Penny wasn't easily frightened, but she screamed as she saw the lethally heavy cast-iron statue plummeting towards their heads. Talon grabbed her, and pulled her clear. Brain just leapt out of the way too, before the statue hit the ground with an impact that seemed to shake the whole of London. It broke into three pieces, and lay there amidst the stone lions.

Across the square, police officers real and mechanised were already radioing for help. It would have been ridiculous to say: "Are you all right?" so Talon just hugged Penny.

The HQ team looked up. In place of the statue at the top of the column, a young man was standing with a loudhailer. He was long-haired and bearded and even at that height, Penny could see his clothes needed ironing. She could see jet boots on his feet, just like she and Talon were wearing. They were the only way he could have got up there.

He stood there, amidst smoke and flames, and raised the megaphone to his lips.

"Down with false heroes! Down with our colonialist past! Wake up to Woke Action!"

At ground level, two other protestors, a spotty youth and a girl with orange-dyed hair, were already spraying graffiti across the base of the column. Penny saw the letters W.A., W.A., over and over again. She wished she had the authority here to arrest these people. She looked across to the police, but they seemed reluctant to get involved.

The orange-haired girl was now handing out leaflets.

"W.A. stands for justice, oppressed minorities and the future of our planet!"

Talon grinned. "So how comes you're all white and middle-class?"

The girl made no reply. She went off to find a more receptive audience.

Talon had taken a leaflet, anyway.

"Sheesh. That's a grand address, for a group of rebels. West End. That building can't come cheap."

"This won't look good in Uncle Gadget's first week," said Penny. She saw fire engines and police cars racing into the square, and led her party away. "C'mon. We don't want to be witnesses to this. We need to get to New Scotland Yard."

They walked on into the city centre. Huge digital display boards were showing pictures of the Queen, as well as Commissioner Gadget.

"I don't get this," Penny said. "Erasing history. That's what dictators do. How can we learn from the past, if it's not there?"

Talon paused.

"Penn. I never got a chance to tell ya, but down in the cells this morning, I overheard Fang, bragging to his cellmate. He was saying something about MAD... and Operation London."

"Operation London? What's that?"

"I dunno. But I guess it could have something to do with those W.A. guys."

"Is MAD still operational here?"

"When I went over our old lairs, there were lots of MAD units still listed on the database, all over the world. I never got the chance to check 'em all out."

"So they could still be at work." Penny frowned. Maybe the city needed Uncle Gadget, after all. "I wonder if it's got anything to do with the Jubilee..."

They made for a bus-stop.

"C'mon. We need to reunite the team. Get the Gadgets back together..."

When they reached New Scotland Yard, they had a great deal of difficulty getting in. Two Gadgetinis were guarding the gates, and kept saying: "Access denied," or "Move along, please." But once they persuaded them to fetch some human officers, and showed their HQ ID, and got someone to phone up to Commissioner Gadget, they were admitted, and went up in the elevator – or lift, in Britain – to the Commissioner's plush office on the top floor.

Gadget was overjoyed to see Penny in particular, and hugged and hugged her in a way he hadn't since she was a kid back from camp. Then he sent down for some afternoon tea. His desk was soon covered with teacups and sandwiches and scones.

"I've got to like tea, very quickly. They say the best way to have it is with lemon." He took an entire, unpeeled lemon from his pocket and dropped it into the cup.

Penny decided not to get sidetracked. She told him everything they had seen. Then she showed him the leaflet Talon had been given. Gadget looked worried.

"I've had reports about it all right. Men, women, and Gadgetinis, all dispatched to the scene. But it's difficult. These guys call anyone who disagrees with them a racist, or a climate change denier. I'm under some pressure to leave them alone."

"We're wondering if it's just them," said Penny. "They'd be a brilliant front, for an organisation like MAD. Talon thinks there might still be MAD cells active, over here."

Gadget was interested at once.

"We need to investigate. I guess I need to delegate, now. Does Chief Quimby know you're here?" The agents shook their heads. "I'll square it with him. Give me half an hour. I'll arrange a tour of the building for you, and you can see our facilities. We have all the latest policing technology."

He picked up a phone and dialled. Talon rolled his eyes as he heard the sound of a fax machine coming over the receiver.

Two friendly young uniformed police officers took them on their tour of the building, then they went outside again, and saw some more Gadgetinis. One of them had somehow become entangled with a parking meter, and had brought it back to HQ. Talon sniggered.

"Hey. It's found a girlfriend!"

They went back up to Gadget's office to find three warrant cards waiting for them on his desk.

"I spoke to Quimby. Hey, I can call him that now, we're same rank!" He grinned for a moment, then snapped back to reality. "Because of possible MAD involvement, he's seconded you to me, for the present investigation. Here are your cards. You're now temporary officers in the British police."

He picked up a mission ball from his desk.

"I always wanted to do one of these."

Penny, Talon and Brain saw the holographic video of Gadget's face.

"Your mission is to visit, and infiltrate, Woke Action. You're to work undercover as supporters of their cause, and investigate any possible links with MAD or the Queen's Jubilee. Report back to New Scotland Yard by any means at your disposal, most obviously the phone. Talon, you're the master of disguise..."

Talon grinned. "Flattery will get you everywhere."

He worked at the controls on his wrist for a short while. Then Penny and Brain heard their own Codexes beep.

"OK, you guys. Try this."

Penny and Brain activated their disguises. All three agents flickered, and transformed into elaborate hippy gear. Brain had a beard down past his collar, and Penny's blonde hair was braided, ending in beads. She was in a kaftan. Talon had camouflage gear, a goatee beard and an enormous pair of shades.

Penny looked at their reflections in the glass screens surrounding the office. "Right on!"

Talon laughed. He looked back at the mission ball, where the message was still playing out. He heard Gadget's voice say:

"This message will self-destruct."

Talon switched it off.

"OK, Commissioner. We'll report back."

He paused, made to follow Penny and Brain out of the room, then slyly turned and flicked the ball back at Gadget. There was an explosion. Penny and Brain stared at the sight of a soot-covered Gadget at his desk. Talon grinned.

"Apologies. I couldn't resist that. Tough at the top, Chief!"

They made their exit.

Penny, Talon and Brain were driven in a police car to within a mile of W.A.'s HQ. Then they were dropped off, to walk the rest of the way. They approached a smart West End office, with a minimalist reception area that had huge clocks on the wall, showing what time it was all over the world. They went up a staircase to an upper office.

They felt very out of place in their hippy disguises. The office workers were all smartly-suited and seated behind laptops. Vast red letters W.A. covered a far wall. Someone was clearly putting money into this protest group.

One of the operatives signed them up for W.A. and gave them membership cards and further handouts, all virtually.

"We've gone totally paperless. We're here to save the world."

There was no sign that this was anything other than a legitimate political organisation. Penny couldn't believe these same people had just blown up one of England's national monuments. Perhaps they weren't responsible for all their supporters.

They went back downstairs. The front desk was empty, and they had reception to themselves.

"So where does that leave us?" Talon asked, through his goatee.

"Maybe this is just a front. Maybe there's a secret meeting-place..."

Talon hooted.

"Penn, you've been reading Nancy Drew, again. Secret meeting-place..." He glanced at the UK clock on the wall, and checked his watch. "Hey, that's ten minutes slow, it's nearly six."

He went and fiddled with the clock, moving the minute hand round to twelve. Then he gave a yell, as a trapdoor opened beneath him, plunging him downwards. Penny saw the start of steps leading downward, and heard his voice say:

"Penn. I think I found the secret meeting-place."

Penny grinned. She and Brain followed him down.

Talon rubbed his arms and legs, but he was unhurt, and already on his feet.

"Looks like you were right. This is a MAD entrance, if ever I saw one."

At the bottom of the steps, they entered a cellar, lit only by a single energy-saving lightbulb. The meeting-place was full of young, hippyish protestors, dressed (almost) like themselves. Penny saw the bearded man and orange-haired woman from Trafalgar Square. The young woman who had been on reception was now down here, handing out refreshments.

"Welcome, friends. Have a glass of potato juice."

There was a small stage at one end, as if this were a comedy club. Penny, Talon and Brain got the only remaining seats, right at the front. Talon took one sip of his drink, grimaced and left it.

The bearded man took the stage.

"Welcome, brothers and sisters. Today, we made the first stand for freedom, with the destruction of another hated monument to capitalism and oppression!"

Everyone cheered, and the HQ agents hastily did the same.

"Now, please welcome our speaker for tonight, who'll tell us where we go from here. All the way from W.A. in the U.S. – Ikona Klastic!"

There were more cheers and applause. Penny's group froze, as a middle-aged woman rose and walked up onto the stage.

Her red hair was long and wild now, she was wearing combat gear and boots, but the agents knew her. Last time they'd seen her, she was about to be sealed inside the Elizabeth Monument.

Her name was Dee Skize and she was a MAD agent.