Uncle Gadget sat at the dinner table, looking at Penny and Brain. Penny had turned 12 eight months ago, and she had decided to officially apply for the Junior Police Academy. This was a new program for Metro City, although it has been used successfully in cities all over the world. This was a six month commitment, and Penny would be spending it at the Police Training Grounds, outside of Metro City. Penny would also have to keep up with her regular schoolwork, which would be brought to her to work on when she was not learning police material. She had signed up knowing full well what a major challenge she was getting herself into.

Fortunately for Penny, she would have her loyal, beloved friend Brain with her. Chief Quimby and the Police Commissioner were well aware of all that the team of Penny and Brain had accomplished, backing up Inspector Gadget in secret for the past several years. When Penny had asked Brain to join the Police Force with her, and he realized that he would be able to work openly and not have to rely on disguises, as well as enduring Gadget constantly mistaking him for a MAD agent, he enthusiastically agreed, much to Penny's delight. She was more aware than anyone of just how indispensable Brain was when on a mission. And besides, she didn't want to be parted from her dear friend while at the Academy. As a 'thank you' to Penny and Brain for all they had done against MAD, Chief Quimby had arranged for them to remain partnered together as long as they were in the Academy.

Now, Uncle Gadget looked at the two of them with great pride, but also some dread. He dreaded having an empty house to come home to while his Penny and Brain would be away at the Academy. For approximately the fiftieth time, Gadget asked, "Penny, are you and Brain sure that this is what you want to do? You haven't been on any missions, and you don't understand how hard this work is." Brain stiffened with outrage, so Penny put her hand on his leg under the table, to signal to him to calm down and let her do the talking. "Oh, Uncle; of course I'm sure! We are BOTH sure. I've heard about all of your missions, and we're both ready for the challenge." Uncle Gadget heard the timer beep in the kitchen, and excused himself.

When he left the dining room, Brain made use of his newly perfected canine translator collar, which allowed him to speak out loud. Brain loudly whispered, "Penny, are you kidding me?! Did you hear what he just said? 'You haven't been on any missions?!' WE have saved his ASS on every mission!" Penny was trying to shush Brain, while laughing at the same time. She pulled his head closer and gave him a little hug. This usually calmed him down. "It's okay, Brain! We've been over and over this; there are some secrets we have to keep from Uncle, for his own good, remember? Just try to think about the future, not the past." Brain still looked upset; he had his chin in one hand, and tapped the table with frustration with the other. Penny pleadingly said, "Please, Brain?" He glanced at her side-eyed, and his frustration melted. He sighed, and asked, "How do you do that, Penny? It works every time." She gave him another quick hug, and answered, "It only works if you love me."

Uncle Gadget came out of the kitchen, carrying the roast beef. He had managed not to burn it, for once. Penny said, "Mmm, that smells wonderful, Uncle!" Brain perked up and forgot his frustrations for the time being. Freshly cooked roast beef will make a hungry dog forget many things. Uncle Gadget carved up the roast, and gave Penny and Brain their helpings. They ate slowly, and talked frequently throughout the meal. All three Gadgets were taking their time, and enjoying this meal, because it would be their last meal together as a family for a long time. Penny and Brain were leaving for the Junior Police Academy the next morning.

After dinner was finished, Uncle Gadget quickly loaded the dishwasher, then he and Penny and Brain went for a walk around the neighborhood. The early Summer heat was dissipating, and many of their neighbors were outside doing chores, now that it was somewhat cooler outside. The Gadgets waved hello to their next door neighbor, Mr. Rogers, as he mowed his lawn. Uncle Gadget looked at his little niece and his little dog as they walked ahead of him. Only, she wasn't so little anymore, Gadget had to admit to himself. In his mind's eye, he still visualized little seven year old Penny, sitting in his lap, dozing off while they watched television. Now, however, she was rapidly getting taller, and even Brain was much larger than the little puppy they had rescued from the animal shelter.

After an hour long walk, the three of them returned home. When Uncle Gadget shut the door, he turned on the hall light and said, "Penny, when did you and Brain grow so much?" Penny hugged her Uncle. He returned this hug. After a moment, she looked up and said, "I'm going to miss you, Uncle." After fighting down the lump in his throat, Uncle Gadget said, "Well, it's six months, not for the rest of our lives." He said this more for his own benefit than Penny's. She smiled, and said, "Well, I will have Brain there with me the whole time. We always watch out for each other."

Finally, it was time for bed. Their last night at home for six months. Penny climbed into bed, and Brain shut off the light, and hopped up to his spot on the foot of her bed. Their eyes adjusted to the moonlight through the window, and both Penny and Brain could see that neither one was able to get to sleep. Penny sat up, and Brain looked at her. He asked, "Penny, are you scared?" She started to say no, but she couldn't lie. She admitted that she was scared. Brain nodded and said, "Me, too." Penny smiled and said, "Isn't it odd, Brain, after all the dangerous missions we have been on, that we're both frightened of this?" Brain thought about it and replied, "It's not just living away from home for months. I'm afraid because it's a major life change for us, and also; will the other cadets and the other police officers accept us? You're so young, the niece of Inspector Gadget, and I'm a talking dog! What if they won't accept us?" Brain walked up the bed to Penny, and they gave each other comforting hugs. Penny said, "We'll just have to watch out for each other, won't we, Brain?" He nodded and said, "Always."

Later that evening, Uncle Gadget finished checking all the doors and windows of the house, making sure everything was secure, and was walking down the hall. He stopped in front of Penny's room, and looked in. She and Brain had fallen asleep in the middle of a hug again. Gadget smiled. He realized how deeply bonded Penny and Brain were. They always looked out for each other, and it gave him great comfort to know that they would continue to do so in their training. Penny's blonde pigtails slowly moved as she breathed in her sleep, and Brain's ears twitched as he dreamed. Gadget stood there and savored this sight; he would not see it again for a long time. Finally, he quietly continued down the hall to his own room, and shut the door.

Penny woke up with the morning sun, opening her eyes, and saw that Brain was still fast asleep. She lay there for a moment, and part of her mind wondered what the reaction would be if she and Brain called the whole thing off. Chief Quimby and Uncle Gadget would be so disappointed. She chastised herself for thinking that; it was not even an option. She looked at Brain, and saw him starting to stir. She stroked his head, and he stretched and yawned, then looked at Penny. After a moment, Penny sighed, and said, "Well, Brain, it's time. Let's get going." She sat up, and they both got out of the bed and prepared to face the day.

Two hours later, after breakfast, Uncle Gadget drove the Gadgetmobile up to the Metro City Police Academy. They were wearing the blue cadet shirts that had "CADET" in bright yellow. All of the Training instructors were already there, as was Chief Quimby. Uncle Gadget stopped the car, and shut off the engine. He turned to look at Penny and Brain. "Penny, Brain, I want you to know that I am very proud of you both. Don't worry at all about me; I'll be just fine. I want you both to give this 100%. Give it your best effort. It won't be easy, but I know you can do it. I'll be waiting for you when this training is done." Gadget thought some more, then continued. "Try to have fun! Don't go into this with fear; look at it as a challenge for you both to overcome! And, please, watch out for each other." Penny and Brain both assured him that they would.

Chief Quimby walked over to the Gadgetmobile. Uncle Gadget rolled down the window, and Quimby smiled at Penny and Brain. He could see how nervous they were. "Penny, Brain, welcome to the Junior Police Academy. I'm very glad to see you here. Now, listen: I know you two can handle this. Don't be nervous or scared. The instructors are going to raise their voices, but it's just part of the training. None of it is personal. Now, say goodbye to your Uncle, and let's get started." Penny and Brain gave Uncle Gadget one last hug, then stepped out of the Gadgetmobile, picked up their bags, and started to walk toward the line of cadets. With this act, Penny and Brain stepped away from their childhood, taking the first real steps toward their adult career.

As they timidly approached the line of cadets, one of the Police instructors, a tall man with a short buzz cut and mirrored sunglasses, noticed Brain, and Penny heard him say something nasty about a dog among the cadets. He started to stride toward Penny and Brain, and was intercepted by Chief Quimby. Apparently, this particular instructor had not gotten the word. Brain was a full cadet, and was to be partnered with Penny. Quimby gathered the instructors together, and while Penny couldn't hear what he was saying, several of the instructors looked directly at Brain. Quimby emphasized his point with hand motions. The instructor with the buzz cut loudly said, "Are you kidding me?" Quimby pointed directly at this instructor, spoke for a few seconds more, then walked away. None of the instructors looked pleased, but they had their orders from the Chief of Police.

The tall instructor with the buzz cut walked over to the cadets. "Stop talking! Line up! Face this way! Eyes forward!" Penny and Brain were in the middle of the line, standing next to each other. There were 32 cadets lined up with their bags. Since they were children, some looked as if they were about to burst into tears, although some others were brave. The five instructors stood in a line facing the cadets, and Chief Quimby walked in front of the instructors. He addressed the cadets. "Cadets, welcome to the Metro City Junior Police Academy. This will be a long and challenging training course. You will be tested in many ways, relentlessly, but that is only because you will be tested much more harshly out on the streets as a police officer. One mistake as an officer can cost lives. The training will be hard, but fair. Everyone here will have an equal chance to succeed. Teamwork is key to success. Now, each of you is free to step away from the training at any time, but be aware: There is no re-entry. If you leave this place, unless it is a family emergency, you will not be allowed to return. Now, your instructors will help you get settled in. Good luck to all of you."

Chief Quimby stepped away, and one of the instructors barked out orders. "There are 32 of you cadets! Four to a room! Put your bags in your locker, and report to the main conference room you see behind me. You have five minutes. Now, all of you, turn to your left! Forward, march!" The row of cadets stepped forward, and walked into the barracks. All of their names were near the doors of their rooms. Penny and Brain saw their names on a door, along with two other cadets. They entered the room, and were actually impressed. Everything was new and clean, and it was a good sized room, with its own bathroom. Penny smiled at Brain. "Well, this isn't so bad, is it?" Brain nodded in agreement. Two other female cadets entered the room, and said hello. They seemed nice to Penny, and these two girls were fascinated with sharing a room with a dog, but they had no time to chat. They hurried off to the conference room. Penny and Brain were about to follow, when Chief Quimby appeared at their door.

"Just a second, you two. Now, I spoke to the instructors, and I made it clear to them, you two stay together. They weren't too pleased about a dog amongst the cadets, but I'm sure that in time, they will see how special Brain is. And, one more thing: Your history against MAD for all those years got you in the door of this Academy, but from here on out, there's no more favoritism or special treatment because of how you helped your Uncle, or because you're related to Inspector Gadget. From now on, you succeed or fail on your own efforts. And, remember that all those missions against MAD are classified, so don't go around bragging about it." Penny and Brain nodded vigorously, and said, "We understand, Chief." Penny then said, "Chief, while Brain and I are here, we won't be able to help our Uncle, so—" Chief Quimby smiled, and replied, "Don't worry, Penny; I'll see that he doesn't do anything too dangerous. I'll watch out for him." Penny breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, thank you, Chief Quimby." He smiled, and said, "Alright, get going to that conference room, and good luck, you two."

Chief Quimby walked outside the gates of the Police Academy, and let the door shut behind him. Inspector Gadget was still there, leaning against the side of the Gadgetmobile. He asked, "How are they doing, Chief?" Quimby smiled and said, "Well, they're a little wide-eyed now, because everything is new to them, but they'll do fine, Gadget." Inspector Gadget sighed, and said, "I certainly hope so."

In the conference room, Penny and Brain sat in chairs at a long table next to each other. All 32 of the cadets were sitting there, awaiting instruction. The instructors passed out pens, and started to distribute paperwork. The cadets had to fill out their name, address, and emergency contacts, and other information. Penny glanced at Brain, and was proud to see her little friend rapidly filling out his own form, without any assistance. Penny thought to herself, 'Maybe NOW people will believe that Brain is every bit as intelligent as a human.' She saw, out of the corner of her eye, that two instructors were walking over to stand right in front of Brain. She whispered to him, "Keep your eyes on your paper, Brain." He nodded his head ever so slightly. The two instructors stood directly in front of Brain, watching a dog rapidly filling out a questionnaire with a pen, on his own. They watched Brain fill out his name as 'Brain Gadget,' then he signed his name at the end, and laid down his pen, and silently sat still. He was one of the first cadets to finish. The two instructors walked away without a word. Inside, Penny was bursting with pride in her best friend, but she kept her expression neutral.

Inspector Gadget arrived at home, got out of the Gadgetmobile, and walked into the house. It was silent. He walked over to a cabinet next to the refrigerator in the kitchen, and pulled out a large calendar that he had drawn himself. It was exactly six months long. He stuck it to the wall with thumbtacks, and reached up to the very top, and put a red X through the first day. He sighed, and said to himself, "One day down, 182 to go." He looked at the calendar for a minute, then aimlessly walked into the living room, and up the stairs, and found himself stopping at the doorway of Penny's bedroom. She had left it neat and tidy; even the bed was perfectly made. After a minute of staring into her bedroom, Gadget scowled and said to himself, "Ok, Gadget, you are NOT going to stand here moping and feeling sorry for yourself for six whole months. This is ridiculous. Do something useful and constructive!" With frustration, he shut the door to Penny's bedroom and walked outside, and started to mow the lawn.

At the Academy, the instructors gathered up all the cadet's paperwork. One of the instructors stood before them and said, "Next, you cadets will march single file to the cafeteria for dinner. After that, report to your rooms and get settled in. Enjoy this light, easy afternoon; there won't be many more after this. Report back here in this conference room tomorrow morning at 6:00 am, sharp. I suggest you all have your lights out before 9:00 tonight, because tomorrow will be a very busy day." Penny and Brain knew that when an instructor 'suggested' something, that was a command.

Penny and Brain sat in the cafeteria, eating their dinner in silence. It was strange to think that they had eaten breakfast at home with Uncle Gadget, that same day. That already seemed so long ago. Brain thought to himself that this food was actually quite good. He sat and sipped his water, waiting for Penny to finish her dinner. She had always been a rather slow eater.

When Penny was finished, she and Brain walked together back to the barracks. Along the way, she felt that she could feel the eyes of all the instructors bearing down on her, and especially poor Brain. It was a relief when they were back inside their room. Their two roommates were not yet there, so Penny and Brain had the room to themselves. Brain looked at Penny, and asked, "Well, what do you think so far?" Penny giggled and told Brain how proud she was of him for filling out that form right in front of two instructors. "I could tell, they were waiting for you to mess something up, Brain. I think they want to get rid of you. Well, I know you'll show everyone just how special you are!"

Penny and Brain unzipped their bags, and started to organize things in their lockers. Penny took out two photos and put them up in her locker. One was of her and Brain, when they were at Summer camp three years ago. They were sitting together on a wooden raft island in the middle of a lake, with a beautiful blue sky above them, and the green forest behind them. The second picture was a family portrait of Penny, Brain, and Uncle Gadget. She arranged her clothes in her locker, then turned to see if Brain needed any help.

Penny saw her two roommates come in, and she and Brain introduced themselves. Penny realized she actually knew the girls from school. Their names were Christine and Tiffany. The two girls were quick to ask about Brain. Penny explained that Brain was her very best friend, and was her full partner; officially enrolled in the Academy as a cadet. Penny explained, "I can't go into the details, because they're classified, but basically, Brain has literally saved my life many, many times. He's every bit as intelligent as a human, and thanks to his translator collar, he can speak like a human as well."

Naturally, the two girls had to test this, and asked Brain questions, which he patiently answered, in perfect English. The two roommates were amazed. "Wow, Penny, that is so cool! Is it ok if we pet him?" Penny winced, and Brain rolled his eyes, and replied; "Is it ok if I pet you back?" This caused the two roommates to think about what they were saying. Penny explained, "He's not a typical dog, and definitely not a teddy bear. He's here to become a Police Officer, just like everyone else." Then, the two girls understood, and apologized to Brain. He smiled and said, "Don't worry about it; I've heard a lot worse." Penny couldn't resist teasing Brain just a little as she said, "Well, Brain, you get to share a room with three girls for six months! And, three blondes, too! You lucky dog!" Brain gave her an 'are you kidding me?' look, shook his head, and said, "Relax, ladies, I won't be peeking at you. You're not my species." The three girls found this very amusing, and it broke the ice between them.

Soon, the clock on the wall was nearing 9:00, so the three girls climbed into their beds. Brain walked over to the door, and turned off the lights. Penny sighed, because she knew that Brain had his own bed now, and thought to herself that she would dearly miss the comforting feeling of her little friend curled up on the foot of her bed. Then, she smiled as she felt him hop up on her bed and curl up in his usual spot. She looked at him and smiled, and he winked in reply. He knew very well what his best friend was thinking. This made it much easier for them both to fall asleep.

Before they knew it, the lights turned on suddenly, and a voice loudly called out, "Get up! Get dressed! Conference room in 20 minutes!" The instructor moved down the hall, waking up the other rooms of cadets in the same way. Penny's eyes adjusted to the light, and she saw it was indeed 5:40 in the morning. The three girls took turns brushing their teeth in the bathroom. Brain insisted they go first. "Ladies first." Brain was ready to leave the room within five minutes, but he waited for Penny, and they left together. They jogged to the conference room in the early morning light. All five of the instructors were already there, waiting. Two of the instructors were men, and three were women. As the cadets trickled in, the instructors repeated, "Find the seat that has your name, and sit down." Penny and Brain were seated next to each other, naturally.

When all the cadets were seated, one of the instructors pointed at the board on the wall, and went over their routine. "This is how it will work, cadets. Monday through Friday are work days. We start with PT (Physical Training) at 5:30 am, rain or no rain. PT lasts for one hour. Then, you have 30 minutes to shower. Breakfast is at 7:00. Then you straighten your rooms, including making your beds. Then, we really get to work. Some training will be in the classroom, some will be outdoors. Lunchtime and dinnertime will depend on the training, but you WILL be fed. On most nights, your lights will be out by 9:00. That's Monday through Friday." The instructor paused to allow the cadets to absorb this information. "Now, most of the weekends will be yours. I strongly suggest that you use that time to catch up on your classroom or PT training. Later on, those of you who perform well MAY be allowed to spend your weekends at home. I emphasize MAY. That is a very special privilege that only goes to the top performers."

The first instructor stepped aside, and another one stepped forward. "This training is going to be tough, both mentally and physically. There are 32 of you here now; on average, nearly half of each class won't make it to the end. It's not because they're bad people, or stupid, just that they're not right for the job. We instructors are not here to make you fail; we're here to see if you're right for the Police uniform." Another instructor spoke up and said, "You were told this yesterday, but teamwork is key to succeeding. We WANT to see you helping each other out, because Officers on the streets back each other up every day. We are a TEAM, and we want to see teamwork."

Yet another instructor started to speak. "When you speak to us, you will address us as 'Sir' or 'Ma'am.' No saluting, this isn't the military. We will address you as 'cadet,' and your last name. If you do as you are told, and follow instructions without backtalk, we will have no reason to raise our voices at you. Understood?" All of the cadets answered, "Yes, sir!"

The remainder of day two was spent being issued clothing, medical exams, vision exams, and the first room inspection. By the time this was done, it was time for dinner. The instructors told the assembled cadets; "We're going to release you for dinner now. Be out here tomorrow morning at 5:30, ready for PT. (Physical Training) Now, fall out for dinner."

This dinner in the cafeteria was considerably more relaxed. The cadets were getting over their early jitters. They found that at the end of the second day, they were indeed still alive; the instructors hadn't beaten their brains out, and life went on. Maybe they would actually make it through? Penny and Brain sat with their roommates, Christine and Tiffany, and ate dinner.

The five instructors stood in a circle in the otherwise empty conference room, talking. The first few days were deliberately made easy, to allow the cadets to become accustomed to their surroundings. After all, the cadets were still children. However, some of the instructors had a real problem with Penny being there, and especially Brain. "Can you believe that little girl is here, with her dog?! Obviously, she's riding the name of her Uncle, Inspector Gadget, and she seems to have the Chief in her corner, too." One of the other instructors smirked, and assured the first that Penny and Brain would be among the first to drop out. "Wait until their first PT test. That girl Penny looks like she hasn't run a day in her life." One of the female instructors said, "Take it easy on them. I've heard from some friends of mine on the Force that those two have been a huge help in some missions against MAD. They may surprise you." Basically, three of the five instructors were in favor of booting Penny and Brain out of the academy, as soon as possible, while the other two thought that each cadet should be given a fair chance, no matter who was in their family tree.

Inspector Gadget took the six month calendar down off the kitchen wall, and relocated it upstairs. He taped it to Penny's bedroom door, which he kept shut. He had decided that this was a more appropriate place for it. There were now two little red X marks at the very top of the calendar. Two days down, 181 to go.

After dinner, Penny sat in the barracks and chatted with her roommates, Christine and Tiffany, while Brain finished unpacking the bags that he and Penny had brought from home. He pulled out a plug-in alarm clock, and set it up next to Penny's bed. Since they had to be out in the parking lot for PT at 5:30, he set the alarm for 5:15, which would give them a few minutes to wake up. Brain suggested to Penny that they sleep in their PT clothes, which would save them a few minutes in the morning. Penny and the other two girls thought this was a great idea. Brain proceeded to try on his clothes, but had difficulty. Penny giggled and said, "Here, Brain, let me see those shorts." She very carefully snipped a small hole with some scissors, and handed them back to Brain. He was delighted, since now there was an exit for his tail, and it would not be confined inside his shorts.

The next morning, all the cadets were out in the parking lot at 5:30, before the sun. The instructors started off the PT with push-ups. Brain easily kept up with the instructors, unlike many of the cadets. Next, they moved to 'burpees,' where the cadets jumped up, fell to a crouch, kicked their legs out behind them, did a push-up, pulled their legs back to a crouch, then jumped up. These were performed in rapid sequence. "Down! Out! Push! In! Up!" Over and over. Once again, Brain easily kept up with the pace set by the instructors, while most of the rest of the cadets were having considerably more difficulties. After five minutes of this, the instructors marched them away from the buildings, and pointed down a long, straight road. "You see that light down there? That's half a mile. You will run at your own pace to that light. Ready? GO!"

The cadets sprinted away from the starting line, but they were all left in the dust by Brain, who was galloping down the road on all fours. No human in the world could hope to keep a full-size dog in sight when that dog was running at full speed. Brain reached the half mile finish line in less than two minutes. Waiting there were two instructors. One was a female instructor who thought they should give the Gadgets a fair chance, and the other was a male who wanted the Gadgets tossed out of the Academy. He was the one with the buzz cut hair that had objected the most strongly when Chief Quimby made it clear that Penny and Brain were to stay together.

The female instructor chuckled and said, "Look, he has his little tail sticking out. And, he's just broken the Academy record for the half-mile, by quite a lot." The male instructor scoffed. "What do you expect? He's a dog. Not fair." Brain had caught his breath by now, and requested permission to say something. "Sir, each cadet is expected to do the best they can, according to their own abilities, correct?" The female instructor grinned at her partner, and said, "He's right, you know. He should be allowed to try with all his natural abilities, the same as any other cadet." The male instructor couldn't decide if he was more upset at being contradicted by his partner in front of a cadet, or that he had been put in his place by a cadet who was a talking dog.

Finally, the other cadets started to trickle in, one at a time, crossing the half-mile finish line. They slowly walked around, breathing hard and trying not to cramp up. The male instructor with the buzz cut walked up to Brain. "Tell you what, dog; I'll race you back to the start, right now, BUT, you run on two legs like everyone else! Ready, GO!" The instructor took off, and Brain scrambled to keep up. He was definitely slower while running on his hind legs, yet he was still keeping pace with the instructor. Then, he saw something that made him stop running. Poor Penny was still wheezing along to the half-mile line. She was dead last out of all the cadets. She was barely trotting along, and Brain was afraid she would collapse. The instructor hollered at Brain, "Hey! What are you doing?!" Brain called over his shoulder, "I have to help my partner!" Then, he ignored the instructor, and coaxed Penny along. "Come on, Penny. You're almost there. Keep moving. Don't stop now." Penny was sucking wind so hard, she couldn't form any words, but with Brain's encouragement, she did start moving a little faster.

Finally, Penny managed to cross the half-mile line. Brain wouldn't allow her to stand still or sit down. "No, Penny, you need to keep walking, or your legs will cramp up terribly." When the cadets received the order to return to the barracks, Brain walked with Penny all the way back. She repeatedly thanked him for offering her support on her run.

After breakfast, Penny and Brain were on the way back to the barracks to straighten up their room, when one of the female instructors asked to speak to Brain. Penny continued on to the barracks. The instructor guided Brain to a small meeting room, and spoke to him. "I was very impressed with what you did today; abandoning your race with an instructor to help your partner. That's just the sort of teamwork that we like to see. I think it's only fair to warn you, some of the instructors are not at all happy that you and your partner Penny are here. They think you're riding on the reputation of your Uncle, Inspector Gadget, and they're angry that Chief Quimby ordered them to let you in. They're going to try to flunk Penny out of the Academy when we have our first PT test in two weeks. I personally think you two Gadgets will make excellent Police Officers, so I'm warning you now, she needs to get in shape and pass that PT test, or she's gone. Is that clear?" Brain answered, "Yes, Ma'am."

Brain rejoined Penny, just in time for their morning meeting in the conference room. The instructors assembled up front of the room. "Well, cadets, we had two of you walk out this morning. That little run we had was too much for them. So, we're down from 32 to 30. Anyone else want to quit?" There were a few murmurs among the cadets, as they looked around and tried to figure out who had quit. The instructor continued. "Fine, then let's start with today's lesson." He played a series of videos; 'Why be a Police Officer,' and 'Basic Law Enforcement.' Then, it was time for lunch.

While they were eating lunch, Penny asked Brain if anything was wrong. "You seem a little quiet today, Brain. What's wrong?" He did his best to play it off. "Oh, I'm just thinking about what that instructor said to me today, after the run. It's nothing to worry about. I'll tell you more when we have more time after dinner, ok?" Penny nodded in agreement, and Brain inwardly sighed with relief. He didn't want her to be stressed for the whole afternoon.

As soon as they got back from lunch, there was a pop quiz on what they had watched that morning. Penny got a perfect 100%, whereas Brain received a slightly-above-average 82%. Not bad, but not great. The instructors told the cadets, "Pop quizzes could come up at any time, so pay attention, and take notes." The rest of the afternoon was spent on classroom lecture.

Finally, it was dinner time. After eating, Penny and Brain walked back to their room in the barracks. "So, Brain, what were you thinking about all day?" Brain sighed and said, "Well, Penny, the good news is, not all of the instructors hate us and resent us because Inspector Gadget is your Uncle. One of the male instructors and one of the females are on our side, and think we should get a fair chance. The bad news is, the other three instructors want us gone. And, I just found out today… they're going to try to flunk you out." Penny was very surprised. "What? I got a 100% today—" Brain interrupted her. "It's the PT, Penny. You were dead last in the run this morning, and that was just a half-mile run. The PT test is a full two miles, and everyone has to make it in 20 minutes or less."

This certainly got Penny's attention. There was no denying, she was not exactly an athlete. She rode her bike for exercise at home, but riding to school and back is a far cry from running two miles in 20 minutes or less, which is much more demanding on the body. On their secret missions against MAD, there had been some times that she had been physically tested, but far, far more often it was poor Brain who got stuck doing all the physically demanding work, while Penny was in the background, using her amazing intellect and her computer book. Now, she was paying the price for this.

Penny looked quite sad for a moment, but Brain said, "Hey, don't worry, you and I are going to train together. I'll help you get in better shape. It won't be easy, and the first PT test is in only two weeks, but we can do it." Penny thanked him, then attempted to put a humorous spin on it. "So, will it be like a 'Rocky' training montage? Do I have to run up the side of a mountain, and scream, 'Drago!'" Brain got a little annoyed; this was serious to him. "Listen, Penny, this is serious…" He then processed what she had just said. "…Actually, that would be pretty awesome. But I'll settle for you running that two miles in 20 minutes or less." Penny asked him when they would start. Brain stood up and told her to put on her PT clothes. "Right now, Penny."

Penny and Brain walked out to the long stretch of road they had run this morning. "Okay, Penny; we know all the way down there is half a mile, so we're going to go down there and back, twice. That will be two miles." Penny's mouth fell open. "Brain, I just ran this morning, and I barely finished! My legs are shot!" Brain shook his head. "Too bad. We don't have time for you to wait. We're going to time this, and see how much work we have to do." Penny was very upset, so Brain gave her a small tip. "Here's a pointer, Penny; don't sprint. Let the other cadets sprint off the line. Trust me, you'll pass them all up, one by one, because they'll burn up most of their energy in the first part of the run. Steady pace wins the race." Penny nodded, but didn't say anything. She was still upset at having to run twice in one day. Brain said to her, "Hey, listen, Penny; this is just to see where you stand now. If you can't run anymore, walk. But keep moving. I'll be right beside you." Brain lined up next to Penny, beeped a button on his stopwatch, and they started to run down the road at a steady, medium pace. No dashing away from the starting line at an all-out sprint.

The female instructor who had warned Brain about the PT test looked out the window, smiled, and called her fellow instructors over. "Look at that! Brain is out there, helping Penny get trained up on her running, on their own time. I'd say that shows pretty good teamwork, wouldn't you? Not to mention, grit and determination. Qualities that a good Police Officer has." She enjoyed the silence from the three instructors who had been bad-mouthing the Gadgets behind their backs.

Penny was surprised and delighted that she made the first half-mile marker without stopping, and far faster than she had that morning. Brain's tip about not sprinting was really working! They turned around and were halfway back, when she had to slow to a brisk walk. Brain encouraged her. "Okay, Penny, walk for a bit, but don't stop." She nodded and kept moving. They reached the starting line. One mile down, one to go. They turned around. "Alright, Penny, start running again. Let's go." She did so, but was not moving as fast as she had on the first mile. By the time they reached 1.5 miles, she was spent. But Brain refused to let her stop. He grabbed her hand and almost pulled her along. She tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go. "Come on, Penny, move! You're not going to flunk out, I won't let you! You've never flunked anything in your life, and you're not going to flunk out of this, leaving me here all alone… no! That's not happening! Move!" Finally, they reached two miles. Brain beeped the stopwatch and looked at the time, as Penny stood gasping for air. Brain then had her sit on the ground, and made her stretch her legs. "Trust me, if you don't do this, you'll cramp up terribly tonight." She did her stretching as Brain instructed, but didn't speak to him. Brain noticed this.

"Penny, are you a little pissed off at me?" She scowled and glared at Brain, something that she had never done before. Brain walked over to her. "Hey, Penny, I'm doing this for you; for US as a team! I'm sorry if I have to be a little harsh, but it'll be worth it if—I mean, WHEN you pass your PT test." Penny sighed, nodded her head in understanding, and gave him a little smile. "Okay, Brain, you're right… but tell me: how the HELL are you in such great shape? You're hardly even panting, and I'm ready to barf up my dinner!"

Brain shrugged. "I have to be in good shape. Remember all those times when you told me to 'follow Uncle Gadget?' Well, that usually involves a whole lot of long-distance running, climbing, jumping, sprinting, crawling, swimming…" Penny giggled. "Okay, Brain, I get it!" Brain continued. "…speed skating, skiing, bike riding, even swinging on ropes!" After they had a little chuckle at that, Penny asked what her run time was. Brain held up the stopwatch: 30 minutes. The minimum for the PT test was 20 minutes. Penny gasped. "Oh, Brain, that's a terrible time!" He acknowledged that there was 'room for improvement,' to which Penny rolled her eyes. As they walked back to the barracks, Brain pleaded with her NOT to get discouraged. He promised that time would drop a little bit more every time they went out for a run.

The next two days went by fairly uneventfully. Penny excelled in classroom work, and although she was improving on her PT, the instructors agreed with Brain's assessment that there was 'room for improvement.' Meanwhile, Brain breezed through all the physical training almost effortlessly, yet he had a more difficult time in the classroom than Penny. Three of the instructors were increasingly frustrated that the two Gadgets had not quit yet, and they hatched a plan to divide them, hoping that one or both of them would then decide to quit.

At the Friday afternoon formation, The Senior Instructor with the buzz cut stepped forward and said, "Even though this is your first weekend here, we have already recognized outstanding performance from one of you, and you have earned a weekend pass home: Brain Gadget." This instructor hoped that by allowing Brain to go home, he would not want to return. If nothing else, he would not be available to aid Penny over the weekend, which increased the likelihood of her flunking out on the PT test. Brain, however, ruined this instructor's plan. "Thank you, Sir; I appreciate the recognition, but I must decline. My partner and I have a lot of work to do this weekend." This stumped the instructor. He couldn't order Brain to leave for the weekend. A weekend pass was a privilege, not a command. The instructor had no choice but to grudgingly dismiss the cadets, and go back to plotting another way to get rid of the Gadgets.

After they were dismissed for the weekend, Penny put her arm on Brain's shoulder and said, "Congratulations, Brain! Even though you declined the weekend pass, which was very sweet of you, it still shows that the instructors respect you!" Brain shook his head, and looked around to make sure no one was listening. "Penny, I think it was a trick. Two of our instructors are good people, but three of them want us out of here, and I think they were trying to split us up for the weekend. Divide and conquer." Brain had been able to perceive this on his own, since he was a bit more street-smart and suspicious than Penny was. However, once she thought about it, she agreed with Brain. "Why, those sneaky rats! Why do they hate us so much, Brain? We're just trying to join the Police Force so we can work out in the open, and not sneak around behind Uncle Gadget's back." Brain shrugged. "Beats me, Penny. But you know the best way to shut them up? Pass the PT test, keep getting perfect test scores, and show them how valuable we can be. In the meantime, we have to watch out for 'Instructor Buzzcut.' He really dislikes us."

After they had dinner, Penny and Brain returned to their room in the barracks, and to their surprise, one of the female instructors was there waiting for them. She had sent Christine and Tiffany away so they wouldn't be listening in. Penny and Brain rapidly stood stiff at attention, but the instructor held up her hands and said, "Relax, we're off duty. I just wanted to say, you handled that perfectly, Brain. It was a plot to split the two of you up for the weekend. I was against it, but he outranks me. You two just keep doing what you're doing; working on PT together, and you'll pass."

The instructor paused, then continued, in a quieter voice. "I know Chief Quimby swore you to silence, but I have some friends on the Police Force, and I've heard some of what you two did to help fight MAD. I am positive that you two will make excellent officers." She then opened a bag, and took out a police K-9 vest, and put it on Brain's bed. "Brain, this is for you. Now you won't have to cut holes in your uniform for your tail. I think you'll find this to be much more comfortable, and it's approved police uniform, so no one can give you any grief over it." The instructor then walked toward the door, saying, "Have a good, productive weekend training, you two." Penny and Brain gave her a heartfelt, "Thank you, Ma'am!"

After she left, Penny and Brain looked at each other. Penny smiled and said, "Well, at least one of them is on our side, Brain!" He nodded and said, "There's another one, too; one of the male instructors, but the other three are a different story."

At the Metro City Police Department, Inspector Gadget stopped by Chief Quimby's office and knocked on the door. Quimby glanced up. "Gadget, yes, come in." Gadget entered the office, and asked Chief Quimby if he had any news from the Academy. Quimby smiled. "As a matter of fact, yes. Penny and Brain have settled in nicely. She has gotten perfect scores on her quizzes so far. She had trouble with the timed run, but the instructors have seen her and Brain out there, training on their own time." Gadget was very pleased, and very proud. He thanked Chief Quimby for the update.

After he drove home, Gadget was just getting out of the Gadgetmobile when he heard the phone in the house ringing. He muttered "Wowsers!" and scrambled inside. He picked up the phone, and was thrilled to hear Penny's voice. "Penny! Hello! How are you?" He couldn't have asked for anything better. He had not heard her voice since he dropped her and Brain off outside the Academy gate. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Penny spoke to her Uncle for a good twenty minutes. She assured him that she and Brain were doing fine, and that they both missed their Uncle. She acknowledged that the physical training was much harder than she thought it would be, but that her loyal friend Brain was working with her to pull her through.

In the end, Uncle Gadget told her that he was very proud of her, he missed her and Brain terribly, and that he was counting the days until they could return home. He heard Penny say, "Me too, Uncle." Gadget said, "The best way to make this all worthwhile is to pass with flying colors, which I know that you and Brain can do. And when you two get home, we're having a celebration like you've never seen!" Penny giggled, then saw an instructor pointing at his watch. It was time to go. "Uncle, I have to hang up now, but Brain and I, we love you, Uncle." Gadget said, "I love you too; both of you." The line then clicked, and she was gone.

Saturday morning arrived, and Brain woke up. His three roommates were still sound asleep. Naturally, he was focused mainly on Penny. He lay on the foot of the bed, watching her. It was time for her to get up so they could go out and work on her running, but she looked so peaceful there, quietly sleeping. Brain let her sleep in for another 20 minutes, then he hopped down to the floor, walked over to her head, and gently shook her shoulder. She stirred awake, and he held his finger to his mouth, as if to say, "Shh." Their roommates Tiffany and Christine were still asleep, and there was no reason to wake them up. Brain reverted back to using his hand signal method of communication. "Time to go running, Penny." She nodded, and pulled the blankets aside, revealing that she had slept in her PT clothes. She was ready to go. Brain smiled and put on his K-9 vest, and they quietly went outside.

Brain was surprised at not having to coax Penny out of bed. Despite her many, many positive attributes, Penny was a heavy sleeper, and it could sometimes be a challenge to get her out of bed. As they were walking to the running track, she explained that her chat with Uncle Gadget had filled her with a fresh determination to see this Academy through to the end. "We just have to finish this successfully, Brain, or all this will have been for nothing." Brain nodded. "I completely agree, Penny." He then grinned. "And, just remember that, when you're on the last quarter mile of the run, and you feel like you're going to pass out." Penny playfully shoved him.

The run this time was not quite as difficult as the last one for Penny. Brain stayed by her side the entire time. The first mile went by quickly, and Penny kept reminding herself of Brain's advice: 'Steady pace wins the race.' However, the second mile started to take its toll. On the last stretch, the last half-mile, Penny was gasping again. She slowed to a walk. Brain stayed with her. "Okay, Penny, walk for a little bit, then let's start running again." After a few minutes, Brain made her run again, but at least this time he didn't have to take her hand and practically pull her along. When she crossed the finish line, Brain beeped the stopwatch. Penny kept walking in circles to cool down, and avoid leg cramps. Brain let her do this for a few minutes.

Finally, Brain walked up to Penny, with his stopwatch behind his back. "Okay, Penny; remember your first two-mile time was 30 minutes?" She nodded, and Brain held out the stopwatch. It said 23 minutes. Brain proudly hugged her, and while Penny accepted his hug, she said, "The minimum is 20 minutes, and I did 23 minutes. That's still not passing, Brain." She sounded disappointed. Brain said, "Who cares?! Penny, you dropped 7 minutes in 6 days! That's outstanding! Only 3 more minutes to drop, and you've passed." Brain then made her stretch out her legs for another 5 minutes. After this, they worked on the two other PT categories that were scored: push-ups and sit-ups. They were not so concerned with this area. Penny could already pass the sit-up category, and she was nearly there on push-ups.

Finally, they went back to their barracks room so Penny could get cleaned up before Breakfast. She asked Brain what he had planned for her on Sunday, and he said, "Nothing. Your body needs a rest day, and that will be Sunday. You can even sleep in." Their roommates were up by now, and asked how the run went. Brain answered for her. He proudly said, "Penny dropped 7 minutes from her time! Only 3 more to go." Both Tiffany and Christine enthusiastically agreed that this was excellent progress.

Another week passed by, and their first PT test was held on a Saturday morning. All the cadets had some degree of nervousness as they walked out to the long half-mile stretch of road. Brain said to Penny, "Don't panic, and don't sprint and burn up all your energy. I'll be right beside you, all the way." Penny objected to this. "Oh, Brain, if I can't make it in 20 minutes, you go on! I know you can easily do this in under 20 minutes." Brain shook his head, and said, "No way, Penny. We're a team, and we will pass together, or fail together. If you want me to pass, you'll just have to finish this run in under 20 minutes, because I'm not leaving your side." She was not happy at this, but they were in formation now, and no longer allowed to talk.

As they lined up, Penny repeated to herself, 'Steady pace, wins the race…' One of the instructors hollered, "Go!" Many of the cadets sprinted off the line. Penny and Brain trotted out and settled into a steady pace. After the first mile, they passed up the cadets who had sprinted, one by one. Those cadets were now desperately short of energy, and only halfway through the run. Penny kept going, and was pleased that she was not hurting as badly… until the last half-mile. She felt the old, familiar tiredness, weakness, and hopelessness creeping up on her. She thought, 'it would feel so good to walk, just for a little bit…' But, Brain would have none of that. He saw that she was slowing. "Come on, Penny! Imagine your Uncle's face if you fail! If WE fail! Imagine explaining this to Chief Quimby!" She did not speed up, and Brain knew that time was getting short. He snapped at her. "Dammit, Penny, YOU got me into this, and we will NOT flunk out! MOVE!" This had its desired effect. Penny glared at Brain, and poured the last of her strength into the last quarter mile. She ignored the pain and ran as fast as she could for the finish line. As she and Brain crossed over, she heard an instructor call out, "19 minutes, 45 seconds!" Penny and Brain had passed.

Penny walked around for her cool-down, with her head down, and hands on her hips. She was very happy to have passed, but also, very bothered by one thing that Brain had said. She replayed it in her head. 'YOU got me into this!' Brain walked up and immediately apologized for snapping at her. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Penny, but it worked! We passed!" She nodded, still short of breath. "I… I understand, Brain… let's talk about it later, ok?" Brain nodded, and let her finish her cool-down and stretching.

The instructors then released the cadets for the rest of the weekend. Penny and Brain went to breakfast together. Penny took this opportunity to clear the air with Brain. "Now, Brain, I understand that you snapped at me to motivate me, but there was one thing you said that really bothers me. 'YOU got me into this!' Do you remember saying that, Brain?" Brain gulped, and nodded. Penny continued; "Does that mean that you don't really want to be here, Brain? That you don't really want a career in the Police Department?" Brain adamantly denied this. "Penny, absolutely NOT. I was thinking of anything I could throw out there, just to stir a little anger in you, because that's good for short bursts of energy."

Penny remained unconvinced. "Are you sure about that, Brain? Because if even a little part of you doesn't want this life, then…" Brain reached out and put his paw on Penny's hand. "Penny, I swear, to you, to God, on a stack of bibles: I want this with ALL my heart. To be able to keep you and your Uncle safe, openly on the Police Force, no more stupid disguises… it's what I've always dreamed of. And that's the whole truth." Penny smiled, and Brain continued. "I see that I went over the line when I said that, but it didn't mean anything, other than, hurry your ass up!" Penny giggled, and said, "Okay, Brain."

With that worry out of the way, Penny allowed herself to really celebrate their victory. They had passed the PT test! What had seemed impossible last weekend, was now behind them. The female instructor walked by with her breakfast tray, and paused at Penny and Brain's table just long enough to whisper, "Excellent work, you two. Keep it up!" She kept walking, without waiting for a reply. Naturally, when they were back in their room, Penny also thanked Brain with a hug. He had yet to turn down a heartfelt hug from his best friend Penny.

Later that day, three of the instructors met in private. The senior instructor, the one that Brain referred to as 'Instructor Buzzcut,' said, "We still need to get those Gadgets out of here, before they drag the whole class down." His two comrade instructors, who originally had been solidly behind him in their contempt for the Gadgets, were now having second thoughts. One of them said, "You know, maybe their Uncle's name got them in the doors of this Academy, but I have to say, they've done nothing wrong. They haven't asked for or expected any special treatment because of their Uncle." The other female instructor chimed in. "I agree. In fact, they've demonstrated remarkable teamwork. The girl was failing the run, badly, and her partner declined a weekend pass and helped get her into shape, and they both passed."

Instructor Buzzcut said, "I thought we saw eye to eye on this; the Gadgets have to go! Are you wimping out on me?" This did not go over well with the other two instructors. "Listen, if they underperform, or screw up, or start demanding favors because of who their Uncle is, I'll kick them out of here myself. But if you want them gone just because their last name is Gadget, then hell NO, we're not on board with that! We want to make sure the Academy has quality cadets, not help you with a personal vendetta you seem to have against the Gadgets."

Penny and Brain relaxed that weekend. She placed another phone call to her Uncle Gadget, who was thrilled and proud that they passed their first PT test. It was now July, and the next two months would be the hottest of the year. Uncle Gadget implored Penny to be sure that she and Brain were careful of the heat, and to drink plenty of water. She promised him they would be careful.

Monday came all too soon, and after morning PT, the cadets found themselves back in the conference room for lectures. instructor Buzzcut stood up and announced that four more cadets had failed the PT test, so they were now down from 32 to 26 cadets. He also announced that there would be continued PT tests monthly, and warned the cadets not to slack off on their exercises, or they, too, would be out the door.

When it was time for lectures, one of the female instructors took over. She asked Penny and Brain a question. "So, we all know your Uncle is Inspector Gadget; what can you tell the rest of the cadets about his battles against MAD?" Penny stood up and said, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but those missions are classified, and—" The instructor held up her hand with a smile. "Very good, cadet! You may be seated. You see, class, many missions that the police are involved in are classified. Some of them are VERY classified. This it to protect witnesses, to protect future missions, and even to protect the officers involved." The instructor had used Penny to prove a point, and also to test her, to see if she would brag about classified missions in front of the other cadets, thereby revealing police secrets.

At the back of the room, instructor Buzzcut was disappointed and frustrated. If Penny had revealed any classified information, that alone would be more than enough to get her booted out of the Academy. Now, he would have to start thinking of yet another way to get rid of the Gadgets.

As the hot Summer weeks wore on, Penny and Brain's training went in different directions. Penny continued to get perfect scores on her academic work, and her PT scores were gradually improving as well. She got her two mile run time down to 18 minutes, an incredible improvement over her first time of 30 minutes. Brain, however, started to experience difficulties. The academic work was getting harder, more complex, and more difficult. Some of his test scores were in the low 70% range. Barely passing. Not only that, but since it was the heat of the Summer, and Brain was a dog covered in fur, he was much more seriously impacted by the heat and humidity than people were. Whereas people can wear light clothing and sweat to cool down, dogs always have their fur, and cannot sweat, only pant. instructor Buzzcut saw an opening, and took full advantage. He routinely yelled at Brain for showing substandard performance, both physically and academically. He kept the emotional pressure on poor Brain. "You better run faster than that, dog! Criminals don't stop being criminals in the Summer heat! RUN! MOVE IT!" Naturally, this infuriated Penny, thereby putting emotional pressure on her as well.

One particularly bad day, after Brain had fallen out of a run and vomited in the grass, Penny stopped running so that she could help her friend. Although it was morning, it was already very warm and humid outside. Luckily, they were not on a scored PT test run, just a normal morning exercise run. One of the female instructors trotted up with a look of concern on her face. Penny asked for permission to help Brain back to the barracks. The instructor nodded. On the way back, Penny opened her water bottle and poured a little on Brain's head. He said, "Oh, that feels good. Thanks, Penny." She let Brain drink the rest of her water.

As they approached the barracks, they noticed that the instructor's office door was open. All the other cadets and instructors were still out on the morning run. Brain heard the voice of Instructor Buzzcut, who had been giving him so much grief. Penny heard the voice as well, and frowned. She was not too fond of this instructor. Penny and Brain were about to hustle to their room, when Brain signaled to Penny to wait a moment, and to be quiet. The conversation sounded very odd. He was on the phone with someone. "No, it's okay, I can talk freely; everyone else is out on the morning run. I'm all alone here. No, the Gadgets are still here in the Academy, but I think they won't last much longer. I'm really putting the pressure on them… yes, I know; we must get rid of them. Trust me, I'm on it. Who's taken over operations since Dr. Claw crashed the MAD Mobile?"

This sentence sent a shock through Brain's body. He turned to look at Penny; her eyes were wide open, and she put her hand over her mouth to keep herself quiet. They couldn't believe what they had heard. The instructor continued his conversation on the phone.

"It's a good thing I was recruited by Dr. Claw so early on. It took me years to get into this position in the Police Academy. What's that? …No, I didn't bring anything linking me to MAD here to the Academy; I'm not an idiot. Well, they'll be back from their run soon, I better get going. Hail MAD." He then hung up the phone.

Penny and Brain tiptoed to their room, and slowly shut the door, so it closed silently. They then crouched down together behind Penny's bed, so they wouldn't be visible through the window. They heard the instructor lock his office door with his keys, and heard him walk down the hall. They didn't make a peep until they were sure he was gone. Brain then whispered the obvious: "Penny, no wonder that instructor is such an asshole! He's a MAD agent! But how will we prove it?" The word of two cadets against the Senior Academy Instructor would not be enough. There had to be proof. Penny put her arm around Brain's shoulder and smiled. "Good thing I was wearing my watch, and I recorded most of his conversation!" Brain was delighted, and hugged Penny.

Penny and Brain went through the day as usual, waiting until Senior Instructor Buzzcut was gone. This happened just as the class was released for lunch. They saw the Senior Instructor exit through the main gate. He would be gone for several hours. They rapidly approached a female instructor, who was sorting papers, preparing for the next lecture. "Ma'am, we need to speak to you." She glanced up. "Yes, what is it?" Penny took a deep breath, and said, "Brain and I, we found out… the Senior Instructor is a MAD agent." The female instructor looked up in disbelief. "Excuse me?" Penny continued. "We have proof, Ma'am, but we mustn't let him know that we've found this out." Penny explained that when she had helped Brain back to the Barracks, after he had vomited during the morning run, they had overheard the Senior Instructor on the phone. Penny played back her watch recording. The female instructor listened, and told Penny to play it again. Penny complied. The instructor said to herself, "Son of a bitch… I knew it." She looked at Penny and Brain. "Come with me."

The female instructor led Penny and Brain to the instructor's office, took Penny's watch, and made several copies of the recording. She then returned the watch to Penny. She put a hand on Penny and Brain's shoulders. "I had my suspicions for a long time, but never any proof. This is just what we needed. You two go on as if it were a normal day, and don't breathe a word of this to anyone." She gave them a little smile. Penny and Brain answered in unison. "Yes, Ma'am!" The instructor watched Penny and Brain depart, then turned and got on the phone to Chief Quimby.

Hours later, Chief Quimby called Inspector Gadget into his office, and asked him to close the door. "Gadget, we've uncovered a MAD mole, in the Metro City Police Department." "Wowsers, Chief! Who is it?" Quimby replied, "It's the Senior Instructor at the Academy. And, guess who captured the evidence that proves it?" Gadget immediately knew. "Penny and Brain?!" Quimby smiled and nodded. "Not even out of the Academy yet, and already they've uncovered a MAD agent! Those two are amazing!" Gadget had never been prouder of Penny and Brain than he was at that moment. Chief Quimby handed Inspector Gadget a search warrant, and ordered him to take two Officers and search the Senior Instructor's home. "Right away, Chief! You can depend on me!"

The next day, during lectures, the Senior Instructor was berating the class for their low test scores, particularly Brain. At that moment, the classroom door suddenly opened, and four Police Officers entered, followed by Chief Quimby. They walked straight up to the Senior Instructor and placed him in handcuffs, in front of the entire class. Chief Quimby informed him he was under arrest, and read him his rights. Penny and Brain glanced at each other, and kept their expressions as neutral as they could. Chief Quimby deliberately ignored them, and they understood that this was for their own protection. They didn't want the source of the vital evidence to be revealed. After they dragged the furious Senior Instructor away, another instructor entered the room and took his place.

During lunchtime, Penny and Brain were eating in the cafeteria, when Penny got a simple digital message on her watch. It read, "EXCELLENT WORK—QUIMBY." Penny smiled, and said, "Brain, look at this!" Brain was just as pleased as Penny.

The amount of evidence discovered at Instructor Buzzcut's home, linking him directly to MAD, was conclusive and undeniable. As for the Gadgets, the Academy offered Brain an apology for the treatment he had suffered at the hands of this MAD agent/instructor. While Brain would still need to meet the standards of the Academy, at least he would not have a sadistic instructor putting unnecessary pressure on him. The Academy agreed to allow Brain to run on his own in the late evening, when it was somewhat cooler outside, since a dog has very little way to cool down in the Summer heat. When temperatures cooled down in the Fall, then Brain could rejoin the rest of the cadets in running at the regular time.

When the excitement of discovering a MAD agent at the Academy had died down, Penny and Brain found themselves more and more challenged by the Academy's classwork. Penny still kept her test scores very high, although she did miss a few points here and there. Her string of perfect 100% scores ended, and she had to settle for a few scores in the 90% range.

Brain, on the other hand, was having an increasingly rough time academically. Even with his enhanced intelligence, which was equivalent to an above-average human's, he found some of the classwork to be very challenging. A cadet has to learn all the laws, patrol procedures, first aid, self-defense, and computers. Brain told Penny that learning all of this at once was like 'drinking water from a fire hose.' Penny had been looking on with concern; she had seen that Brain's test scores were dipping dangerously low. Her little friend was now in danger of flunking out himself. Penny was determined to help him, just as he had helped her become a better runner, and saved her from flunking out.

One Friday afternoon, they had both received a particularly tough assignment to work on over the weekend. It was a study guide of all the laws they had covered so far. Penny told Brain that she was going to work on the assignment with him; they would complete it together.

Saturday morning came, and Penny was sitting with Brain in their barracks room, each of them holding a textbook. This assignment was very complex, with many different laws, rules, and regulations to keep straight. Penny was working through them out loud, while writing notes on a paper. Brain was trying to keep up, but finally, he slammed his book shut in frustration and tossed it on the floor. "It's too much, Penny. I can't keep all this straight. I just can't." He fell back on the bed, laying there, fuming with frustration. Penny glanced at their roommates, Tiffany and Christine, then gently spoke. "Brain, I think the problem is, you're trying to take it all in at once. Let's slow this down."

She spent a few minutes writing different laws and regulations, one by one, on notecards. She told Brain, "Okay, Brain; these will be your flashcards. Don't think about the whole picture, just one thing at a time. Sit up now, Brain, and let's try this." She held up one card, with the title of one law on it. Brain searched his memory, and successfully recited the law. Penny rewarded him with a smile. "That's exactly right, Brain. See? Now let's try another one." She held up another card. Brain knew part of it, but got stuck. Penny nodded at his book. "Go ahead, Brain; look it up in the book." Brain did so, and it came back to him immediately. Next time Penny held up that card, he got it right without looking it up.

After an hour of this, Penny told him it was time for a break. "You know more than you realize, Brain; you were just getting frustrated from trying to take it all in at once. It's like eating a steak; you don't try to inhale the whole thing in one gulp. You'd choke to death. You eat it one bite at a time." This made Brain lose much of his frustration, when he saw that Penny's method worked. It calmed him down. It also made him realize he was hungry, when she gave the example of eating a steak. They left the room to go eat lunch. Penny continued to pep-talk him over lunch. "Brain, I know how smart you are. I've seen you defuse bombs, follow complex instructions, think and reason when lives are on the line, operate complex machinery; I just know you can handle this little old textbook!" Brain smiled. Penny's pep talks were impossible for him not to smile at.

After spending the rest of the weekend on this assignment, Monday was test day. Penny received a 98% score. One of the instructors placed Brain's paper face-down on his desk. He was afraid to turn it over to see what score he got. Penny asked him, "May I?" Brain nodded. She lifted up the corner of his paper, peeked at the score, and whispered, "Oh, Brain…" She paused for a few seconds. "…You got an 89%!" He didn't believe her until he looked for himself. That was a full 20% better than his last test score.

When they were released at the end of the day, Penny returned to their room with Tiffany and Christine. Brain had been talking to an instructor. When he entered the room, he tossed his books on the bed, walked straight up to Penny, and gave her a huge hug. The other two girls said, "Aww!" Brain was so grateful to Penny for helping him on his academic work, he didn't even bother with words, he just went straight for the hug, which Penny happily returned, of course. After a minute, Brain explained how tremendously thankful he was to her. "I was ready to quit, Penny. I was about to flunk out of here, and YOU turned it around for me." Penny said, "Remember how you helped me on my running, Brain? Now you know how thankful I feel to you, for helping me out."

Brain continued to use this new method of studying that Penny had showed him, and his test scores improved dramatically. The Summer wore on, then September arrived. This meant that the worst heat of the Summer was behind them, yet it also brought about another huge change for the cadets. Had they not been in the Academy, they would now be returning to school. Now, the academic workload for the cadets basically doubled. They still had to keep up their Police training, as well as normal academic subjects such as math, science, English, and so on. This was sent over to them to be worked on by the Metro City School District. Penny had known this was coming, and now that it was here, she found herself busier than ever. Brain was the lone exception; since he didn't attend school as a civilian, his workload was unchanged. To support his partner Penny, he insisted on doing all of her chores, such as cleaning their room in the barracks, making her bed, etc. It wasn't much, but it was one less demand on Penny's time. She made sure to make her gratitude known to Brain.

The four remaining instructors thought it would be a good idea to offer both Penny and Brain a weekend pass home, as thanks for uncovering a MAD mole in their midst, but with Penny's workload now greatly increased, that was out of the question. She needed every minute of the weekend to keep up with all her assignments. Penny tried to insist that Brain accept his pass and go home for the weekend without her, but Brain absolutely refused. "What kind of scumbag would abandon his partner, Penny, especially in her most difficult time? We came here together; we'll go home together." Penny explained to her Uncle Gadget, during her next phone call home, that they had been offered a weekend pass, but had to decline, due to the assignment workload. Uncle Gadget was in full agreement. "Penny, you and Brain do what it takes to keep your grades up. Don't worry about me; I'll be waiting for you when you graduate from the Academy. Remember I promised you a celebration?" Penny smiled. "Yes, Uncle; I remember."

So, Penny and Brain never did use a weekend pass while they were in the Academy. Brain told Penny it was for the best, anyway; they wouldn't really be able to enjoy their time at home if it was so short; only 48 hours. They would be better off staying in the Academy, keeping on task, and go home when it was all over. When Brain saw her getting overwhelmed and frustrated with the crushing amount of work from both the Academy and the School, he gently suggested to her that they go out on a run together. This allowed her to get away from the books for a while, blow off some steam, AND make sure her run time didn't suffer. After all, there would be more PT tests before they left the Academy.

September slipped by this way, then October. At home, Uncle Gadget gazed at the large calendar taped to Penny's bedroom door. It was now over 3/4 of the way covered by red X marks. The great day of graduation was drawing ever nearer. He shuddered when he remembered how depressed he had felt back when there was only one lonely red X at the very top of the calendar. It was now early November, and the Academy graduation was set for December 15. Gadget told himself, 'Next month. They'll be back home next month.'

Penny was also reflecting with Brain on how much time had gone by since they walked in the front gate for the first time. "Gosh, Brain, we got here on June 15, and now, we only have six more weeks to go!" Despite Instructor Buzzcut's departure, many of the cadets had flunked out. Their class had started with 32 cadets, and was now down to 17. Some couldn't handle the PT test, and others were completely overwhelmed with the amount of classwork from both the Academy and their School. The instructors offered the cadets encouragement, as much as they could. They didn't want to lose any more cadets; not when the day of graduation was so close.

One day, there was a huge morale booster. All of the cadets, including Brain, were fitted for their Academy dress uniforms, which would be worn in the graduation ceremony. From the shiny black shoes, to the crisp dark blue pants, and the matching dark blue coat with yellow trim, topped off by the beautiful Police hat, with its shiny golden badge that read 'METRO CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT,' this was a sure sign that the end of the Academy was just around the corner. The cadets were not allowed to wear any part of this uniform until the day of graduation.

Around this time, there was one other occurrence that was a great morale booster. Penny was sitting in their room in the barracks, flustered and overwhelmed from the sheer volume of Academy assignments and School assignments. She sat at the desk in the room, with her forehead resting on her hands, fighting back a headache. Brain quietly entered the room, and said, "Penny?" Without moving her head, she said, "What..." Brain could hear the frustration and tiredness all over her voice. Brain said that he had a little something that she might like. Penny sighed, lifted up her head, and looked at Brain. He held out a large, thick red envelope. "Brain, what in the world..?" Penny took the envelope, opened it, and pulled out a beautiful birthday card. She opened it, and it was signed by Uncle Gadget, Chief Quimby, several of Penny's closest friends from school, and of course, her dearest friend Brain.

Brain said, "Sorry this didn't arrive on your actual birthday, Penny. I hope you like it." Penny loved it. Her headache forgotten, she scooped Brain up in a huge hug, kissed him on the cheek, and thanked him. She then read the messages in the card more closely. Uncle Gadget said that he was very proud of what they were doing in the Academy, and encouraged her to keep going, and not to give up. Penny couldn't stop smiling, and placed the card on the drawer next to her bed. That one simple card, with its heartfelt messages of love and encouragement from her family and friends, lifted Penny's spirits and brightened her whole day. Brain asked her to take a break from the studying, and asked her to come to lunch with him. She happily agreed.

November was a very difficult month for Penny. The assignments from both the Academy and from School were increasingly difficult and complex, not to mention time-consuming. Tiffany and Christine were also suffering. When Brain finished studying his own Academy work, he tried his best to help the three girls, and keep their spirits up. This helped them considerably, along with the knowledge that the finish line was so close. When they graduated, they would all go home, they would be on a two week break from School for the Christmas Holiday, and their Academy work would be done. At the end of November came the final PT test. Penny finished the two mile run in 15 minutes, 30 seconds. This was incredible progress from her first effort of 30 minutes. Even one of the female instructors gave Penny a congratulatory hug, and told her to keep up the good work after she left the Academy.

November passed by, and then it was December. One final challenge remained for the cadets: the Academy's final exam. This would be a comprehensive exam, meaning literally everything from day one would be fair game. The exam would be on December 7, and those cadets that passed would then be preparing for the graduation ceremony. Penny and Brain naturally formed a study group, and their roommates Tiffany and Christine joined them. The actual classroom time during this first week of December was quite minimal. The instructors 'suggested' that the cadets study certain areas, and answered any questions that the cadets may have, then released the cadets to study on their own. They could study in their rooms, or in the library, or anywhere on the Academy property, for that matter. This was done intentionally. Perhaps not all of the cadets realized it, but this in itself was a test of sorts. The Academy was deliberately giving the cadets a measure of freedom, in order to see who was responsible enough to use it properly, and who would waste the time screwing around.

It was in Penny's nature to make good use of her time and get down to work when there was work to be done, so she didn't consider the possibility of wasting her time. It didn't occur to her that the cadets were being tested. Brain, however, being a bit more 'street savvy,' recognized what the Academy was up to, in giving young cadets their freedom. He saw no need to explain it to Penny, since she was not about to ignore her studying and go screw around. Their two roommates joined them in their study session, and were making excellent progress. They broke for lunch, agreeing to be back in one hour to resume studying.

As Penny and Brain exited the cafeteria to head back to their room, they saw their two roommates on the phones to their families. Brain got their attention and pointed to his wrist, indicating it was time to get back to studying. Both Tiffany and Christine nodded and gave him a thumbs up, but neither one made any move to hang up the phones. Brain shrugged and followed Penny back to their room. They had been studying together for nearly an hour before their roommates finally returned to the room, talking and laughing. Penny reminded them that the final exam was only days away, and this was no time to slack off. The two girls liked and respected Penny, but they got a little indignant at this remark. "Listen, Penny, we've both been working hard too, and I think it's okay if we take a little time to talk to our families. We don't need your permission for that."

Before Penny could respond, Brain spoke up. He couldn't hold his tongue, especially when someone got snippy with Penny. "You girls understand what the instructors are doing, don't you? By giving us cadets a little bit of freedom? They're giving us some rope, to see who hangs themselves with it." This figure of speech certainly got their attention. Then, when they thought about it, they came to see that Brain was absolutely correct. It was a test of character by the Academy, to see if they were responsible enough to stay on task when the instructors weren't forcing them to. And, they were failing. It actually alarmed the two girls, how close they had come to ruining all their hard work. Penny added, "If you think of this whole time at the Academy as a timed run, we are now in the final stretch, and the finish line is just ahead of us. That's not when you relax and start walking, that's when you give it all you have; your very best effort." Tiffany and Christine rejoined the study group, and stayed on task from then on.

Uncle Gadget stood in the hallway of his house, and admired the calendar taped to Penny's door. There were only ten more days that did not have a red X in them. The Academy was almost over, and he would have his family back. He went down to the kitchen and worked on his preparations for the 'Welcome Home' celebration.

Finally, it was December 7, the day of the final exam. Penny and Brain were nervous, yet excited. They felt well prepared and ready. Even the instructors seemed nervous. They had been with these cadets for six months now, and couldn't help but have fond feelings for them. One of the female instructors stood before the class and gave the final instructions. "Okay, cadets, this is it. There are no surprise or trick questions on this test. Every question has been covered in class. You have four hours to complete the first half, which is 150 questions long, then we have a lunch break, then the afternoon will be spent on the second half, which is another 150 questions. Most of the questions are multiple choice. If you finish early, quietly turn in your paper and return to your room."

She looked at the 17 nervous cadet's faces, and offered a smile. "Relax. If you've studied what we told you to study, you'll do fine. If you can't remember the answer to a question, leave it and move on. Your memory may be triggered by something else you read later on. Concentrate on the ones you are sure of first, then come back to the ones you had to skip. Good luck." Penny did some quick math in her head, and determined that 150 questions in four hours gave them approximately 96 seconds per question, or about a minute and a half. Clearly, speed would be the key. As the instructor was passing out the tests face down, Penny looked over at Brain and smiled. "Good luck, Brain!" He nodded and said, "You too, Penny." When the instructor gave the signal, all of the cadets turned their papers over and started.

Penny finished the first half of the test with an hour to spare, so she took ten minutes and went over her answers, making sure she was satisfied with all of them. Two other cadets had already turned in their papers, and quietly left the room. They went back to their own rooms until lunchtime. Penny turned in her paper, and glanced at Brain as she left the room. He was deep in thought. She badly wanted to stay there for moral support of her dear friend, but it was not allowed. She went back to their barracks room, and lay on the bed, waiting. Her eyes stayed on the digital clock. After fifteen minutes, the door opened, and Brain walked in. Penny sat up and eagerly asked him how he did. Brain let out a sigh. "I think I did okay, Penny… WOW, that was tough, and we have to do it again after lunch!" Brain sat next to her on the bed, and she put her arm around his shoulder. "Oh, Brain… we're almost there! Just think of that. After this test, then we just prepare for graduation, and go home. Won't that be wonderful?" Brain looked at her, and smiled. "Yeah, it really, honestly will be wonderful, Penny. I've had enough of this place."

When it was lunchtime, Penny and Brain walked together to the cafeteria, meeting their roommates on the way. Christine and Tiffany were upset; they had been forced to leave some questions unanswered, because they ran out of time. Penny and Brain exercised heroic restraint in NOT saying, "Told ya!" Instead, Penny offered encouragement. "Well, 75% is passing; just do the easier questions first, then come back to the harder ones." Tiffany nodded, but Christine let her stress get the better of her and snapped, "No shit, really?" And stomped off, skipping lunch. Penny and Brain shrugged, and invited Tiffany to sit with them at lunch.

After lunch, all of the cadets were back in the classroom. This was the last half of the last challenge of the Academy. After this, it was either one easy week to graduation if they passed, or, a painful early exit if they failed. The cadets got the signal to begin, and turned over their papers.

Penny took a bit longer this time. She left the classroom with half an hour to spare. Brain followed her ten minutes later. They met in their room, not sure what to say. The tests were all over now; all they could do is await the results the next day. Brain told Penny he felt fairly confident about the second half of the test. Brain looked at the clock, and there was still 45 minutes to go before the cafeteria opened for dinner. He looked at Penny. "Want to go for a run? Let off some steam?" Penny thought for a second, and decided that actually sounded like a very good idea. She was so tense from the test that day, this would be a great stress reliever. As she and Brain walked out to the road in their PT clothes, they saw the last few cadets in the classroom, frantically answering as many questions as they could before time ran out.

The next day, the cadets filed into the classroom and took their seats. Penny looked around, and noticed that two were missing. The instructor said, "I'll save you some suspense. If you're here now, you passed!" The relief that Penny and Brain felt was unreal. The instructor smiled, then continued. "Two of your fellow cadets weren't so lucky, and we quietly notified them last night. No need to tell them now in front of everyone." Penny felt awful for those two. It had not been their roommates, Tiffany and Christine, who were there in the classroom now.

The instructors passed back their exams, and they saw their scores. Penny got a 99%, and Brain got a 95%. "Wow, Brain; look at you! That's incredible!" Penny was more excited over his grade than her own.

The instructor spoke once again: "Okay, you cadets have earned an easy day. Meet back here tomorrow morning, and we'll start planning the graduation ceremony. And, I must say, I'm proud of all of you. You'll all make excellent Police Officers. Dismissed!"

Penny and Brain got separated in the excited hubbub out in the hallway, so Brain got back to their room first. A few minutes later, Penny came in, and she and Brain wordlessly hugged each other and didn't let go. 'Happy' doesn't touch what they were both feeling. Finally, a sniffling Penny said, "We did it, Brain! We really did it!" They looked each other in the eyes. Both had tears of happiness and utter relief coming out. They said to each other, in perfect unison: "I couldn't have done this without you!" Brain had first saved Penny from failing the PT run, then, later on, Penny had saved Brain from quitting the Academy in frustration, in showing him how to study more effectively. They had captured a MAD agent, and more importantly, they had both earned the respect of four Police instructors. This Academy was something that they would be able to look back on with pride for the rest of their lives. When Penny said this to Brain, he agreed, but added, "Yes, but please, let's never do this again, Penny!"

Then, Brain looked at the clock, and it was only 10:00 am. They had the whole rest of the day before them, and no tests or exams or assignments were hanging over their heads. What should they do? Penny smiled, and said, "I know what we should do. Come with me, Brain."

Inspector Gadget was in the Gadgetmobile, and had just arrived at a crime scene. Chief Quimby had sent him there to help investigate. Before he could get out of the car, the top-secret Gadget phone started ringing. He quickly answered. "Chief? Is that you?" Instead of Chief Quimby's gruff voice, he heard his beloved Niece, and Brain, saying in unison: "We passed!"

The Police Officers at the crime scene were quite puzzled when the Gadgetmobile's horn started honking, and Inspector Gadget's head extended out of the window, and he appeared to be happily yelling. One Officer glanced at the other, and received a shrug in answer. "I don't even ask questions anymore."

Penny and Brain hung up the phone, and when they turned around, their roommate Christine was there. She apologized to Penny and Brain for snapping at them the day before. She had passed the exam, and realized she owed a lot of thanks to the study sessions in their room.

For the next few days, the cadets had little to do but prepare for the graduation. They practiced the parade ceremony in their PT clothes for hours, and when they were released, Penny and Brain went for a run. Penny was determined to never again let herself get so out of shape that it took her a full 30 minutes to run two miles. When they returned to their room in the barracks, Penny finished up her few remaining assignments from school, then started to pack her things in preparation to return home.

Finally, at long last, the day of graduation arrived. As Penny and Brain stood in the conference room with the other cadets, wearing their dress police uniforms, Penny thought back to their first day. They had lined up in the early Summer heat, right outside this conference room. Penny smiled at Brain. "You know, Brain; I was just remembering the first day here. I wondered if I had gotten myself in over my head." Brain answered, "I knew I had. The only reason I stayed in that line of cadets, Penny, is because you were right behind me, and I couldn't stand to abandon you. I wanted to be a Police Officer, but I was so afraid when I was actually here." They spent the next few minutes reminiscing, then the instructors entered the room. "Well, cadets, your families are all outside in the stands, and the Chief of Police is waiting. Are you ready?" All 15 cadets answered with one voice. "Yes, Ma'am!"

The ceremony went off perfectly. The cadets marched out in uniform to the music of a marching band, in a perfectly straight line, in their immaculate dress uniforms. Uncle Gadget spotted Penny and Brain with his Gadget binoculars, then had to pull them in. They were filling up with tears of happiness and pride. The line of cadets stopped, and they turned as one to face the crowd. Chief Quimby's speech was mercifully brief and to the point. Each cadet was handed a framed certificate of graduation. On this occasion, the Chief of Police saluted each cadet, who then returned the salute. Chief Quimby was too professional to show any favoritism, but he did appear to have a special twinkle in his eye when he handed Penny and Brain their certificates. Once all the certificates had been passed out, Chief Quimby returned to the podium and spoke into the microphone. "Cadets, dismissed!" The Junior Police Academy was finally, officially over.

The cadets broke into a run and joyfully met their families. Penny and Brain ran and leaped into Uncle Gadget's arms. It had been six whole months since they had seen each other. They just held each other for a full minute, before Gadget finally released his hug. "Well, let me look at you two!" Penny and Brain stood before him in their dress uniforms, beaming with happiness and pride. Gadget noticed that they stood taller, were leaner and stronger, and had much more confidence than before. Chief Quimby walked up and said, "Gadget, get behind them! This will make a wonderful picture." He snapped a photo of Penny and Brain, beaming with happiness in their police dress uniforms, with their proud Uncle behind them.

After the photos were taken, the Gadgets were approached by one of the female instructors. This was the one who had defended Penny and Brain to the other instructors; had allowed Penny to take Brain back to their room after he fell out of a run and vomited, and had listened to them when they presented their evidence against the MAD mole. This instructor had been fair, reasonable, patient, and as supportive as possible to them. Penny was thrilled to introduce her to her Uncle Gadget. Penny told her instructor how much she appreciated her support and guidance. Now that the Academy was over, the instructor could allow her personal feelings to show a bit more. She said to Penny and Brain, "I am so thrilled that you two made it! I was quietly rooting for you the whole time; I just wasn't allowed to show it." She looked at Uncle Gadget. "Inspector, these two did an absolutely outstanding job for the last six months. Not once did they try to take the easy way, slack off, or try to throw around their Uncle's name to try to gain favors. You should be very proud of them." She looked at Penny and Brain one more time. "I hope I get to work with you two on the Police Force in the future."

After this, Uncle Gadget asked them if they were ready to go home. Penny said that she and Brain just needed to get their bags out of the barracks. Penny and Brain jogged over to their room, went to their lockers, and picked up their bags. The beds were perfectly made with clean sheets, the bathroom was spotless, ready for the next class of cadets. Penny looked around the room one last time. She and Brain had gone through so much in this room. The early jitters, soreness after long runs, endless studying, tears of frustration, and even some laughing and good times. Brain said, "Penny? Ready to get the hell out of here?" She smiled and said, "Absolutely, Partner!"

Uncle Gadget took their bags from them, and they finally walked out the main gate of the Academy. The Gadgetmobile sat in the parking lot. When they sat in the familiar car, it finally started to really sink in: The Academy was over. They were going home, at last. As the car drove home, Penny and Brain spent a minute examining their certificates. Six long, hard months of effort, stress, sweat, tears, and even a little blood were wrapped up in these certificates. Penny asked her Uncle, "So, did you miss us?" Gadget gave her a smile, and a 'are you kidding me' look. "Oh, Penny, Brain; you have NO idea. Thank Heavens you're back!"

When they returned to the house, Penny and Brain entered, and Penny laughed as she said, "Oh my gosh! Look at all this, Brain!" There was a huge banner that said WELCOME HOME! There were presents, and a small cake, not to mention a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, and other Christmas decorations. The cake was because Penny's 13th birthday had passed by while they were in the Academy, but Penny and Brain had been swamped with studying and work, and had forgotten about it, until the birthday card from Uncle Gadget arrived. Uncle Gadget walked in behind them, carrying their bags. He said, "I was thinking of inviting a lot of your friends over, Penny, but then I thought that you might appreciate some quiet time as a family." Penny and Brain both nodded. "You were exactly right, Uncle! That sounds wonderful." After six months, some quality time with their Uncle, in their house, was just what Penny and Brain had been dreaming of.

They picked up their bags to put them in Penny's room, and walked up the stairs. Uncle Gadget heard Penny laugh, and call out, "Uncle, what's this?!" He walked up the stairs, and Penny and Brain were looking at the six-month calendar he had taped to her bedroom door. "Uncle, you really were counting the days, weren't you?" Somewhat bashfully, Uncle Gadget said, "Um… heh heh, well, yes, Penny. I started that the day you two left. I forgot to take it down this morning." He extended his Gadget arm, tore the calendar off of Penny's door, and ripped it up into little pieces. Penny opened the door, and gazed in at her bedroom. It looked exactly as it had the day she left. Then, Uncle Gadget went downstairs to check on their dinner in the oven, while Penny and Brain got out of their dress Police uniforms. Penny put on civilian clothes for the first time since leaving for the Academy.

Penny giggled and said to Brain, "Would you look at this? My green pants and red shirt don't fit anymore. I guess I did some growing in the last six months." Brain nodded, and said, "You certainly did, and not just taller. You grew up on the inside, too." Penny smiled and replied, "We BOTH did." Penny couldn't bear to throw away the familiar green pants, and red shirt with the white stripe around the middle... she had been on so many adventures in those clothes. She carefully folded them and placed them in a box in the closet. Then, Penny and Brain carefully hung their Police uniforms on hangars, and stored them in the closet. Then, Penny took their graduation certificates and hung them side by side on the bedroom wall.

That evening was the best that Penny and Brain had for six months. They had a delicious dinner, then sat in the living room and shared stories of their time in the Academy. Uncle Gadget told them how proud he was that they helped uncover a MAD agent while still in training. They talked and laughed for hours, in the light of the Christmas tree and the fire in the fireplace, before finally deciding to go upstairs and go to bed.

The next morning, Penny opened her eyes, and found that she was indeed back in her own bedroom. She was not in a barracks room any longer. She sat up in her nightgown, and Brain lifted up his head and looked at her. He smiled, and quietly said, "It's great to be back home, isn't it?" Penny just hugged her little friend in reply. They found themselves staring at the two certificates on the wall, and the Police hats on the desk, with golden, shiny police badges on them. She whispered, "I still can't believe we really did it, Brain! We both almost flunked at times, and we both pulled each other through."

As Uncle Gadget sat downstairs in the kitchen, eating breakfast, he watched Penny and Brain moving around, getting their breakfasts ready. Again, he noticed that Penny was indeed taller, stronger, and more confident. What little childhood softness she once had, was gone. Then, it hit him. "Penny, Brain, you aren't "Kids" anymore. I can see it. Penny, you've grown, and not just taller. You're a young lady now." Penny smiled, and Uncle Gadget continued. "And Brain? You kept your promise, and watched out for our Penny. Very well done."

After breakfast, Uncle Gadget took them to the Metro City Police Department. They walked into Chief Quimby's office, and he enthusiastically welcomed them. "Penny, Brain, it's great to see you both back. Excellent work in the Academy. Now, let's talk about how you will fit in to the Police Department. We're going to make you two interns. Penny, I know you just turned 13, correct? Well, the Academy got you in the door of the Police Department. You'll help around here as ordered, and follow your Uncle and 'observe.' In a few more years, we'll be able to officially hire you on to the Police Force, and you'll be fully fledged Police Officers. Does that sound good?" Both Penny and Brain gave him and enthusiastic 'Yes, Chief!' He smiled and said, "Great! You start after the Christmas break. Penny, you'll do this after school, when you're available, and Brain will help you." Penny and Brain winked at each other. They both understood that when Chief Quimby said that they would 'observe' their Uncle on the job, he meant that they would be able to work openly with him on cases, which is what they had wanted from the very beginning. No more disguises or being mistaken for MAD agents.

After this visit with the Chief, Uncle Gadget took them back home. They had two weeks completely to themselves for the Christmas break; no Academy, no School, and the Police Internship didn't start until the New Year. They had time to do as they wished. Penny looked at Brain. "Hey, Brain! Want to go for a run around the neighborhood?" Uncle Gadget proudly watched out the window as Penny and Brain jogged down the street in their Police PT clothes.

AFTERWORD

I made this story a longer one on purpose, so that you, the reader, can sympathize with Penny and Brain about how long this ordeal was, and how hard it was to get to the end.

I myself have not been to a Police Academy, but I was in the Army, and I remember Basic Training. The 'steady pace wins the race' was 100% legit for me. When we were timed for the 2 mile run, and all my fellow soldiers showed off to each other and sprinted from the start, I would always pass them, one by one, every single time. And they never learned! By the time I left the Army, my 2 mile run was in the 11 minute range.

So, what happens next for Penny and Brain? Good news! That story is already published. See 'Penny and Brain join the Police Force, and Dr. Claw returns?' This new story takes place about 2 years before that story.

Thank you for the reviews and feedback on my stories, I appreciate the positive comments!