Gotcha, Perry thought as he spotted Esmerelda Poofenplotz through the crowd. He ran on all fours towards her, ducking behind a mailbox when she turned round. She seemed to be alone, though Perry could never tell. He quietly followed her through the streets of New Orleans, through winding alleyways, and over a bridge. Finally, she went into a hotel about two miles from the chip shop. Perry watched her go up to a room on the third floor. He scaled the drain pipe and hid outside the window. He couldn't risk being detected by looking inside so he had to settle for listening. He wasn't disappointed.

"Ah, Esme," said Rodney's voice. "Were you followed?"

"Nobody followed me, don't worry," came Poofenplotz's voice. "Why would someone follow me, Aloyse?"

"I don't know, maybe because we're two evil scientists who try to take over the world on a daily basis?"

"Don't say that aloud," said Poofenplotz, sounding half annoyed, half nervous. "Anyway, it's alright. OWCA won't find us here. The only person who knows where we are, apart from David Bringdown and the other LOVEMUFFIN scientists, is my niece, Kata, and I know she won't tell anyone."

That made Perry feel a little guilty. Kata had told someone; that someone being Carl, with Perry listening.

"Good. So how are the plans coming along?"

"I sent them to Daniel last week," Poofenplotz replied. "He told me yesterday that work is coming along nicely."

Work on what? Perry wondered. And who's Daniel?

"Excellent," Rodney said. "And that small matter in his warehouse…?"

"Don't worry," Poofenplotz said again. "David's on the case. Agent P won't know what hit him."

Perry nearly gasped aloud. "Agent P" could refer to a number of agents, most likely Pinky, since Poofenplotz was Pinky's nemesis. However, it was cleared up for him in the next thing Rodney said:

"Yes, I must admit that Perry the Platypus is a thorn in my side. But we have upped the game."

"Yes, yes we have. Our secret weapon will break him."

Perry felt chills spread down his back. That didn't sound good.

"Anyway," came Rodney's voice. "Have some wine. After all, there are a few more days until David's little "project" is complete, so why not spend them here?"

"Indeed."

Perry couldn't help it then. He peered inside but he didn't have time to see anything of use because Rodney suddenly appeared and seized the teal platypus. He must have been hiding behind the curtain, which meant he knew Perry was out there. This was confirmed a moment later.

"You don't think I saw you following me?" Poofenplotz stood up and regarded Perry with disdain. "I am insulted."

Perry slapped the evil scientist's side with his tail, causing him to drop Perry. Perry leapt onto the windowsill and prepared himself for a fight. Rodney grinned, which took the teal platypus aback. "It doesn't matter," he said. "You didn't hear anything I wouldn't tell you myself."

He reached under the bed and pulled out a rocket launcher. Perry flung the bedside lamp at him, which knocked it out of his hand. "Aw, come on," Rodney complained. "You're a highly trained OWCA agent and I can't even hold my own against Heinz Doofenshmirtz."

Perry relished in the fact that Rodney looked like he was trying to swallow six lemons when he said that. "Can you allow me to use the rocket launcher?"

Perry turned round and put his hand on the side of the window. "There is nothing you can say to me that will make me go easy on you," he said.

"Actually, I just have one word for you," Rodney grinned. "Pearl."

Perry's heart froze. He couldn't breathe. His skin felt slippery with sweat. Rodney took advantage of this and grabbed the rocket launcher, firing at Perry, who wasn't able to get out of the way in time. The rocket hit him in the chest and made him fly backwards. Pain exploded from the spot where the rocket had hit him. He felt himself falling but in a moment of despair, he thought why care? He hit the ground on his shoulder, though it was his head that hurt the most when it snapped back and hit a wall. He lay there, stunned, ignored by the locals and tourists going by. The sensation reminded him of when he had fallen thirty feet during the skydiving incident at the COWCA retreat last year. It was almost exactly the same pain, too: broken ribs from where the heavy rocket had hit his chest, and a pounding in his head. This dull pain made him sleepy. His eyes closed, just before he heard someone yell his name.

…

Heinz stared at the yellow platypus with a mixture of emotions on his face. "I thought Perry the Platypus lost his parents," he said, the expression on his face choosing to display shock.

Doctor Bringdown raised his eyebrow. "I'm guessing from your reaction that Rodney didn't tell you about this?"

Heinz shook his head, still staring down at the platypus. "You kept her here all these years?"

Kata interrupted before Doctor Bringdown could reply. "So the male you said she was brought in with…that was Perry the Platypus's father?"

Doctor Bringdown nodded. "That's right. His name was Patrick. It was unfortunate, really. I was really looking forward to pitting both of Agent P's parents against him but Patrick died four years ago when we tried to implant the programming in his mind."

"That's a shame," Kata said, though what she really wanted to say was, "I feel so sorry for both him and Pearl! Poor Patrick."

"Yeah. Anyway, we have several more prisoners whom we have programmed. Follow me."

As Doctor Bringdown turned away, Kata suddenly had a flashback to that day five months ago. He was there!

She grabbed Heinz's arm and whispered in his ear, "He was there when Rai and Shika were taken."

Heinz's eyes narrowed but he didn't comment. They followed Doctor Bringdown to another cell. The young evil scientist was looking extremely proud. "Now, these two are the best. Rodney brought them in himself. I helped take them in. Seemed to have some kind of vendetta against the parents."

While Doctor Bringdown had been talking, Kata had been closing her eyes, not wanting to look in the cell. But now she knew she had to. When she opened her eyes, she saw the two people she had dearly hoped she wouldn't see in this facility: Rai and Shika. The two girls were both sitting on the fold-out bed, expressions null. They were wearing the exact same outfits as the day Kata lost them.

Doctor Bringdown continued his spiel. "Anyway, they're only five years old-."

"Four," whispered Kata.

"-but they took the programming so well. We pitted them against each other a couple of times. Their skills are unmatched."

Kata suddenly saw the cuts and bruises on her children's faces and arms. She felt a surge of anger but she forced it down, trying not to let Doctor Bringdown see. Too late. Doctor Bringdown narrowed his eyes at her. His eyes went from Kata, then to the twins, then to Heinz. Something fired up in his expression. "You're the parents."

It wasn't a question. "Yes," Kata said.

"So you were the woman whom we took the twins from," Doctor Bringdown recognised.

Kata nodded. Doctor Bringdown waited, clearly waiting for what she would say. She hated what she was about to say but it was her best chance at her, Heinz, and the twins surviving. "It doesn't matter. We would have handed the twins to you if you had asked. Right, Heinz?"

She didn't have to nudge him; he was already good at reading her mind. "Absolutely."

Doctor Bringdown didn't seem convinced. "That's why you're here, isn't it? To rescue them?"

Heinz opened his mouth but Kata stepped defiantly forward. "Yes, that's right!" she shouted fiercely. "I am here to reclaim our children, who you stole in a cowardly act and forced to become weapons that they shouldn't be!"

Doctor Bringdown didn't look regretful, as she would have liked, but he didn't look smug either. He just brought out a remote control and pressed a button, opening the twins' cage. "Subjects R and S…attack."