up, he saw Foxglove clinging to an overhead light. Zipper flew up to her, noticing the look of dread on her face. "Zipper, I think we got trouble."

Zipper feared the worst: Nimnul and Fat Cat already found them out. "What? You smell more black magic?"

Foxglove shook her head. "No, something else. I just noticed that Monty is no longer in Rebecca's pocket, and…well, what food is this city best known for?"

"Oh that's easy. The Philly Ch…" Zipper's eyes widened as the realization hit him like a semi-truck. "Oh shhhhhhhh…" he began as he dove toward the kitchen doors, Foxglove right behind him.

Luckily, two waitresses were coming right out, so Zipper and Foxglove sailed right in. The moment they entered, they were greeted by a cacophony of shouts and shrieks. Judging by how all the thrown knives and pots weren't aimed at the two of them, they weren't the cause of the panic.

As mind-bogglingly lucky as ever, Monterey Jack skittered along the kitchen counter, staying ahead of all the outraged cooks coming at him, looking daggers while brandishing cleavers. The bulge in his belly was noticeably bigger, melted cheese stuck to his mustache, and he licked his lips with smug satisfaction. Zipper feared it would be impossible for Foxglove to airlift him out. Nevertheless, Foxglove swooped in and plucked Monterey off the counter, just as a cook brought a rolling pin down on that exact spot.

As they flew out of the kitchen, Zipper realized the commotion and confusion had spilled out into the rest of the place. Kirby and Muldoon, in particular, looked quite perplexed. Rebecca, meanwhile, must have suspected Monterey Jack had skipped off and caused the ruckus. She stood by the front door, holding it open and keeping a lookout for them. Once she spotted them, she motioned for them to fly out. "Heh, she was so worried about Gadget blowing everything, we forgot about Monty's unholy love for anything cheesy," Zipper muttered to Foxglove.

xxxxxx

Chip and Dale scampered back down the alley, two scruffy cats hot on their tails. But as the light from the streetlamps came into view, they knew they were home free, considering what awaited those cats around the corner. "Gadget, kitties at six o' clock!" cried Dale as they dove around the corner. By the time those cats rounded the corner, Chip and Dale had already climbed up Gadget's jeans. And by the time those cats were withering from Gadget's angry gaze, caught like deer in headlights, the chipmunks were standing on her shoulder, relishing the scene. Chip wondered how much more scared they would be if Isaac's illusion wasn't in place.

Having had her fun, Gadget waved her arms and screamed, "BOOGA BOOGA BOOGA!" That finally got the cats to flee. As she watched them run, Gadget said, "Golly, having Isaac with the Rescue Rangers sure has its advantages."

"Errr, does he really count as a Rescue Ranger?" asked Dale. "I mean, he's still a human, after all."

"Well, technically, humans ARE animals," Gadget pointed out. Chip knew she had a point. For all intents and purposes, Isaac was a Rescue Ranger now. But it still rankled. The Rescue Rangers were supposed to be independent of humanity, helping out humans in need while they were none the wiser. That had started to fall apart lately, and then Isaac came along and practically forced a bond upon Gadget. And even though humans back home were suddenly aware of their existence, this predicament with Gadget proved the revelation didn't exactly bring enlightenment. Both of her public appearances freaked everyone out, and now they had to rely on Isaac's precarious grasp of magic even more just to disguise her.

"Where is Isaac anyway?" demanded Chip. "If he runs off too far…"

"Isaac's well aware of the spell's limits, don't worry," said Gadget. "And hide back in my hair, we've got more pedestrians coming." The chipmunks didn't argue as they got up against her neck, pulling Gadget's hair over them is if it were a curtain. Chip could feel the silky fur along Gadget's neck, though enough light peered through her hair to let him see human flesh. It felt horribly weird, but at least Isaac was having no problems with the illusion. People walked down the street, right past Gadget, without giving her a second look.

Then, at last, Isaac stepped back out into the chilly October evening, holding two boxes of Chinese food. "Spent a good long while in there, asking around and hopefully not looking too suspicious. Didn't really learn a thing, though," Isaac said sheepishly as he handed Gadget a box. "You have any luck? Where's Chip and Dale?"

"Right here," Chip hissed through Gadget's hair. "We've had…an eventful half-hour. Trying to listen in on every underworld figure we know of in Philadelphia. A rather uncooperative gang of shrews, a one-eyed salamander with an incomprehensible Portuguese accent that runs a small casino in the sewers. Those cats that just chased us were his hired heavies. But if Fat Cat's commissioned any crooked figures here in Philly, it's been very hush-hush."

"So…it's like Aunt Becky figured. They were planning on using Klordane's old contacts, thinking if you guys got this far, you wouldn't be able to just walk up to people and ask for information," said Isaac.

"Well, we can now, but we've gotten nowhere so far," muttered Dale. "So…we might as well just eat!"

Dale's tendency to slack off would always vex Chip to no end, but right now, Dale was right. There were no leads on their end, so there wasn't much else to do as they waited for Rebecca. Gadget cracked open her box, and fished out water chestnuts for him and Dale. As Gadget dug in with her chopsticks, Chip noticed Isaac's quizzical stare. Gadget soon noticed this as well. "Isaac…is there something wrong?"

"I just noticed…my illusion did nothing for your insides. Namely, your teeth. I can still see rodent teeth when you open your mouth wide. So just…be a bit more careful," said Isaac nervously.

"Golly, good thing you spotted that," Gadget said sheepishly. As she dug into her dinner again, she noticed Isaac was still staring at her. "Is there…something else?"

"Errr, not really. Well, that's not true. It's just, uhhh, kinda weird that, well, you wanted shrimp in your Chinese food," said Isaac. "I just…that caught me off-guard. Wanting to eat meat. I mean, it took a while to coax Aunt Becky into not eating any meat while we're in Philly, thinking you'd get upset by that."

"Dude, we're in the birthplace of the cheesesteak. We'll see that sort of thing everywhere," Dale pointed out.

"Besides, Isaac, you must know rodents are omnivores. Plus, more than one of the Rangers' cases involved fishing and seafood," Gadget added.

"Wow, we've been together for days, and I still haven't heard about all these cases. Every time I think I've got you all figured out, I learn something new," said Isaac. Chip couldn't help but catch the shakiness in his voice. "And I didn't have any luck finding leads either. I'm really trying here, but…am I really cut out to work with you Rescue Rangers? I mean, I'm a human. Could I ever be considered one?"

Gadget smiled. "Funny, we were talking about that before you showed," she said sweetly. "And I think the consensus is…technically, humans are animals too."

Isaac smiled as well, but Chip saw it was a thin and forced one. Now Chip was finally sure what Isaac's greatest weakness was: his lack of confidence. He felt he had so many expectations to live up to. Be as tough as his hard-nosed aunt. Be as brilliant as Norton Nimnul, and a better man. He constantly doubted himself, and those doubts would eat away at him if he wasn't careful.

But you have one thing going for you, Isaac. When you stumbled on your family secret, your first thought was to empower someone besides yourself, Chip thought. Isaac and Gadget walked on as they ate, on the lookout for any other place that might yield useful information. All the while, Chip noticed how Isaac occasionally looked up at Gadget, only to abruptly turn away when he thought she'd notice. Judging from Dale's growling, he also saw what was going on.

Isaac did it again, as Gadget glanced at the buildings across the street, but this time Gadget stopped dead in her tracks. "Guys, across the street, on top of that hardware store," Gadget whispered, a deathly hard edge to her voice. "I think that's Mepps, and he's…just staring at us."

Chip squinted, but could only make out an indistinct, orange blob on the store's roof. "Gadget, are you sure?" asked Isaac. "I can't see clearly that far."

"I can. At least, now I can. Guess it's another perk from your bond, something else making me…a perfect huntress," Gadget finished dryly. Chip looked again, and this time, he thought he saw a pair of eyes staring back, glowing eerily. Not the way a cat's eyes normally glowed at night, but something unnatural. "Golly, I'm SURE it's Mepps! But how did he single us out? Chip and Dale are safely hidden, and your illusion has me disguised."

"He must recognize ME," said Isaac. "You said Fat Cat's goons saw me plain as day back at that vet clinic. Either that, or Norton dug up photos of me somewhere. Damnit, how come we never thought of that?!"

"We'll hafta worry 'bout that later, Isaac. Looks like Mepps is buggin' out!" cried Dale, pointing at the roof. Mepps was backing away, still glaring down at them, as if daring them.

"If there's no reason to worry about subterfuge anymore…" Gadget began as she grabbed Isaac from behind. "Hang on boys, we're going after him!" Gadget's warning came just in time. With one leap, she carried the three of them over the street and onto the hardware store's roof. Mepps was already at the far edge, but spared a moment to glance over his shoulder. Now Chip was sure of it; there was something unearthly in the way Mepps's eyes glowed.

Gadget glared back at Mepps, but the scrappy cat met her gaze without so much as a flinch. In an eyeblink, Mepps jumped to another roof, and Gadget took off after him without a second thought. As Chip fought to fight off vertigo and simply draw in a breath, something began to dawn on him. Whatever was going on with Mepps, it was clear he was leading them somewhere. "Gadget, wait! Don't you see? He WANTS us to follow him!"

"Quit worrying, Chip! We can't let him get back to Fat Cat, and he won't! I'll catch up to him soon enough!" For a moment, it looked like Gadget was right, that she was about to catch up to Mepps. But as she closed in, ready to grab at Mepps with her free hand, the cat pulled away. It was as if he took off like a rocket, leaving a dusty gust of wind in his wake.

Taken by surprise, Gadget nearly teetered over the roof's edge, but luckily regained her balance and kept the four of them from diving into the pavement. Looking over to the other rooftop, they saw Mepps again, that silent, unnerving glare still daring Gadget. Then the cat swiftly dove off the roof, and Gadget continued the chase.

Judging from where Mepps dropped down, and the tracks in the muddy soil, he was leading them into what looked like an abandoned warehouse at the far end of town. Fat Cat's new headquarters, perhaps? Or where Nimnul was stashing all the stolen loot? Chip doubted they were that lucky.

Gadget set Isaac down as Chip looked the warehouse over. Rusted shells of trucks dotting the landscape, boarded-up windows…it looked like the place hadn't seen anyone in years, not even squatters. "I don't like this, Gadget. There's no way we're lucky enough to find their base of operations so soon," Chip warned.

"We still have to find Mepps, and he definitely went in there," said Gadget, pointing at the trail of muddy pawprints. Now Chip was certain they were being led into a trap. "Isaac, maybe you should wait outside. If…"

"No way, Gadget. Whatever's going on, I'll face it with you," Isaac replied sternly. Gadget nodded after a moment, then started toward an open loading bay of the warehouse.

A few lights flickered on and off overhead, adding to the overall creepy atmosphere. Chip kept his eyes peeled for any sign of Fat Cat's flunky, but there were stacks of wooden crates everywhere, too many shadows Mepps could hide in. "Gee, no tellin' where the ol' orange furball is," said Dale. "Maybe Gadget oughta knock over some of these crate stacks, try to flush 'im…"

Dale was cut off by a loud slamming sound from behind. Gadget and Isaac whirled around to see the loading door had dropped. The same sound could be heard elsewhere in the warehouse. "Great, are we trapped?" huffed Chip.

"Golly, of course not, Chip!" cried Gadget. "I can rip through any one of those, easy as…"

Gadget's voice was drowned out by a primal roar that echoed throughout the whole warehouse. "What the hell is that supposed to be? A lion? A tiger?" demanded Dale as he covered his ears.

"No, it's higher in pitch," said Gadget. "Sounds more like a panther, or maybe a leopard, or..."

There was a whooshing sound from behind the crates, as if something was darting toward the way they came in. Then, an orange blur rebounded off the metal barrier, heading right for them. Gadget shoved Isaac out of the way, then instinctively brought up her arms to ward off whatever was coming. Whatever it was, it hit Gadget hard, knocking both Chip and Dale off her shoulders. They bounced and skidded along the warehouse floor until their backs crashed into a crate. When they finally came to their senses, something dropped down a few yards from them.

It was Mepps, gazing down at them with those eerily glowing eyes. Not only that, something…some sort of wispy aura with that same eerie color, was radiating off of Mepps. No trace of the bumbling, timid goon they had thwarted all these years could be seen in the creature glaring at them like a ravenous beast. There was nothing in those eyes but a burning fury, a primal instinct that would not be denied, just itching to be unleashed.

Chip stood there, frozen in shock, with no avenue of escape, knowing Mepps would spring any second. But before Mepps could pounce on them, there was a gunshot. Mepps swerved just in time to avoid taking Isaac's bullet right through the heart. With another defiant roar, Mepps retreated, darting back behind some crates as Isaac squeezed off more rounds from his handgun. His shots came within millimeters of hitting, but Mepps still slipped away.

Looking over to Isaac, Chip saw the frustration and fear in his eyes. Then Isaac ran to Gadget to help her up, no doubt knocked silly by Mepps. "Oh geez, I'm sorry Gadget! All that training I did with Aunt Becky, and I couldn't hit him once!" he spat. As Gadget got back on her feet, she hissed, clenching her teeth. The first thing that caught Chip's eye was that the illusion had faded yet again, but then he noticed blood dribbling down around Gadget. Gadget saw it too, staring at her blood-stained sleeves. There were lacerations on her forearms, clearly from clawmarks left by this feral creature that was once Mepps. "Oh God…Gadget, your wounds aren't closing as fast!" cried Isaac.

"Uhhh, Isaac, I think she noticed," said Dale dryly.

Another echoing roar snapped them all back to attention. "Whatever's become of Mepps…he's out for blood now," said Gadget. "Isaac, take Chip and Dale. Find a safe place to hide, let me draw Mepps out."

"Gadget, you sure about this?" Isaac asked fearfully. "If he can hit that fast, and you can't count on healing fast…"

"Hey, I came close to flattening D'Allure before. I'll find some way to clobber Mepps," said Gadget with a smile. "Just too bad there's not much here to build any traps with…"

"Then it's a good thing I brought this along," Isaac said with a smirk, reaching into his jacket. He pulled out Gadget's new crossbow and tossed it to her. Gadget smiled as she strapped it on, but another roar reminded them of the danger. Isaac scooped up Chip and Dale with one hand, still holding his gun in the other, and ran for cover, ignoring Chip's protests. Chip got one last look at Gadget as she prepped her crossbow, ready for anything.

xxxxxx

There was yet another roar, but with the way it echoed, Gadget couldn't get a fix on where Mepps was. So she listened for him darting around or rebounding off walls. When something finally broke the eerie silence in the warehouse, however, it was something Gadget never expected.

Roaring winds. Like the winds of a tornado.

Gadget whirled around to see a small twister had formed INSIDE the warehouse, picking up and tossing about crates. Several flew right at Gadget, coming within only inches of smashing into her. She ducked and dodged as best she could, but soon the tiny twister was pulling her in. Gadget sank her claws into the floor, but even that couldn't anchor her. In desperation, she fired her plunger harpoon at the opposite wall, reeling herself out of range. It was working, pulling her free, but then Mepps bounded at her from nowhere, slamming into her midsection.

Gadget and Mepps went down hard. Dizzy from the pain, Gadget pried Mepps off of her, but he had already sunk his claws into her belly. Blood now drenched both her shirts. "Dangit, I liked these clothes!" Gadget spat as she hurled Mepps hard at the wall. "Those clothes were gifts, thanks a lot! Now I'm REALLY getting steamed!" Mepps rebounded off the wall and landed on his feet with predictable grace. Getting frustrated, Gadget lunged at him, but Mepps let out another roar, its sheer force blasting her back.

She skidded along the warehouse floor until she careened into another pile of crates. Gadget's momentum instantly made the whole pile topple onto her. Grunting, her wounds burning and sore, Gadget forced herself to stand up, tossing crates off of her. Mepps was coming at her again, so Gadget threw a crate at him. He effortlessly sidestepped it and kept drawing closer. It took a few more tries, but Gadget finally connected with a thrown crate, forcing him to fall back.

"You're smaller and faster, but I'll get you eventually!" Gadget shouted after Mepps as he slinked behind more crates. "So might as well spill it! Where's Fat Cat and Nimnul?! What're they REALLY doing in Philadelphia?!" Predictably, Gadget got no answer. Just another deafening roar.

The sting from her wounds was starting to fade, so at least that meant they were finally healing up. Still, despite the fading of the fiery pain, Gadget felt her own rage start to boil over. How many more conduits were Fat Cat and Nimnul going to create and throw at her? When would the cowards finally face her themselves, finally answer for everything they've done? "Get out here, Mepps! It's not you I'm after, it's your bosses! Let's get this over with!"

As if in answer, Gadget heard that whooshing sound again. Listening attentively, Gadget waited until she heard Mepps rebound off a wall. When she did, she turned in the direction of the sound, just as Mepps was about to pounce on her. The back of Gadget's fist slammed into Mepps, and he was knocked into a crate pile that collapsed onto him. For a moment, Gadget dared to hope it was over. She knew she was lucky to have turned and struck in time. But Mepps shot up out of the pile, splintered wood spreading everywhere. He hissed again, then dove off into the shadowy darkness. Mepps hadn't even looked winded.

"C'mon Gadget, think! Brute force isn't going to work this time!" Gadget said to herself. Mepps was much faster, and unless Nimnul had rebuilt his weather machine already, the mangy cat was using some sort of wind magic. If only I could use that against him, or at least force him to use it and thus draw him out. But there's no time to build anything in here and nothing to build with, Gadget thought to herself. But then, her eyes fell on her crossbow. Or maybe, I can just use what I've ALREADY built…

Fortunately, Gadget had the foresight to bring along smoke bombs in her pocket. She hastily loaded her launcher, then fired the smoke bombs all around her. Mepps still had to see, and if there was enough smoke, maybe he could be goaded into using that wind magic to blow it all away.

Gadget's gamble worked…up to a point. At the far corner, Gadget saw another twister build up, sucking in all the smoke. Thanks to her enhanced vision, Gadget spotted Mepps in the middle of that smoky funnel. This time, instead of trying to escape the twister's pull, Gadget dove right into it, with enough momentum to let her shoot right through and tackle Mepps.

They hit the floor together as the twister faded, a tangle of furry limbs, but Gadget grabbed Mepps's throat and slammed him down hard. Her fury getting the better of her, Gadget tried to slowly choke the life out of him, and slammed Mepps down again for good measure. But Mepps fought on to draw one last breath, and cut loose with another roar. Gadget was blasted away, forced to relinquish her grip. Her head cracked against a steel support pillar. It wasn't enough to seriously hurt her, but it did daze her. Just when the stars were fading away, Gadget saw Mepps lunge for her again, claws and teeth bared.

Then, something whooshed by, plucking Mepps out of the air. Shaking her head, Gadget stood and looked up. The overhead crane that went across the warehouse's length…someone got it working again, and as it swung across the warehouse, its hook had snagged Mepps by the neck. "Gadget, grab Mepps now, before he pries himself off!" came Chip's echoing shout.

Smirking devilishly, Gadget made a huge leap up after the crane. Grabbing onto the chains, she snapped them all with one hand. With Mepps still stunned and caught on the hook, Gadget dropped down. She swung it around and around, until she finally hurled the severed crane back at the loading door they came through. The crane burst through it, then skipped along the muddy ground outside, still taking Mepps with it.

Gadget dashed outside on all fours, keeping a wary eye on Mepps, who lay still next to the crane. At the moment, Gadget didn't care if Mepps was still alive, the rushing adrenaline still fueling her fury. As she stood over Mepps's body, Gadget saw telltale signs of his chest rising and falling, albeit very weakly. It was hard to tell…that aura of energy still surrounded Mepps, but it seemed to be fading. As if…imploding in on itself?

All of a sudden, Gadget was blasted back by some explosive force from Mepps's body. Bright, yellow light blinded her. As she scrambled back to her feet as her vision cleared, Gadget saw the giant outline of a wispy, yellow leopard's roaring head, rising from Mepps's still form. It howled at the moon overhead, right before it faded away into nothingness.

Gadget just stared down at Mepps, not sure what to think. He looked even scrappier, more pathetic than ever. Lost in her thoughts, Gadget barely heard Isaac running up behind her. "Hey Isaac, nice work with that overhead crane. Hard to believe it was still working."

"Actually, it wasn't. The three of us had to jerryrig the thing to get it runnin'," said Dale.

"Really? Didn't know you guys could pull off those kind of repairs so quickly," said Gadget.

"Well, we got you to thank for that…sorta. Like that thing with the fuel pump…being bonded to you, I just sort of…knew how to do it," said Isaac.

Gadget wasn't sure how to respond. She looked back down at Mepps, and hoisted him up by the neck. Mepps still didn't move, except for taking in weak, raspy breaths. "Hang on, Gadget. You were rough enough on him already," Chip admonished. "Don't tell me, you still want to…"

"No," said Gadget flatly. "This mangy cat…isn't worth it. It's his bosses I'm after."

Chip let out a sigh of relief. "In that case, we'd better just take him and go find Rebecca," said Chip. "We'll have to find some way of coaxing some answers out of Mepps."

Gadget nodded as she turned to walk away from the warehouse. It was a rough fight, and those claw wounds still stung a little, but things were finally looking up. Just as Gadget was feeling hopeful, however, a new sound reached her ears. One that was oddly familiar. A clunky motor. The sort of motor that would go in household appliances. And it was coming from above.

Gadget's eyes widened as she pieced it all together. "Guys, take cover!" she shouted back to her friends. But it was too late. Bolts of magical force rained down on them. One struck Isaac, and he fell hard. Chip and Dale, meanwhile, went flying off his shoulder, shooting up a good distance. But before Gadget could do anything, Winifred Nimnul swooped down on her flying vacuum cleaner, sucking up the both of them.

"Not bad for my first day back on the job!" jeered Winifred. "Two meddlesome rodents in the bag, and I'll snag my up-and-coming nephew to boot!"

Gadget couldn't believe what she just saw. Not only was Winifred supposed to be in prison, but powerless as well. "What're you doing back?!" Gadget demanded, waiting for an opportunity to leap at her. Unfortunately, Winifred was flying too erratically, and just out of reach. "Professor Nimnul has something to do with this, doesn't he?!"

"How many brain cells in that egghead of yours did you blow figuring that one out?!" sneered Winifred. "Indeed, Norton sprung both me and Irweena, then restored my powers, in exchange for our help. And turns out the insufferable little twit needs it more than he realizes! The way you just took out that cat…do you have any idea what you've just done!?"

"What are you babbling about now?!" Gadget demanded hotly.

"Like I tried to tell your chipmunk boy-toys, this is all about Dorothea Oakheart's legacy, what she did on this land three hundred years ago!" Winifred shot back. "And you and my nephew are…oh, rusty buckets, what's the point? Why bother trying to get through that thick skull, when I can just force you to back off…like so!"

Gadget had been bracing for Winifred to dive again, but even so, she swooped down and snatched up both Isaac and Mepps before Gadget could even blink. "Black magic is a wonderful thing, is it not, mousey?" Winifred asked teasingly. "It must've been a thrill these past few days, commanding the power that Isaac's given you. And unless you want to hang onto it, I'd advise against following me…or else we may be forced to cut off your power source. Do us all a favor…don't make that an option for me and Norton."

Winifred turned her vacuum around to zoom off. Desperate, Gadget aimed her crossbow up and fired her last smoke bomb. It lodged itself into the back of the vacuum cleaner, and began spewing green smoke as Winifred flew off into the night. Enraged by Winifred being cowardly enough to take hostages – one being her OWN NEPHEW – and remembering her promise to Rebecca, Gadget took off, following the trail of smoke.

xxxxxx

So at last, fan-favorite Winifred is back in action. The way she's used in so many other fanfics…she's become predictable and cliché. Hopefully I can put a new spin on her, so she's actually a compelling villain for the few scenes that'll be devoted to her.

So long,

Grey-X