I'm so sorry for the long wait, guys. Real life threw me a few curve balls this month and I haven't had a lot of energy lately. I hope this latest chapter was worth the wait, and thank you so much for your patience!
5. Vanishings and Awakenings
30 April, 1990
Penny lost track of time as she cried, overwhelmed by the rush of pain, despair, and anger that was squeezing her heart into a vice. Eventually her sobs faded as she gradually became aware of her watch beeping furiously. Taking a deep breath, Penny wiped at her face before activating the watch's screen.
"Hi, Brain," she said, her voice hoarse and raw. Brain let out a startled yelp when he saw Penny's red, swollen eyes and tear-streaked face. He frantically mimed a question at her between anxious barks.
"I...I can't talk about it right now, Brain," she said, still reeling from the shock of what she had overheard. "Is…is Uncle Gadget back yet?"
Brain shook his head. That meant that he was likely still at the station. She couldn't bear the thought of facing her uncle in her current state. Sighing heavily, Penny stood, wincing as blood returned to her numb legs and feet.
"Okay. I'll be home soon," she said before switching the screen off. She walked over to the sink to wash her face. The cold water felt good against her heated skin but did nothing to soothe the ache in her chest. Penny frowned at her reflection as she attempted to smooth her hair before glancing down at her watch again.
It was nearly ten o'clock and there were only a few city buses running at this time of night. The last thing Penny wanted was to get home after her uncle did and face more rounds of questions from him. Taking one last glance at herself in the mirror, Penny unlocked the bathroom door and cautiously peered out into the hallway. It was dark and empty.
There was a fire exit at the back of the building and she went that way, utterly relieved not to run into any of the officers on late patrol as she headed towards the bus stop. To her surprise a bus was pulling up just as she approached and she quickly climbed in, swiping her transit pass before taking a seat near the middle of the bus.
Penny was so lost in her morose thoughts that she at first didn't realize that something was wrong. But she had always been observant and frowned at the buildings they drove past; they didn't look at all familiar to her. She sat up straighter as she realized that the route the bus was taking wasn't the one to her house. In fact, it looked as though they were driving out of the city.
Penny looked up towards the front of the bus. The driver smiled at her over his shoulder. The patch on his shoulder wasn't that of Metro City Transit Authority. In fact, he wasn't wearing any uniform at all.
Panic slammed into Penny and she leapt out of the seat, rushing towards the emergency exit at the back of the bus. She'd much rather take her chances with jumping out than waiting to see what this man wanted with her.
The driver slammed on the breaks and Penny crashed to the floor. Wincing, she scrambled to her feet and flung herself at the door, struggling with the emergency lock. After a second of desperate fumbling the door swung open and she rushed out.
"Nice try, girly."
Another man was waiting for her on the other side of the door. He raised his hand and Penny barely had a chance to register the sharp sting of a dart in the side of her neck before darkness swept over her.
1 May, 1990
Professor Von Slickstein sat in the Berlin airport, calmly waiting for his flight to Ontario to begin boarding. It would be a long flight but he didn't mind - he was accustomed to waiting. After all, he had been doing just that for the better part of fourteen years.
The old man sighed and looked down at his withered hands that rested atop his cane. He mulled over his earlier phone call with Chief Quimby, as well as his conversation with Penny. If his suspicions were correct, then Von Slickstein knew that it was crucial he reach Gadget before...well, before other powers higher than him did.
He just wished there was some way to keep innocent people from being hurt while doing so. He had tried his best to protect both Gadget and Penny over the years, but had always known deep down that it was just delaying the inevitable.
The call to begin boarding broke through Von Slickstein's thoughts. Sighing again, the professor stopped down to pick up his carry-on bag and made his way towards the gate.
1 May, 1990
He watched as his hands shifted, objects emerging from the tips that ranged from a shaving razor to a high-powered laser, and fought back a shout of horror.
What had they done to him? He couldn't remember…
Not a man anymore…
Keep him under surveillance...not sure of long-term side-effects…
Surgery failed...should terminate the experiment…
He won't be a problem…
Gadget groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The familiar smell of antiseptic and the beeping of a heart monitor were the first things he became aware of. Hospital. He was in the hospital.
"Gadget? You back with us?" Gadget turned his head to the side to see Quimby's haggard face watching him in concern.
Gadget nodded and looked down at the blood pressure cuff that was still attached to his arm. He had never liked being hooked up to machines - they always made him feel like a lab rat - and pulled it off with a frown. He slowly sat up, swinging his legs over the bed's edge. He rubbed his face with one hand and scrubbed it through his hair. "What happened?" he said hoarsely.
"Not sure," grunted Quimby. "You just collapsed in my office." He paused and eyed Gadget critically. "How're you feeling now?"
Gadget paused and considered. "Better," he said slowly. "Actually, I feel better than I have in ages." It was true - he felt oddly clear-headed and...lighter somehow. Like he had been underwater for too long and had just resurfaced for air. "What time is it?"
"It's about.." Quimby paused and glanced at his watch. "4:30pm. And it's Tuesday, not Monday. You've been under observation since Monday night. We thought you might have had a seizure or something."
"Well, I'm feeling better now," said Gadget, standing. He experimentally expanded his arms out and then his neck, shaking his limbs out before recalling them back to their normal lengths.
"What?" he said, noticing Quimby's stare.
"You activated your limbs without using a voice command," said Quimby slowly.
Gadget blinked in surprise. "Wowsers, I guess I did." He shrugged as he looked around for his hat and coat as the hospital staff had stripped him down to his undershirt and slacks. He found the items neatly folded on a table near the door and pulled on his boots. "As I said, I'm feeling better now, so I'd like to get out of here."
"They'd like to keep you for a bit longer, for observation."
"I'm not staying here, Quimby. I'm fine," Gadget said shortly, trying to hide his impatience. God, Penny must be worried sick about him. But she wasn't here by his side as she had been so many times in the past, which made Gadget's gut twist with worry. He needed to get home and talk to his niece, he needed to explain himself, to apologize...
Quimby frowned and then sighed heavily. "I'm too tired to fight you on this one. And since they couldn't find anything wrong with you - as far as they could tell - then I guess I can't force you to stay. I'll give you a ride back to the station so you can get the Gadgetmobile."
"Thanks, Chief," said Gadget in relief, pulling on his hat.
They had just walked into the station's lobby when one of the officers rushed up to them. "Chief Quimby! Inspector!"
"What is it?" said Quimby, not liking the worried expression on the young man's face.
"Sir, we've been trying to get a message to you and Gadget all day. Penny's school called - she never showed up today."
"What?" said Gadget, a cold sense of dread rushing over him. "What do you mean she wasn't at school?" he demanded, looming over the younger man, suddenly looking stern and intimidating.
The young officer gulped but continued gamely. "There's something else. A Mrs. Stevens called - she said Penny never arrived for her 4:30pm tutoring session with her son. We called your home number Inspector but no one answered. A patrol unit went over to your house but no one was home."
"Call the school and find out when Penny was last seen there," Gadget barked out, his voice firm and sharp. "Have them check the visitor log to see if anyone unusual visited the school. And contact the public transit authorities. See if they have anyone matching Penny's description on their video recordings."
Gadget paused and frowned as he noticed that the young officer was staring at him, open-mouthed. "Well, what are you waiting for? Move!" he barked.
"Yes, sir!" the young man jumped and gave a quick salute before rushing off.
Stunned at the authority and decisiveness Gadget had just displayed, Quimby said before he could stop himself, "John, is that you?"
"Of course it's me," snapped Gadget impatiently. "Who else would I be?"
Quimby suddenly looked uneasy as he glanced around at the crowded lobby. "Let's go back to my office and talk."
Once they were inside Quimby's office and the chief had locked the door and closed the blinds he gestured for Gadget to sit down. "Gadget, calm down or I will have you put back in the hospital," he said sternly. "Take a deep breath and tell me when you last saw Penny."
"Monday evening," Gadget replied, staring down at his hands. "We...we had an argument."
Quimby made a non-committal noise as he lit his pipe but otherwise remained silent. Gadget felt a hot rush of shame and guilt as he added, "I said some things I shouldn't have."
That didn't really surprise Quimby. He had known Gadget for years and the man's pride had always been his weakest link. Becoming a cyborg hadn't changed that fact. But before he could say anything there was a knock at his office door.
"Now what?" he growled. "Come in!"
The young officer whom they had just spoken with popped his head in, looking even more grim.
"Sir, I just spoke to the guard who was on duty Monday evening. He said that Penny came by the station last night around seven-thirty. He said that Penny was coming to your office to see you, Inspector."
Gadget exchanged an alarmed look with Quimby. "I never saw Penny last night."
"Neither did I," growled Quimby, clenching his pipe between his teeth. Every instinct he had developed over the years as a police officer was screaming at him that something was very, very wrong. "You're certain of the time?" he said to the officer.
"Yes, sir. We even checked the security cameras. We have Penny on video heading towards your office, but that's all. If she left without seeing either one of you that means she didn't leave by the front entrance."
Gadget's mind raced. "Are all of the cameras working?" he asked after a moment.
"I was just about to mention that, sir," said the officer, looking at Gadget with newfound respect. "One of the janitors mentioned that the cameras near the rear fire exit weren't working. Maybe Penny went out that way."
"Right, thanks. Let me know the moment you have any news. Dismissed."
After the officer had left Quimby turned back to Gadget. "Gadget, I know you're not going to like this question, but I have to ask. Do you think Penny might have gone to a friend's house and not told you? You said you two argued - maybe she just wanted to cool off somewhere."
Gadget was shaking his head even before Quimby finished speaking. "Penny wouldn't run away. I know her-" he stopped suddenly, an uncomfortable thought springing to the forefront of his mind.
Did he really know Penny? After all, she had kept such an enormous secret from him for years. Gadget shuddered at the thought of what else his niece had kept from him. God, what if she had been hurt before but had never told him?
No, Gadget told himself firmly. He refused to think that his niece would just disappear on her own without a trace. He took a deep breath before looking back up at the chief. "Penny wouldn't run away, Quimby. Even if she was angry with me she wouldn't abandon her responsibilities at school and with her tutoring."
Quimby nodded. "Alright then. We'll find her, Gadget. I'm sure she's safe and just cooling off somewhere."
Gadget nodded but neither of them looked reassured.
Brain knew he wasn't like other dogs, but he also wasn't a human either. He had never understood why he was so different from his fellow canine brethren, but over the years had decided it didn't really matter. He had the friendship of a remarkable and kind-hearted girl and a good home, something not all dogs had. And while he had often grown exasperated with chasing after Gadget over the years Brain knew his master was a good man. He also knew exactly what human beings were capable of doing to each other and Brain considered himself very, very lucky that he hadn't ended up in some freak science lab, or worse.
He was glad the truth was finally out but wished his two humans would stop being so stubborn and just talk to each other. Brain knew how much Gadget loved his niece - it was the one thing that had won Brain's loyalty above all else - and hated to see how much pain they were both in.
When neither Penny nor Gadget had returned that Monday evening his worry had only grown and he had contacted Penny on her watch. Seeing his girl's red eyes and tear-streaked face had been bad enough, but when Penny hadn't returned home after an hour, Brain knew that something was very wrong.
Fortunately his collar had a GPS monitor that allowed him to track Penny's watch signal. Between his intelligence and his excellent sense of smell (he was half bloodhound), Brain had easily tracked Penny down. He had watched, hidden behind some thick shrubs, as two men in dark suits hauled the unconscious girl into the back of an unmarked vehicle.
There was no time to waste. Brain darted forward, claws scraping against the metal as he crouched on the car's rear bumper moments before it drove off into the night.
2 May, 1990
"I want this entire city torn apart," said Quimby to the assembled officers. "Use every lead, every contact you've got. Question everyone who might have seen Penny in the past two days. I've already sent word to the FBI and their local offices are searching every major city and airport in the New England area."
The gathered officers nodded grimly. It had been forty-eight hours since anyone had last seen Penny and she was now officially considered missing, possibly kidnapped. Many of the more senior officers had known Penny for years and there was an air of grave resolve in the briefing room. No one had to say the words out loud. They all knew how critical time was when it came to missing persons, especially when it came to children and teenagers.
"Any questions? Right then - dismissed."
Several of the officers shot Gadget sympathetic looks as they filed out. The inspector remained seated at the large briefing table after the room had emptied, his head in his hands. Quimby tapped him on the shoulder. "Go home, Gadget, there's nothing you can do here."
He held up a hand when Gadget looked ready to argue. "You know I'm right. If you stay here you're just going to be a distraction and drive us all crazy. I promise I'll call you the moment we learn anything, no matter the hour."
Gadget nodded and reluctantly gathered up his coat and hat.
The last thing Gadget wanted to do was to return to an empty, silent house but he had no choice. At the very least he needed to shower and get some rest. Gadget knew he should eat something but the thought of food made his stomach churn. He had caught only snatches of sleep the past two nights but was too restless and stricken with guilt, fear, and worry to sleep more than a few hours at a time.
At some point he found himself upstairs, standing in the doorway to Penny's room. He entered after a moment and sat on the bed, gazing around the room. Despite the late afternoon sun coming in through the curtains the room felt cold and empty.
'Penny, where are you?' he thought, unable to bear the guilt that was searing his heart. For the hundredth time his mind again drifted to the question that had been haunting him for days. Would Penny have run away? Gadget couldn't really blame her for not wanting to be anywhere near him right now, but to vanish without a trace?
No, Gadget told himself. He was still reeling from the revelation about Penny and Brain helping him for years, but he knew his niece. Penny was a compassionate girl and the loss of her parents at such an early age had made her more mature than many of her peers. She would never be so callous as to leave her uncle wondering if she was safe without a word.
Besides, a quick glance inside her closet had revealed that none of her clothing was missing. Her desk was neatly organized as always, her textbooks stacked in a tidy pile. And Brain was gone too. That fact alone reassured Gadget that wherever Penny was, Brain was most likely with her.
But that also meant that if Penny hadn't run away then she had been taken against her will. But where? Was M.A.D. behind this? Dear God, had Dr. Claw somehow found out about Penny's involvement in his cases? Gadget cut off that train of thought, certain he would go mad with worry if he dwelt on that question any longer.
'I'll come back to you, I promise.' Those had been the last words Penny had said to him.
'Well perhaps I don't want help, especially not from you!'
Gadget flushed with shame as he remembered his own words. He hadn't meant them the way they came out - he had only meant that he didn't want Penny putting herself in danger to protect him. But it didn't matter - he had ended up hurting Penny and now she was missing. All because of him. If she hadn't left the house she would probably be at home, safe and sound and smiling at him from her desk over a stack of books.
How was he ever going to fix this? Would Penny ever forgive him? And not just for their argument, but for all of his past behavior? And what if she didn't? Gadget didn't want to think that. He and Penny had always been close, especially the past few years. He had to make this right, he just had to. He owed Penny, and Brain, that much.
Now that the initial shock had worn off Gadget found himself amazed that his niece had accomplished so much at such a young age. He was still incredibly upset and angry with himself for not knowing how often Penny had placed herself in danger for him over the years, but more than that Gadget felt a deep sense of gratitude and awe towards his niece. He didn't deserve that kind of devotion, from Penny or Brain, he thought sadly.
Suddenly unable to remain in Penny's empty room a moment longer, Gadget stood and went back downstairs and into the den. Exhaustion was forcing his body towards the sofa despite his best efforts to remain upright.
As soon as his head hit the cushions a familiar scent of lavender came over him and he closed his eyes in pain. It had only been a few weeks ago when he and Penny had lain on this sofa, peaceful and happy while a storm raged outside.
It seemed so long ago now.
Tormented with guilt and worry, Gadget pressed his face against the cushion, breathing in deeply as he recognized the sweet, warm scent as the same one that clung to Penny's hair and skin. His sense of smell had always been strong and he felt himself relaxing into that familiar, soothing scent, desperately wishing for the past two days to have been just a horrible nightmare...that Penny was safe in his arms...
The ringing of the Gadget phone had Gadget shooting upright before he was even fully awake. He fell off the sofa and scrambled upright, banging his head against the coffee table in his haste to answer the phone. "Penny?" he asked anxiously, rubbing his head with his other hand.
"It's me," said Quimby's voice. "I don't have any news on Penny yet, but you'd better get down to the station."
"What for?" said Gadget. "Has something happened?"
There was a pause before Quimby spoke again. "It'd be easier to explain in person. Professor Von Slickstein is on his way over." He hung up before Gadget could question him further.
Gadget stared at the phone after Quimby had hung up. Why would Von Slickstein fly all the way from Germany back to Metro City? Something wasn't right. Gadget had always had a strong instinct for recognizing when people were hiding something - it was one reason he had made the rank of inspector so young - and that same instinct was setting off alarm bells in his head.
1 May, 1990
Penny came back to consciousness slowly, groaning at the pain in her head. Her mouth was dry and her lips were chapped. She shivered as cold, dry air blew over her skin. The ground - no, metal, - beneath her was humming.
Airplane. She was on an airplane, she realized before even opening her eyes. Grimacing, Penny slowly struggled upright, rubbing at her eyes. Once her vision cleared she was able to get a better view of her surroundings. It looked like the hold of some kind of cargo or military plane. There were boxes and crates all around her but no other people. She glanced down at her left wrist, her heart sinking when she realized that her watch was gone.
A sudden rustling sound made her jump. "Who's there?" she demanded, looking towards the corner where the sound had come from.
A red nose cautiously appeared from behind a crate, sniffing the air before a familiar tan head with floppy ears emerged.
"Brain!" Penny lurched to her knees and threw her arms around Brain's neck as the dog rushed towards her, whining and licking her face anxiously.
"Oh, Brain," Penny murmured, holding onto the dog just like she had when she had been small and frightened. Brain whined again, nearly sitting in her lap in an effort to warm her chilled skin. The two stayed like that for a long moment before Penny slowly drew back. "I'm okay, Brain. I have a headache and I'm really thirsty, but I'm okay," she reassured her friend.
Brain frowned before trotting back towards the crates, sniffing determinedly before snatching up a small box in his jaws. He brought it back to Penny, who opened it to find several bottles of water. "Thanks, boy," she said, opening a bottle and taking a long drink. Once her thirst had been abated Penny sighed, rubbing at her eyes again.
Brain curled up close to her, his expression anxious. "I don't know what's going on Brain, but I'm glad you're here," Penny whispered, hugging the dog close.
She leaned back against the cold metal wall and told Brain what she had overheard at the station, as well as how she had been kidnapped. Brain looked just as shocked as Penny had felt when she repeated her uncle's words. He stood and paced for a moment before whuffing a question at her.
"Do I think he meant it?" Penny paused and bit her lip. "I...I honestly don't know, Brain. He sounded so angry. I've never heard him like that before."
Penny pulled her knees up to her chest, shivering from the after-effects of the tranquilizer and the cold air. She had never resented or regretted following her uncle on all of his missions, not for a moment, but this sudden change in their relationship had left her reeling. She thought again on his words from that night. Had he meant them?
No, Penny thought. She knew her uncle better than anyone. Yes, he was proud and stubborn, and sometimes exasperating, but he was also the kindest person Penny knew.
For as long as she could remember her uncle had always been there for her when she really needed him. From the first night she had stayed with him, Penny had known with absolute certainty that her Uncle Gadget loved her. He had never said the words out loud, but he had shown her in countless other ways how much he cared about her. When she had been small and frightened of the dark, or had woken crying from horrible nightmares about being alone, her earliest memories had been of strong, firm arms pulling her close, holding her and making her feel safe.
As she had grown older Penny had needed Gadget's comfort in other ways and he had always risen to the occasion. Whether it was taking care of her when she was sick and miserable during certain times of the month, or urging her to take breaks from studying and go outside with him and Brain, to making her laugh, her Uncle Gadget had always been there for her.
Which made his earlier words all the more devastating to Penny.
Her lingering headache suddenly brought to mind a memory from just a few months ago, reminding Penny of the tender side of Gadget that only she (and Brain) saw, once again reminded that beneath that hapless and bumbling exterior was a man, not a machine like everyone else saw.
She had been miserable all night with a horrible headache, tossing and turning as sleep eluded her. Gadget had stepped into her room around midnight. Penny had tried to apologize for waking him (his hearing was incredibly sensitive) but Gadget wouldn't hear any apologies. He had coaxed her into drinking a glass of water and taking some aspirin and then had sat by her side, rubbing her back and neck while she waited for the medicine to kick in. Instead of leaving to return to his own bed Gadget had lain down next to her, pressing himself against her back and gently pulling her into his arms. He had continued to rub her back and neck, easing the remaining tension until Penny had drifted off into a peaceful slumber.
Penny blinked back tears at the memory and then jerked upright when she heard voices coming from the closed door that led to the cockpit.
"They're coming back. Quick, hide!" Brain did so moments before the door opened.
The same men who had kidnapped her appeared again. Penny scowled darkly at them, refusing to show any signs of fear. Another dart and she was falling back into darkness.
When Penny next woke the plane had landed. She slowly sat upright, wincing at her stiff neck. There were voices outside the plane but they weren't speaking in English. It sounded like Spanish...no, Portuguese, she realized. And given the extreme exhaustion she was feeling they must have changed at least one time zone.
Penny looked around, seeing that she was alone. "Brain?" she whispered. "Are you here?"
A soft whuff and Brain crawled out from underneath a stack of crates. He nuzzled Penny's arm before they both cautiously peered out of the small, tinted window. Penny recognized the foliage and the sounds of wild birds.
Brazil. They were in Brazil.
"Brain," she whispered. "I don't think we're in Metro City anymore."
2 May, 1990
Somewhere in New Jersey, U.S.A.
"Well, is it ready yet?"
"Almost, sir. We just need to run a few more tests-"
"I'm tired of waiting, and so is my superior. You've had four years. Get it up and running. Now."
"I...yes sir."
The technician sighed and turned back to the figure that lay on the metal table. He made a few more adjustments to some circuits before closing the panel on the man's right forearm. He highly doubted the thing on the table could even be called a man anymore. Maybe Von Slickstein had been right about what they were doing, but it was too late to turn back now. Hiding a sigh, the technician turned back to the dark-suited man who had addressed him.
"I've tried to repair as much as I could, but the security system override did a lot of damage."
"That doesn't matter, so long as there isn't a repeat of what happened four years ago."
"No, there shouldn't be," the technician replied, his back still to the table. "I've made the necessary upgrades." 'Stamped out whatever remaining humanity he had left, just like you wanted, you cold-hearted bastards,' he thought grimly.
He wasn't aware of the figure slowly sitting up behind him.
The dark-suited man smiled. "Excellent work. And now that your services are no longer required, we won't be needing you any more."
The technician frowned. "We still don't know how stable the, er...subject is. His-its system is quite volatile, you understand, and extremely dangerous. We don't know what it can do yet. I recommend we monitor it for at least a few weeks."
Behind him the figure stood, silent and inching closer.
"Very well, then. You can be the first test subject."
A horrid sense of dread came over the technician, ice creeping down the nape of his neck. Swallowing against a suddenly dry throat, he slowly turned around.
'What have we done?' was his last thought before his neck was snapped.