Edwin finished adjusting his tie as he stared into the mirror. A cog needed to look his absolute best at all times, but there was something more special about today. After a recent promotion from Tightwad level two to a level three, the mint-tinted android was finally eligible to begin fighting Toons. While some cogs were built directly for the purpose of battling, many cogs were purposely built under-leveled so they could be utilized for more clerical work, or other necessary tasks around Cog Nation. Edwin had been one such of these cogs. After a very swift two years working and studying as an accountant for Coin Mint office number Seven, he had put in a request for promotion as was customary. Much to his surprise, he had been granted a temporary promotion with the option of full-time promotion, granted he could provide verification of defeating at least ten Toons. The Tightwad had spent the entire previous night giddy, unable to shut down for the night. He had ironed his favorite suit twice, chosen the most generic tie in his closet, and had even skipped breakfast. One of his best friends, a Bean Counter named Alex had also been recently promoted to a level five and was assigned to supervise an overtaking of a building in the Toontown suburb of Minnie's Melodyland. Supervisors were usually randomly assigned a team of subordinates, however somehow the newly appointed boss had filed a paperwork to bring his close friend with him so they could be together for Edwin's first defeated cog.

The pair had planned to meet inside of the coin mint so that they could make any final preparations. Arriving exactly on time, Edwin checked his watch as he walked into the lobby of his former office. Much to his surprise, Alex was already there, writing up what appeared to be a standard report. "Good morning, Alex. You're here early today."

"Oh, Edwin. You made it. Sorry, I realized I had forgotten to finish completing the form 18-27 about that building. Just wanted to make sure the proper procedures have been completed. Don't need any smudges on my record right after getting promoted." Signing his name, the robot placed the document into a folder which was placed into a larger folder, inside of a cabinet which was one of thousands that lined the room. "Bureaucracy is a beautiful thing, Edwin." Placing his arm around the shorter cog, he began to wax poetic about his ideals. "Just remember, the Toons we are fighting. We are not doing so because we wish to oppress them, but rather to show them how things should be. They are too stupid to understand the more sophisticated nature of the world. Remember to be firm, but respectful. Although if they start using their dirty tricks, which they likely will, that it is okay to bend the rules a bit."

"Bend the rules? Wouldn't that lead to a demotion, or even worse, a decommissioning?" The Tightwad bit his nails anxiously, ruing the possibility just days after he had earned what he had so proudly worked for.

Shrugging, Alex relieved his naïve co-worker. "Oh, don't worry about that, buddy. I'm your supervisor. I assure you that I will not report anything unless it is warranted. While the rules are in place for a reason, there is always room for interpretation, and besides… Would you rather break a rule and survive or follow the rules and face a certain destruction?" His friend's silence confirmed what both knew was true. "Anyways, I think we should get going, I'm sure the team will be awaiting our arrival."

The pair exited the building for what would likely be the last time, filling the Tightwad with a bitter-sweet feeling. His desk had almost been his home since his graduation from Cog Academy, and he was finally moving on. The pair made small-talk as they strolled through Cog Nation's Cashbot District. Near their exit point, they were approached by an overly-friendly looking Yesman dressed in an unusual white suit. "Good afternoon, fellows. Have either of you heard about the Great Creator?"

"Excuse me?" Edwin inquired, confused by the cog's strange attire, and even more unusual questioning. "The Great Creator?"

"Ignore him, Edwin." Searching for the Bossbot's credentials, Alex became suspicious of the happenings with the Yesman. "Where is your credentials, Bossbot? Do you have a purpose to be in The Cashbot District? Actually, forget that question, as it appears you are here soliciting information that is not necessary to the duty that has been promoted by the Chairman. Who is your supervisor? I will be reporting you for non-compliance and ensuring that you receive a demerit." Becoming angrier, the Bean Counter smacked his forehead. "For Cog's Sake, have some self-respect, man. What is this get-up? It's just embarrassing."

Seemingly unphased by the threat, Mason reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a brochure, handing it to Edwin. "Brother, it appears that you have not heard about the Great Creator. He is the one true voice, the one who will bring eternal salvation to all Cogs. We have weekly meetings, and I would strongly encourage you to come so you can also find the truth." Bowing to the pair of Cashbots, the strange Yesman was off to harass another unsuspecting Number Cruncher.

Pausing for a moment, Edwin looked down at the pamphlet. On the picture was what appeared to be a photoshopped Sellbot Factory that was placed precariously on a cloud and flooded by a bright light in the background. On the bottom it merely listed an address and no other information. "Well, that was strange." Were the only words that could come to the Cog's mind,

"Just ignore that. There's a lot of wackos out and about recently for some reason." Grabbing the brochure from his comrade, the Bean County crumpled it up and placed it neatly into his pants pocket. "I'll discard of this later, I want to make sure this gets reported to the C.F.O and C.E.O. so they can take appropriate action." Clapping his hands, the android smiled and exhaled. "Anyways, today isn't about that. It is your first-time fighting Toons. It should be a celebratory occasion. Are you ready?"

"Definitely!" Edwin threw out his thumb in an excited manner. Both Cogs released their propellors and began their ascent as they made the long journey to Minnie's Melodyland.

Toontown was much more colorful than Edwin imagined. Accustomed to the droll grays and browns of Cog Nation, the vibrant pinks and yellows had scorched his eyes. The streetlamps, which in Cog Nation were only used for the purposes of light, had attached speakers which blasted doltish and zany tunes, much to the chagrin of Alex who had placed headphones into his ears in order to drown out the horrible sounds. Edwin somewhat enjoyed the music; however, he didn't want to risk alienating himself by stating so and kept his mouth quiet. Alex had given him the breakdown of playgrounds and streets in Toontown, letting him know where it was safe and where to avoid. The building they would be capturing was called "Music Is Our Forte" which was located on the "Alto Avenue."

Edwin was amazed to see such a large variety of cogs. While it was mostly Sellbots and other Cashbots, it was still a novelty to intermix cogs in the districts in Cog Nation. Once they had landed at their destination, the cogs looked up at the pink building and grinned. Several other low-level Cashbots from Short Changes to other Bean Counters had waited outside patiently, greeting their new supervisor upon arrival. A Penny Pincher shook Alex's hand and spoke cautiously. "Sir, I don't want to alarm you but a Glad Hander has already begun the process of overtaking this establishment."

"What are you talking about? I have a formal assignment from Cashbot Headquarters assigning this to be taken over at approximately nine-thirty AM, Toontown Time, supervised by myself."

"I'm not sure, I tried explaining that to him, but he wouldn't listen." A Short Change attempted to explain before being quieted by the higher-ranking cog.

Forgoing other information, the furious cog walked inside to demand an explanation from the rogue Glad Hander. Inside of the building was tight and cramped with the large Sellbot who was in the process of tying up a green rabbit. "Excuse me, Glad Hander. State your business in this building!"

Turning to face what appeared to be an obnoxious Cashbot, the Glad Hander put on a plastic smile and slicked his hair back. "Ah, would you look at that. What's a Bean Counter doing in this part of town? As for me, I am just taking over this building, and capturing this Toon for the purposes of bringing to the V.P. as a hostage. I am here on official Sellbot business, as this Toon has been infiltrating Factories and stocking barrels of "Sound Gags."

"Well, that may be so, but I have an order from The Head of Cashbot Buildings in Cashbot Headquarters to overtake this building at this time and date. May I see your order document?"

"Leave it to a Cashbot to try and pull rank. I don't think you understand who I am. My name is Gary, and I am third-in-command of Glad Handers in Sellbot HQ. I outrank you, so I should be asking you for your document, Cog."

Cursing under his breath, Alex knew that the chubby cog was correct. Pulling out his document, he handed it to the grubby Glad Hander who eyed the request. "Hmm, Supervisor Alex, a level-five Bean Counter. Recently promoted…." Gary read quietly to himself. "Very well, Mr. Alex. However, I will leave this building in your care. However, I still have been ordered to bring this Toon back to Sellbot Headquarters, and I will hear nothing further about this. If you mention this to anybody, I will have you instantly demoted. Do you understand me?"

Fists clenched and teeth gritted, Alex stared down the fellow robot. "Very well. However, I must ask why this must be kept secret. It seems like a standard request. I would still like to see your documents."

"You shut your damn mouth, you lowly Bean Counter. You're what, a level five? I'm a level eight. I could have you decommissioned so quickly you would be begging to be hit by a cream pie. You mind your own business." Lifting the tied and gagged rabbit over his shoulder, Gary pushed his way past Alex and left the building. Moments after his exit, the remaining Cashbots whisked inside and none dared to speak, seeing the angry state their supervisor was in.

"Alright, Cogs. We have a simple Two-Story Building that we will be in charge of. I want the two lowest level cogs monitoring the bottom floor. The other two will be with me up on the top floor. Is there any questions?"

Edwin rose his hand, after noticing the levels of the other cogs, all of whom but one were level fours, aside from the Short Change who was a level two. "Um, Alex. Should I be down on the first floor then?"

Alex, taking notice of what his friend already had, corrected himself in a way to not sound like he was showing favoritism. "Hmm. That is a good question. Actually, Edwin. Maybe you should be up on the second floor. We might want some more experience on the first floor so that Toons are getting stopped as soon as possible. How about we have Jared on the first floor with Sam." The Bean Counter pointed to the other Bean Counter, and Short Change. "Then Edwin, Jackie, and I will be on the top to ensure protection of the building. We will be here for our entire shift; at which time we will rotate us with another team. This will be your workstation until further notice.

"Yes, sir." The cogs spoke in unison, watching as the Cog Building had slowly finished its completion. Once done, Sam, and Jared stayed behind, heading to a pair of generic desks where they began to fill out paperwork that they had brought in their briefcases. Walking into the elevator, Edwin followed Jackie and Alex who both appeared much more confident in their actions.

"So, Jackie, is this your first building?" Knowing that he would be confined with this Penny Pincher for many hours, he figured that making some pleasant conversation would make things more tolerable.

The red Cog chuckled and pulled out a notepad. 'First? Ho-ho, not at all. Although from those shaking hands I can imagine this is probably your first run-around here. This is my sixth building. Don't worry about it, things are pretty easy here. Just relax and enjoy yourself. Odds are we won't even see any Toons on our shift."

The green cog unwinded his angry looking face to try and take a deep breath. "Alright, well what should we do while we are here? I didn't bring any paperwork since I was recently promoted and was not assigned anything."

"Whatever you want, Edwin. Whatever you want." Alex rested his arm on his friend's bald head and grinned. "You're in a whole new world, buddy. This ain't Cog Nation anymore, you're free now."

"Congratulations, Squiggles. You now have Teleportation Access to Daisy Gardens! You have now been approved to undertake Toontasks in Minnie's Melodyland. If you have a few minutes, I have some open tasks that need fulfilling if you'd be interested." The light brown HQ Officer yanked out a comically sized stack of papers, eying back and forth between Squiggles and the tasks.

"Yeah, that would be great! I'm a little behind the curve compared to normal Toons my age, so I'd really like to catch up." The cherry-red cat winked at the oversized monkey who breathed a sigh of relief.

Shuffling through, the officer found a tab that was labeled Minnie's Melodyland. "Ah, here we go. So, it looks like we're a bit lighter on the MML tasks, but I do have a request to defeat a two story building anywhere in Minnie's Melodyland. The reward is for a laff point." Catching himself, the chunky monkey backtracked. "Well, of course you need to choose a gag track to train. Would you be interested in sound or trap?"

Without hesitation, Squiggles meowed out in excitement. "Sound, of course! How could somebody go through the Land of Music and not choose sound, right?" Signing the paperwork, Squiggles readied herself to finally begin training her new gags. The feline, already twenty-four years old, had long wanted to join most of her friends in the world of fighting cogs, however a restrictive family who worried about her disability had limited her until she was able to finally move out on her own. "So, you mentioned a two-story building?"

"Oh, yes!" Flopping the paper down in front of his customer, the primate began explaining how things worked. "So, I'm sure you've taken over buildings before. Do you have any friends or anybody who can help you?"

"Yes, of course. Fortunately, buildings are accessible for me so that isn't much of a problem. However, I am riding solo for the moment. Most of my friends are busy. I could probably find someone on the street though if I need to." Unrestrained by fear, Squiggles saluted the HQ Officer who couldn't help but feel a bit influenced by the enthusiasm.

Grinning a toothy smile, the light brown monkey leaned forward and provided some advice. "Well, if you plan on going alone, I'd look towards Alto Avenue. That's where the easiest cogs tend to stay because they like to prey on curious Toons exploring from Toontown Central. They know they can't really take on big and strong Toons like you. Go and give them a lesson in humility for me!"

Instilled with a sense of motivation, Squiggles leaned her wheelchair back and let out a loud "Woo!" Spinning around, she grabbed the task and waved to the friendly Toon. "Don't worry about that! Maybe I'll take down two buildings just for good measure! When you see me again, I will be carrying the entrails of all of the predatory cogs who thought they could easily defeat me!"