Edward took Inspector Gadget by the hand and flew him up into the sky, to some strange swirling gray vortex.
"Wowsers! That void has changed colors!" Gadget exclaimed. "It's like a chameleon!"
"Au contraire, little brother, this is not the void, it is actually a portal that will take us to where I'm trying to show you." Edward explained. "Now hold on tight, it's going to be pretty hairy."
"Sure thing, Edward." said Gadget.
Gadget held on tight to Edward's hand and the duo went through the magic portal. It was a really wild and flashy ride.
"This reminds me of that Patrix virus that I encountered that one time." Gadget remarked.
After a wild ride throughout the portal, the two landed right on the ground at their first stop.
"Well, we're here." Edward deadpanned.
"So, where are we?" asked Gadget.
"This is our first stop on the trip." Edward explained. "We are going to the past."
"Are we going to see the dinosaurs?" asked Gadget. "I've always wanted to see what they look like."
"No! We're going to our past, Gadget." Edward clarified. "Oh and just so you know,
The brothers both picked each other up off the ground and Gadget noticed something about this.
"Hey! I know this place!" said Gadget.
"Of course you do, it's the playground that we used to hang out at when we were kids." Edward explained. "Now take a little gander over there and what do you see?"
Gadget zoomed in on the scene and saw that it was himself and Edward as kids celebrating some sort of birthday party with their friends.
"Hey! It's us!" He exclaimed. "This is from Little Jimmy's birthday party!"
"Yep, how could I forget?" Edward laughed. "And may I remind you what we gave him for his present?"
They then saw Little Jimmy opening up their present, which was some sort of sound machine.
"What is it?" Little Jimmy asked Young Gadget and Edward as he looked at the machine.
"It's an Eddie Brown Sound Machine 3000!" Young Edward proclaimed. "I made this little gadget just for you."
"And I labeled all the buttons so you'll know which is which." said Young Gadget. "Like this one for instance!"
Young Gadget pressed a button with the picture of a rooster on it and some barking noises occurred.
"Now I'm kinda wishing I didn't let you do that." Young Edward deadpanned.
The barking noises scared Little Jimmy's cat and he ran up into a tree.
"Long John!" Little Jimmy gasped.
"Don't worry! I'll get him down!" Young Gadget proclaimed as he started building a device to help him.
"Now I remember this!" Gadget said as he looked at his younger self. "This is me building my first gadget!"
Using the sticky tape from the presents, sticks, and some sort of dinosaur head-grabbing toy, Young Gadget built himself a device to help him grab the little kitty.
"Tada! This should get your kitty down, Little Jimmy!" Young Gadget proclaimed.
"Johnny, are you sure that will work?" Young Edward asked his brother. "I mean, how are you going to get the kitty down with that thing?"
"Stop worrying, Eddie." said Young Gadget. "This can't possibly fail."
Young Gadget then used the grabbing toy to get the cat off the tree branch, but nothing happened.
"Um, John, maybe we should try a different approach?" suggested Eddie.
While Young Gadget was still trying to get the kitty down from the tree with his grabbing gizmo, Young Edward climbed up the tree and gently approached the kitty, unbeknownst to Young Gadget and the other kids.
"Come on little kitty, come with me." Young Edward gently said as he held out his hand. "I'll get you down."
"Meow." said Long John.
Long John walked right to Young Edward's palm and he gently climbed down the tree.
"Here you go, little buddy." Young Edward said as he gently put Long John down and let him go over to Little Jimmy, who was still waiting for Gadget to bring his cat down.
"Meow..." Long John purred on Little Jimmy's shoulder.
"Huh?" Little Jimmy looked down and saw his cat. "Long John! You're okay!"
Little Jimmy picked up Long John and gently stroked him, while the other kids congratulated Young Gadget on his "rescue."
"Wow John, your invention actually worked." said one of the kids.
"It did?" Young Gadget raised an eyebrow. "It did! Of course it did!"
Young Edward tried to explain. "Actually John, what really happened was-"
"Three cheers for John Brown!" said Little Jimmy. "Hip hip hooray!"
"Hooray!" the kids cheered for Young Gadget, completely ignoring Young Edward's protests.
"And since then, you've been confident that you could be a hero and solve mysteries." Edward said as he and Gadget watched their younger selves.
"So, it was you who rescued Little Jimmy's cat?" Gadget asked Edward.
"That is correct!" Edward nodded. "And this wouldn't be the last time you did this to me."
Edward snapped his fingers and the whole scene changed into when John and Edward are young adults, just getting out of college and ready to take their finals. Edward studied for his test very hard, while Gadget was goofing off.
"John, I think you should really study hard if you want to pass the test tomorrow."
"Stop worrying, Edward." said John. "I have it all memorized in my head."
"And that I did." Gadget said as he watched the flashback.
"Or you thought you did." Edward snapped his fingers.
The scene then changed to the very next day at the college class, where everyone was turning in their finals.
"Alright everyone, get your finals up here right now." said the professor.
After John turned in his test, Edward peeked and saw that John hadn't gotten a single answer correct. He could either have John face the consequences of his carelessness, or he could switch the names and save his brother's chances of a bright future. Guess which he chose? If you chose the first option, you win.
"Congratulations, Mr. Brown, you passed with flying colors." said the professor after finishing grading. "Highest grade in the class. As for you, Edward Brown, you didn't get a single answer correct. You answered 'C' for every question. I have no choice but to have you retake your courses."
"Yes sir." Young Edward nodded.
"As for you, John Brown, I think your brother could have some words of wisdom to give you." said the professor. "I will be seeing you next semester."
And so, the shadows changed back to a white background.
"You switched the tests?" Gadget asked his brother. "So, I...didn't pass my final exam with flying colors?"
"Nope." Edward shook his head. "I'm the reason you became a security guard in the first place."
"Wowsers, guess I'm not a genius after all." Gadget said.
"And because I had to repeat my courses, I didn't get the apprenticeship at Bradford Labs that I was working for." Edward explained. "So, by the time I graduated, it was too late and I had to open up my own lab, which I had to build from scratch."
"Why didn't you tell me this?" asked Gadget. "And why didn't I know about Penny and your wife?"
"I was so busy building my fortune and trying to balance it out with family issues." Edward explained. "I didn't have time or get around to contacting you for several years."
Gadget was left speechless.
"Come on, bro, there's more I've got to show you." Edward snapped his fingers.
The two brothers then transported to the next stop on the vision quest.
Meanwhile, Dr. Claw and his mother went to their own first stop on the vision quest. They were in some sort of room, where a teenage boy was kneeling before his mistress.
"Do you see anything you might recognize?" She asked him.
"Yes." Dr. Claw nodded. "It's me and m brother while we were still being trained and when you were the head of the organization."
"So, I as you again, what is MAD's main goal?" Young Sandra Scolex asked.
"Our goal is to bring down every crime fighting and peacekeeping organization in the world..." said Young Sanford Scolex.
"...dominate every global crime syndicate known to man..." added Young Dr. Thaw.
"And rise up to global conquest!" the brothers finished.
"Exactly!" Young Mrs. Scolex nodded. "For generations, our family has been climbing our way to the top and we are not going to allow that to deteriorate. You two will work together as partners and run the organization together by the time I retire or die. You will carry on the legacy of your ancestors and bring every single crime syndicate down!"
"Yes ma'am!" The two brothers saluted.
"That was a vow I always made to live by." Dr. Claw said as he observed the shadows of the past.
"Indeed, but that went to your head." said Claw's mother.
She snapped her fingers and the scene changed to when Claw and Thaw had been partners as head organization for MAD.
"I'm telling you that you have to stay here!" Young Claw snapped at his brother. "This is the plan that could finally get MAD global crime domination!"
"And I'm telling you that I need to get back to my wife!" Young Thaw retorted. "You know perfectly well that she is pregnant with my two children! Those boys could be our next heirs!"
"With this heist, we will have plenty of time to get heirs!" said Young Claw. "I have already made the plans and you are involved in them! It's too late to change them!"
"This is my organization as much as it is yours!" Young Thaw retorted.
"Well then maybe you should start your own crime syndicate!" Young Claw barked.
"I WILL!" Young Thaw snapped. "I am leaving you, brother and I am never going to return! In fact, my sons will never know of their connection to you!"
"Very well!" Claw pressed a button. "Guards! Get him out of my sight, NOW!"
Two bulky MAD Agents came inside the command deck and grabbed Dr. Thaw, dragging him out of the lair.
"Good riddance." Young Claw growled.
"I still can't believe you did that to your own brother!" Claw's mom told her son.
"He was trying to go against my master plan!" Dr. Claw retorted.
"That may be, but you broke your sacred vow of being partners and it cost you the next heirs of the business!" Claw's Mom pointed out. "Now come on, we have to see what one of our heirs is up to!"
Claw's Mom snapped her fingers and the two were transported to the next stop on the vision quest.
Author's Note:
Well, looks like we've gone on the first stop of the vision quest: The Past! Next, we go to the present and see what's going with the inspector's former allies and Dr. Claw's protege, Talon! Stay tuned for more soon!