Penny had just finished helping her Uncle Gadget defeat the Quiz Master plot, with Brain's help. Together, they had prevented their Uncle from being framed for robbery of an armored truck, and being sent to prison for 20 years. Penny silently swore to herself that she would never again say 'going my way?' Uncle Gadget retrieved the Gadgetmobile, and picked up Penny and Brain, and took them home.
As they were driving home, Penny decided to ask her Uncle a question. "Uncle Gadget?" "Yes, Penny?" "Uncle, you remember I'm leaving for a ten day Summer camping trip, and I was wondering, would it be okay if I took Brain with me?" Brain perked up, delighted and surprised. Penny had not mentioned this to him, but he would love to accompany his best friend, as well as enjoy ten days camping out in the forest. Uncle Gadget smiled, and said, "Why, that's a wonderful idea! As you know, I'm planning on having some gadgets added to the house while it is being remodeled, while you are away. I was wondering how to keep Brain out of the way of the workers, and this solves that little problem." Penny thanked her Uncle, then turned to Brain and smiled. "Well, Brain, ready to go camping with me?" He happily barked in the affirmative, and hugged Penny. Uncle Gadget said, "That camp is officially being put on by the school, but I'll speak to the administrators on your last day tomorrow, and I'll get it cleared up." "Oh, thank you, Uncle Gadget! This will be the best Summer break ever!" Uncle Gadget smiled. Penny's enthusiasm was so contagious.
The next day at Penny's school was the last day of the school year. The students were giddy with excitement, and could barely remain in their seats. Penny's teacher tried not to take it personally when, as the final bell drew near, the class stared at the clock and counted down the last few seconds. "Five! Four! Three! Two! ONE!" The school bell rang, and the students cheered, sprang from their desks, and rushed for the door. All, that is, except Penny. She quietly stood up and stood near her desk, letting all the other children fight their way out of the classroom.
When they were all gone, Penny spoke to the teacher. "Mrs. Adams, I would like to speak with you, if you have a moment?" "Of course, Penny! What can I do for you?" Penny knew that Mrs. Adams would be a head counselor at the Summer camp, and was just about to ask her about bringing Brain along, when Uncle Gadget appeared at the door of the classroom. He looked shocked. "Wowsers! That was even worse than when I was charged by a herd of cattle in Kansas!" Penny giggled, and the teacher smiled. He was referring to the herd of happy children, stampeding for the exits of the school. Penny then asked her teacher about bringing Brain along to Summer camp. "He's very well trained, Mrs. Adams; he listens to everything I say, and he won't bother anyone!"
This put Mrs. Adams in a rather difficult spot. Officially, the campground's policies had no rule against animals, but since this was a school function, she had to consider the school's rules, as well as liability if this dog bit someone. On the other hand, Penny was her favorite, brightest, and best-behaved student, by far. She would never admit this out loud, but having Penny for a student made it far easier for Mrs. Adams to get up every morning and face a classroom full of unruly students. She knew that she could at least count on Penny to be well behaved. Uncle Gadget could see the conflict on the teacher's face, and asked Penny to wait out in the hall. Penny obeyed, and Gadget said to Mrs. Adams, in a quiet voice: "Mrs. Adams, if you let Penny bring her little dog along, I can speak to Chief Quimby about that speeding ticket you got last week." Mrs. Adams called Penny back into the classroom, and said, "Penny, I'll see you and Brain at camp in three days!"
Uncle Gadget drove the Gadgetmobile into the garage of their house, and he and Penny got out. He instructed Penny, "I would like for you to prepare your room for the remodeling, Penny; take down all your pictures, and pack up your toys and clothes into boxes, so we can store them in the garage. You don't want those workmen looking at your pictures and clothes." Penny smiled. "Yes, Uncle Gadget." She walked into the house, and was greeted by Brain, who was happily wagging his tail. She hugged him and said, "Hello, Brain!" She led him over to the couch in the living room. "You're going with me to Summer camp, Brain! We cleared it with the teacher." This greatly pleased Brain, and he jumped with happiness as Penny giggled. She then said, "Come on, Brain, you can help me pack up my room." He barked in agreement, and they charged up the stairs to Penny's room, while Uncle Gadget started to prepare dinner for the three of them.
After they had all eaten, it was still light outside, so the three Gadgets walked out to the backyard. It was a warm early Summer evening. Penny and Uncle Gadget each took a lawn chair out in the grass, and sat watching the sun set, while Brain sat between them. Uncle Gadget turned to Penny. "Penny, did you get your room packed up?" She nodded. "Yes, Uncle Gadget." He nodded. "Good; now, since you and Brain will be gone for ten days having fun with the other children, I'd like you to help me get the rest of the house packed up in the two days before you leave." Penny answered, "Oh, of course, Uncle! Brain and I won't mind at all, will we, Brain?" Brain barked in the affirmative.
Uncle Gadget leaned back and started talking about all the improvements the remodel would bring. "Wait until you see this place when you get back, Penny… we'll have a totally automated kitchen, a Gadget security system, power window blinds, a spiral staircase, and even an automated laundry room… all you'll have to do is, push a button…" Uncle Gadget dozed off as he was speaking. Penny smiled at Brain, and quietly said, "Uncle Gadget's pretty exhausted from getting ready for the remodel, and still working on missions against MAD, Brain! You and I need to really help him as much as we can before we leave for camp." Brain quietly said "Ruff!"
When it was dark, Penny brushed her teeth and got into her sleeping bag on the floor of her bedroom. Her bed was taken apart and stored in the garage, and this way, she could just roll up her sleeping bag in the morning, ready to take it to camp. She could see the bare walls because of the moonlight coming in through the window, and it looked very strange to her. All her beloved books were boxed up, as well as her toys and clothes. She was starting to think that she would have a hard time getting to sleep, when she felt a motion on the foot of her sleeping bag. Brain was curling up in his usual spot, getting ready to go to sleep. She smiled and gave Brain a goodnight hug, forgetting all about the odd appearance of her room. Penny knew she was safe when Brain was there to protect her. They were both out like a light in minutes.
Over the next two days, Uncle Gadget was very pleased with the help he received from Penny and Brain, as they worked hard without complaint. The house was prepared for the workers to come and remodel. Penny put her bag into the Gadgetmobile, as well as her rolled-up sleeping bag. She and Brain got into the car and buckled their seatbelts, followed by Uncle Gadget. As he drove them to the school, to get on the bus, he found himself already missing them. Uncle Gadget glanced over at Penny, while the car was stopped at a red light. "Now, you and Brain, you be sure to listen to everything the camp counselors tell you, and be safe out there in the woods, okay? Don't wander off on your own, and stay out of the bushes. Sometimes wasps and hornets build nests in there, and you want no part of them, believe me."
All too soon, the Gadgetmobile arrived at the school. The moment of truth. Uncle Gadget saw many children already loaded up on the buses, loudly chattering and laughing. The car stopped, and Uncle Gadget shut off the engine. "Gosh, Penny; I miss you and Brain already!" She smiled and said, "Oh, it's only for ten days, Uncle. We'll be back in no time!" She paused for a moment. "But, I'll miss you, too!" She and Brain hugged him goodbye, then Uncle Gadget helped them load Penny's bags on the bus. Penny and Brain stepped up onto the bus, and sat in a seat together. They waved out the window to Uncle Gadget, and he returned their wave, then got back into the Gadgetmobile. He waited in the car for a few minutes, until the bus started its engine, and slowly crawled out of the parking lot, and drove down the road to Summer camp. Gadget sighed, then started the Gadgetmobile's engine, and drove home.
On the bus, Penny had seen several of her friends there, and said hello to them. They were delighted to see that Brain had accompanied Penny. Many of these friends had visited Penny's house to play, and they were all fond of Brain. Once the bus started moving, all the children took their seats and chattered amongst themselves. Penny looked at Brain, and said, "Did you see poor Uncle Gadget's face after we got on the bus, Brain? I think he was really sad!" Brain whimpered and nodded. Penny then realized she was being a downer, and pet Brain on the head. "Well, it'll be okay, Brain! These ten days will fly by, then we'll be back home… in a remodeled home! I wonder how all those new gadgets he's talking about will work out?" Brain just rolled his eyes and grunted, and Penny giggled.
Soon, the bus arrived at camp, and the children filed out. Some other buses from other schools were already there. Mrs. Adams called the students to order, and told them, "Okay, children! I want you to divide into groups of five, and gather over there next to those wooden buildings. Take your bags with you." Naturally, Penny and Brain stuck together. She was joined by two friends from her class. They needed one more. Penny looked around, and noticed a boy in a wheelchair. He was from a different school. He was off by himself, nervously looking around. She walked up to him and said hello. "Hi, I'm Penny; what's your name?" The boy looked up. He was very shy, but he managed to say, "Uh, my name's Jeff." Penny smiled and asked if he would like to join her group, pointing at Brain and Penny's two other friends. Jeff said, "Oh wow, you have a dog in your group?" Penny answered, "That's my dog, Brain; he's my best friend." Jeff agreed to join Penny's group. His bags were strapped to the back of his wheelchair.
Once the children were all settled in groups of five, they were each sent to a wooden cabin to settle in. Each cabin had five bunks. Penny set her bags on one bunk. Brain had no bags at all. Penny's two friends each claimed a bunk. Jeff wheeled his wheelchair into the cabin, and reached behind him, pulling his bag over his head and setting it on his bunk. He shivered, then said, "Is it just me, or is it cold in here?" Penny considered. "Well, yes, it's a little bit cooler, here in the shade…" Jeff unzipped his bag and pulled out a blue and white football jacket, and put it on.
After dinner, the children all went back to their bunks. Each cabin had its own bathroom, and the children took turns using it to get ready for bed. Penny offered to help Jeff, but he politely declined, saying he could do everything for himself, even without the use of his legs, and he was correct. He was actually in his bed before any of the others. Penny's bunk was nearest to the light switch, so she looked around at her friends and said, "Is everyone ready for lights out?" Three voices replied 'yes,' and there was one bark. Penny snickered and shut off the light. Penny climbed into her sleeping bag and zipped it up. She might have been scared, sleeping in an entirely new place… but, she could feel the soothing, comforting presence of Brain, curled up on her bunk, just like he always curled up on her bed at home.
Back in Metro City, Uncle Gadget had long since returned home. The silence of the house bothered him so much that he turned on the television and left it on, just to have other voices in the house. All too soon, it was time to go to bed, which meant it was time to turn off the television, and the silence returned. He walked down the hall, passing Penny's bedroom, which was empty in preparation for the remodel. He told himself, "Ten days. They'll be back in ten days. And, when you wake up, it'll actually be nine days." This somewhat helped him combat the feelings of loneliness. He wondered what he'd do when Penny got married and moved out. Gadget berated himself. "Don't be ridiculous! She just turned nine years old. Now, go to sleep."
The next morning, Penny woke up when there was a knock at their door. One of the counselors called out, "Up and at'em! Breakfast at the main hall in 30 minutes!" After they all got dressed, brushed their teeth, and had breakfast, the counselors divided the children into different groups, to participate in different activities. Penny's group was assigned to archery. They slowly walked down the trail to the archery field. Jeff managed to keep up with them in his wheelchair. He was still wearing his blue and white football jacket.
Brain was having a wonderful time, popping in and out of bushes, sniffing and exploring all around. At one point, he was sniffing around a tree, when he heard an angry buzzing sound. He looked up, and saw a huge wasp nest, the size of a basketball. Some of the wasps were coming out of the nest, and they looked upset and agitated. Brain needed no further encouragement to leave the area immediately, and scrambled to catch up with Penny and the other children. Penny noticed that Brain seemed alarmed. "Brain, what's the matter?" He tried his best to use pantomime to explain what he had seen. Penny translated. "You saw… a big… buzz? Oh, you mean, a nest? Was it a nest of wasps?" Brain nodded. "Yeah!" Penny glanced down the trail. "Golly, Brain, we'll have to tell a counselor. If some kid poked at it, they could be badly hurt."
Uncle Gadget heard the doorbell ring, and could see through the window that there were three construction vans parked outside. He opened the door, and welcomed in the workers. The supervisor of construction reviewed the plans with Gadget, and they started to work. They would be working around the clock for the next nine days. The construction supervisor assured Gadget that they would have the work done on schedule. Gadget got into the Gadgetmobile and left for work. The construction supervisor breathed a breath of relief; now, they would be able to concentrate on their work. Unseen to him, one of the workmen had a video watch, and quietly said, "I'm in the Gadget's home, Dr. Claw. We're just about to begin."
Penny, Brain and Jeff had finished a fun morning of archery, and were headed back to the main campground for lunch. Jeff was rolling along in his wheelchair, with Penny beside him, and they were both chatting. Brain was, as usual, following at a distance, while darting in and out of the bushes, exploring. Jeff looked ahead, and said, "Oh, rats." He looked at Penny. "Bullies approaching. See the big one? His name is Billy. He's the worst bully at my school. He has more detention time than classroom time. The other four kids just follow in his shadow." Penny frowned. There weren't too many bullies at her school, which she was thankful for. She hated cowards who picked on others smaller than themselves.
Sure enough, when they got closer, the biggest kid, Billy, called out, "Hey, Jeff! You got that money you owe me?" With a cruel smile on his face, he walked up to Jeff's wheelchair, as the four other bullies hung back and snickered. Jeff quietly said, "I don't owe you any money, Billy. Just leave me alone." Billy sneered, then glanced at Penny. "And, who's the little princess, and why do YOU get to bring your dog to camp? I got a pit bull at home; he'd eat that mutt of yours for lunch." Billy then turned back to Jeff in his wheelchair. He started to rummage around in Jeff's bag. "You gotta have some money in here somewhere…" Jeff smacked Billy's hands and forcefully said, "Keep your hands off of me, jerk!" Billy was furious, and shoved Jeff over, wheelchair and all. Even his own fellow bully friends seemed taken aback at this. One of them said, "Dude!" Penny charged in and shoved Billy away from Jeff, hollering, "Get out of here, you creep! What's the matter with you!" Billy shoved her back, causing her to sit down hard in the mud.
Penny was starting to get back up to her feet, when she felt something rush by her. Brain charged in and tackled Billy flat on his back, and savagely barked right in Billy's face. His paws pinned Billy's shoulders down into the mud. The other four bullies backed away. They weren't about to help Billy; out of disgust at what he had done to a crippled boy, and out of fear of Brain's snarling barking. Billy, for his part, had a look of genuine fear on his face. All he could see was sharp canine teeth, and he felt dog breath, right in his face.
Brain was just about to bite Billy, when he felt Penny put her arms around him, and gently yet firmly pulled him back. All the while, she was saying, "Brain, please, don't bite him. That's enough. I'm okay. Please don't bite him, Brain." Brain allowed Penny to pull him back, but he was still enraged. He kept his eyes locked on Billy, and never stopped snarling.
Just then, a camp counselor jogged up to the scene. He said, "I saw the whole thing." He glared at Billy. "YOU, come with me." Before he dragged Billy away, the counselor asked Jeff if he was okay. Jeff had already righted his wheelchair and gotten back in by himself, and he nodded. "I'm just a little muddy." The counselor dragged Billy away, as the four other bullies followed at a distance.
Penny kept her arms around Brain, and asked Jeff, "Are you sure you're okay?" Jeff nodded. Meanwhile, Brain was watching Billy leave, and continued growling. Inside his head, Brain thought, 'This is FAR from over. You attacked my Penny? You're going to PAY.' Penny seemed to read his mind. "Brain, thank you SO much for charging in and protecting me; that was very sweet of you. But I want you to understand why I stopped you from biting that jerk. If you had bitten him, for ANY reason, they would take you away from me, and they'd put you to sleep. It doesn't matter that you were completely in the right, or that you were protecting me; any time a dog bites a child, that dog almost always gets put to sleep. It's not always fair, but that's how it is. He's just not worth it." Penny spoke soothingly, and stroked Brain's head to calm him down. She continued; "Think about it, Brain. If you bite him, I would lose you forever, and he gets away with it. Nobody wants that." Brain grudgingly nodded; he didn't like it, but he understood.
At the Gadget house, the workers were very busy. Walls were coming down, windows removed, carpeting torn up, and new gadgets installed. All of the workers were honest, law-abiding people… all except one MAD agent who happened to have construction experience. His job was to finish up the installation of the gadgets that Uncle Gadget had ordered. Unknown to the others, this gave him the perfect opportunity to install spy cameras for Dr. Claw. They were tiny, incredibly hard to spot, and very powerful. Each room of the house had at least one of these cameras. Each one transmitted independently, and each one tapped into the home's electricity for power. Yet they consumed less power than a light bulb, so they would be very inconspicuous, even when the electric bill came due. Dr. Claw also ordered that one other device be installed. He ordered his agent to install a bomb in the pool shed, next to the house. When this bomb exploded, it would rupture the gas lines, causing the whole house to go up in a fireball.
Back at the Summer camp, Brain was on a mission. He understood why Penny told him not to bite the bully; however, he could not let Billy's action of attacking Penny go unpunished. Brain came up with a plan. After dinner and lights out, the camp slept quietly. Brain slipped out of his cabin, and retrieved a large box he had swiped from the kitchen. He quietly went down the trail, and saw the large nest he had seen before. It was night now, and cool outside, so all the wasps were inside the nest, sleeping. Brain quickly put the nest inside the box, and rapidly sealed the top shut. He could hear angry buzzing inside, but the wasps had no way out. Brain carried the box back to the camp, and stopped by the kitchen for one more thing. Out of the freezer, he pulled a large metal tray that was covered with thick frost. Using his finger, he wrote a message in the accumulated freezer frost, then quickly went to the bully's cabin. He slipped the box inside, set the tray on top, then turned on their light. The five bullies woke up, temporarily blinded from the sudden light. Brain rapidly shut the cabin's door, then pulled a cart loaded with firewood in front of the door, blocking the exit.
Inside the cabin, Billy rolled out of his bunk with confusion. "Who turned on the light?" The other four bullies had no idea. Then, he saw the frozen tray. He read the message in the frost out loud: DON'T MESS WITH PENNY! With confusion, he lifted the lid of the box, releasing a swarm of extremely angry wasps.
Outside the cabin, Brain listened, and was delighted to hear the screams of pain and terror. He snickered to himself. The door banged against the cart of wood as they tried to escape. Brain knew he had to make his own escape. He dashed away, hiding behind Penny's cabin, as the light came on in one of the counselor's cabins, and a counselor went outside to see what all the racket was about. The counselor pulled away the cart of wood, and the door flew open. The five bullies fled into the darkness, screaming and crying, followed by a swarm of angry wasps. The counselor backed away so that he himself would not be attacked. He then peeked inside the cabin, and the tray with Brain's message had melted, leaving just a puddle of water. There was now no direct evidence linking this back to Brain.
Brain slipped back into his cabin, and back onto Penny's bunk, only seconds before the hollering outside woke her up. She turned on the light, and said, "What in the world is going on out there?" Brain acted tired and confused, as if he had just woken up. He hated to mislead Penny like this, but it would allow her to deny knowledge of this plot with sincerity.
Later that day, Penny returned to her cabin. She and Brain were alone together; the others had left for the day's activities. Penny looked at Brain sternly. "Brain, I heard about what happened to those bullies. Someone released a nest of wasps in their cabin. And, they insist that there was a message that said, 'don't mess with Penny.' Did you do this?" With Penny looking him directly in the eyes, Brain was unable to lie to her face. He nodded his head. Penny was very conflicted inside. Part of her wanted to give Brain a good talking-to; while the other part wanted to hug him and kiss him. She just sighed and said, "Oh, Brain…" Using his hand signals, Brain said, "Hey, I didn't bite them!"
Penny couldn't keep the smile off her face any longer. She put an arm around his shoulders. "Well, we're lucky this time, Brain. Those bullies will be very itchy for a while, but they weren't seriously hurt. But please don't do anything like that again!" With frustration, Brain grabbed a pad of paper and wrote out a message for Penny to read. 'They attacked you, Penny, and a handicapped boy. I don't want to hurt anyone, ever, but they needed to be punished. I won't apologize for that.' Penny could see his point, so she squeezed him close and gave him a little kiss on the top of the head. "Let's just put this behind us and try to enjoy the rest of the camp, okay, Brain?" He barked in agreement.
Work on the Gadget home was proceeding ahead of schedule. Uncle Gadget slept in the farmhouse that he owned outside of Metro City. After four days of work, Inspector Gadget decided to drop by his home after work on the 5th day, to check on the progress of the remodel. As he drove the Gadgetmobile back to his familiar neighborhood, he said to himself, "Only five more days before Penny and Brain return home from camp. I hope our home will be done by then." He was very pleased when he stepped out of the Gadgetmobile and met the supervisor of the work crew in the driveway. The supervisor walked Gadget around, showing him what progress they had made.
Dr. Claw's agent was, at that moment, standing in the back yard of the Gadget home, quietly talking with Dr. Claw on his video watch. Dr. Claw ordered him, "Make sure the remote detonator is secure on the bomb in the pool shed." The agent let out an evil snicker, and said, "Sure thing, Dr. Claw." Then, he froze as he heard Gadget's voice from inside the house. "Hey! Did you just say, Dr. Claw?!" The MAD agent looked behind him, and cursed. He had been standing right next to an open window, and Inspector Gadget just happened to be walking right by that window, unnoticed to the MAD agent. He had been overheard, and now, his cover was blown. He sprinted across the yard, as Inspector Gadget leaped out of the window, hollering, "Stop! Stop in the name of the law!" Deploying his Gadget arms and legs, Inspector Gadget rapidly captured the agent, and threw him down on the ground. He immediately found the MAD video watch, and several other pieces of MAD gear on his person.
Inspector Gadget and Chief Quimby glared at the MAD agent in the interrogation room at the Metro City Police Department. They had threatened the agent with a life sentence in prison. Then, Chief Quimby said, "We'll reduce that to ten years, IF you tell us what you did to that house. We know that Dr. Claw ordered you to do something nasty. And, I want you to look at this." He placed a portrait of Penny and Brain on the interrogation table. The MAD agent looked at the photo. Chief Quimby continued. "If that house is destroyed, it won't just be Inspector Gadget; this little girl and this dog live there too. Do you really want their blood on your hands?" The MAD agent felt his resolve slip. War against the police was one thing, but killing children and dogs? He wasn't THAT evil. While he knew that many of his partners in MAD wouldn't hesitate to kill a child, he simply couldn't bring himself to do that. Besides, killing a little girl and her dog might just get him the death penalty. He sighed and gave up the location of the bomb in the pool shed. He did not, however, volunteer information about the MAD spy cameras planted all throughout the house.
Penny and Brain were now having a wonderful time at camp. After the incident with the bullies and the wasps died down, they were able to relax and enjoy themselves. All of the bullies, even the leader, Billy, kept a respectful distance from Penny, and especially from Brain. Penny could see that the five bullies all had painful stings all over them, and they all had to put ointment on those stings daily, to try to keep the itching down. Those five bullies kept to themselves now, and didn't bother any of the other children. So, when the counselors announced that it was Penny's group's turn to go swimming in the lake, they were all quite happy… all, that is, except Jeff. However, the counselors had thought of that already. They told Jeff that he would put on a life jacket, and go out on the lake in a canoe. Jeff perked up at this news. His arms still had decent strength, so he knew he could operate the oars by himself.
Penny and her two friends put on their swimsuits and timidly stuck their toes in the water, feeling the temperature. It was not too uncomfortable, but still a little on the chilly side. They gradually waded in up to their waists, and then there was a rustling from the bushes. Brain burst out, sprinted across the shore, and leaped out into the water, and did a perfect cannonball landing right in the midst of the three girls, soaking them all. They all squealed, then Penny laughed as Brain rapidly swam out in the water. Brain was actually a very good swimmer, and much faster than the three girls. He rapidly swam out to the wooden raft island in the middle of the lake, clawed his way out of the water, and sat there, lightly panting, waiting for Penny and her friends to catch up. The girls paddled out in the water, and Penny reached the raft first, hoisted herself out of the water, and gave Brain a hug. She was glad to see him happy and enjoying himself playing, as any other dog would. After all he went through on missions against MAD, he deserved this fun time.
As the morning turned into afternoon, the sun warmed the water, and they all had much more fun swimming. All of the girls played with Brain, and he even swam out to Jeff's canoe, checking up on him. Finally, the children had run out of energy, and emerged from the water onto the shore. Penny and Brain helped Jeff out of the canoe and back into his wheelchair, then they all wrapped towels around themselves, and walked back to the main camp for dinner. That evening, all five of them had no trouble at all falling asleep, they were so exhausted from swimming. When Penny reached up to turn off the cabin light, she smiled, because Brain was already fast asleep.
While Penny and Brain were having fun at camp, Uncle Gadget was in his backyard with the Metro City Police. They had sent out the bomb squad, who successfully disconnected and removed the bomb planted in the pool shed. Then, with that task taken care of, the rest of the work crew was free to proceed on completing the remodel of the Gadget house. Gadget walked back to the Gadgetmobile, looking at the date on his watch. He thought to himself, 'Only four more days, and I'll have my family back.' He missed them terribly.
Jeff guided his wheelchair away from the lunch line, with his lunch balanced in his lap. He noted that the five bullies were in the corner, at their own table, quietly eating with their heads down, avoiding all contact with anyone else. They still had spots of ointment all over them. 'Amazing how bullies lose their courage when someone stands up to them,' Jeff thought to himself. Jeff decided to eat outside. He parked his wheelchair near the entrance to the dining hall, and started to eat his lunch. Penny and Brain walked up and asked if they could sit near him. He smiled and said, "Of course!" There were lawn chairs nearby, and Penny grabbed one for herself, and one for Brain. Penny noticed that Jeff was wearing his blue and white football jacket again, and asked him about it. He smiled and said, "Yes, I love football. Before I got sick and landed in this wheelchair, I was starting to train to get on my school's football team. People think that football is a game for dumb jocks, but there's actually a lot of strategy involved. You have to out-think your opponent, or else you aren't going to win." Penny nodded politely and listened. She knew very little about football; Uncle Gadget watched a game on the weekends sometimes, but she never did. She was more interested to learn more about Jeff's life.
Penny and Brain spent much of the afternoon talking with Jeff, and learning more about him. He had been an athlete before losing the use of his legs, yet he had been a good student as well. He asked Penny about her life, and she told him that her Uncle worked with the police. She decided not to tell him that her Uncle was the famous Inspector Gadget; she thought that would sound too much like bragging. Jeff said, "Brain seems to me to be very intelligent. I swear it seems like he understands every word you say." Brain smiled and nodded his head, and Penny said, "He does. I don't really want to get into the details, but he's a very special dog. He's also my very best friend; he always watches out for me and my Uncle." Jeff nodded. "I can believe that, after how he tackled Billy. That was amazing!" Penny said, "I only wish that dogs could speak, like humans. He can communicate with hand signals and pantomime, but that is time consuming, and sometimes I can't understand him."
Jeff looked at Brain thoughtfully. He said, "You know, every living thing has brain waves… it would be very interesting to see if there were a way to somehow read and interpret those brain waves, and translate them to English. Then, the challenge would be, could you build it small enough for Brain to be able to wear?" Penny's face lit up. "A canine translator?! Yeah… if the translator were small enough to fit on his collar, and then, there could be a little speaker to broadcast what he's thinking… wouldn't that be amazing, Brain?" Brain was occupied with his lunch, and merely shrugged his shoulders and said, "Eh!" Penny smiled. "Well, don't get too excited, Brain!" She thought to herself that she would have to check with Professor Von Slickstein, when they returned to Metro City. Maybe he could give her some pointers on whether or not this invention could work.
For the next few days, Penny and Brain grew even closer to Jeff. They exchanged stories of their time in school, and places that they had been. Penny yearned to tell him of some of the adventures that she had been on with Uncle Gadget and Brain, but she didn't dare. It was a closely guarded secret. No one other than Chief Quimby and the Police Commissioner were aware of what she and Brain did. By telling Jeff, she would be placing his life in danger. So, she merely continued to tell Jeff that her Uncle worked for the police department, keeping the details very vague. The three of them went everywhere in camp together, and participated in all of the remaining camp activities together. Penny could tell that Jeff was coming out of his shell, acting less shy and reserved, and actually was laughing out loud and having a good time with Penny and Brain.
Then, suddenly, it was the last day of Summer camp. Penny and Brain stood before Jeff's wheelchair, and they eagerly exchanged addresses and phone numbers. As it turned out, they did not live very far apart. Penny promised that when they all returned home, she and Brain would be sure to come and visit him at his house. Jeff looked up, and for some reason, he seemed sad. He said, "I'd love that, Penny, but could you give me a couple of days? As soon as I get back, I have a doctor's appointment… for my sickness. And, I usually need a day to recover after that." Penny immediately agreed. "Oh, of course, Jeff." Then, it was time for Jeff to get on the bus. His school's bus was leaving before Penny's. Penny gently gave him a hug, as did Brain. Jeff looked at them and said, "Thank you, both of you, for being such good friends to me. You don't know how much it means." He then turned his wheelchair around, and two teachers helped push him up the ramp onto the bus.
After the bus left, Penny and Brain walked back to their cabin to finish packing. Penny wasn't sure why, but she felt very sad watching Jeff leave, even though they had promised to meet a few days later. She shook off that feeling, and smiled at Brain. "Well, Brain, did you enjoy Summer camp?" Brain enthusiastically nodded his head and said, "Yeah!" That was one of the few words he could actually say on his own, without using hand signals. Penny said, "I did too, pal, and it was great having you here with me." Brain used his hand signals, and said he was looking forward to seeing how the house looked, now that it had been remodeled. Penny answered, "Me too, Brain, and I've missed Uncle Gadget very much."
A couple of hours later, after one last lunch at Summer camp, Penny and Brain got on their school bus with Penny's two other friends, and they began the journey back to Metro City. She and Brain watched the scenery roll by outside the windows, and before too long, they could see their school coming up. Penny smiled at Brain, who was happily wagging his tail with anticipation. Then, Penny was able to make out the Gadgetmobile, waiting in the parking lot. "Look, Brain!" She pointed, and Brain happily barked, adding to the increased racket from the other children.
Minutes later, the bus came to a halt, and the doors sighed open. All of the children jammed the doorway, including Penny and Brain. When they got out of the bus, they saw Uncle Gadget standing there, and they both ran up and leaped into his arms. He hugged them close, and welcomed them back. They stayed like that for nearly a full minute, as other children ran around, looking for their parents.
Finally, Penny and Brain were back in the Gadgetmobile, with Penny's bag in the back. She happily and excitedly told him about all the fun they had, (leaving out the part about the bullies and the wasp nest, of course) and promising to show Uncle Gadget all the pictures Penny had taken with her little camera, once she could get the film developed. Uncle Gadget listened with a smile, occasionally asking questions, but mostly just listening. He was so glad that they were back. Penny noticed they were taking a different route than usual, and commented to her Uncle. He replied, "Oh, we'll be home soon enough, but first, I'm taking you two out for dinner." Brain and Penny both replied with, "Yaay!"
By the time dinner was over, and they arrived home, it was nearly dark outside, and Penny and Brain were getting tired. Still, they took a few minutes to look at the remodeled interior of their home. Penny was quite impressed; it looked entirely new inside. She walked around, taking in the sights. "A spiral staircase… and a telephone booth?! And an escalator! Wow, look at this, Brain!" Uncle Gadget gave them a brief tour, but he could see how tired they both were, and said, "Kids, we'll finish the tour tomorrow. You both look exhausted. Ready for bed?" Penny nodded. "Yes, Uncle Gadget."
The next morning, Penny opened her eyes, and despite all the fun she and Brain had at Summer camp, she was very glad to be back in her own room. She yawned and stretched in bed, and heard a thumping noise at the foot of the bed. She smiled, because she knew what was making that noise. Brain had been lying there awake, patiently waiting for Penny to wake up, and when he saw her stretch, his tail started wagging happily and hitting the bed. She looked down the bed, and sure enough, her little friend was looking at her, his tail wagging. She beckoned to him, and he crawled up the bed, and Penny put her arms around him.
"Brain, thank you so much for all the help at camp, and especially for tackling that bully who shoved me." She paused and gathered her thoughts for a moment, then continued. "Maybe I don't say this to you often enough, Brain, but you do SO much good, all the time, without any complaint, and without expecting any reward. You save me and Uncle Gadget so many times… you're my hero, Brain." Inside his head, Brain thought that it was his duty to keep his two favorite humans safe. Penny hugged him close, and stroked his head. After a minute of doing this, she spoke again. "Brain? Umm, I hate to break this magic moment here, but… I really have to pee." Brain looked up and said, "Re too!" (Me too!) They both giggled and leaped out of bed, and ran for different bathrooms.
Uncle Gadget lay in his own bed, and smiled. He was so glad to hear little feet running around the house again, even though they had woken him up. Once everyone was cleaned up and dressed, Uncle Gadget showed Penny and Brain how to operate the new gadgets in the kitchen. He proudly stood back and watched as the kitchen gadgets prepared Penny's eggs and toast, Brain's dog food, and Uncle Gadget's oatmeal. Penny thought to herself that she would rather just prepare the food herself, but she didn't say so, because Uncle Gadget had clearly put a lot of thought and effort into these kitchen gadgets. Besides, the food tasted good.
Uncle Gadget had the next two days off, since it was the weekend, and Dr. Claw wasn't up to any new plots at the moment. He continued to show Penny and Brain all the features of the newly remodeled home, and how to use the remote controls to activate the security system and different day-to-day gadgets, such as the automated laundry room.
On the third day after their return from Summer camp, Uncle Gadget left for work, and Penny and Brain got on her bike and rode to Jeff's house, which was only two miles away. They knocked on the door, and smiled as Jeff's mother answered. "Hello, I'm Penny, and this is Brain. Is Jeff home? I met him at camp." Jeff's mother said, "Oh, so you're Penny and Brain! Yes, Jeff spoke the world of you both." She stepped outside, and shut the front door. She asked Penny and Brain to sit on the front porch bench. She sat next to them and said, "Penny, Jeff… he passed away the night before last." Penny gasped in shock, and Brain looked very upset. Penny stammered, "What?! I… I don't understand! He… he never mentioned that he was that sick…" Jeff's mother replied, "No, he wouldn't. He didn't want anyone's pity. Even though he was very shy, he also was very hard-headed about some things." Penny started to cry, and both Brain and Jeff's mother comforted her.
"Now listen, Penny; Jeff had a choice when school let out for the Summer. He could have stayed at home, increased his medications, and that may have bought him a few more months of life. His disease was diagnosed terminal months ago. Instead, he chose to go to Summer camp, and live like a regular boy for ten days, even knowing he might not have much longer after that." Penny was still sniffling, but she listened carefully, and nodded her head. She could understand Jeff's choice. Jeff's father had come out on the front porch and joined them. He asked his wife, "Is this the Penny and Brain that Jeff was talking so much about?" His wife nodded, and he smiled. "We owe you and your little dog here a big thanks, Penny. Jeff told us all about you. It was you who walked up to him, and introduced yourself, when none of the other kids would. It was you who invited him to join your group; you were a friend to him, you included him with all the activities, and you and your dog defended him against those bullies."
Jeff's father went back into the house to get something, while Jeff's mother continued. "You granted his dying wish, Penny. You and your dog made him feel like a normal boy, for a few days. You made him happy." Jeff's father came out, and handed Penny a backpack. He said, "Jeff wanted us to give these to you. I hope you like them." Penny opened the backpack, and Jeff's football jackets were inside. Penny recognized the blue and white one he had worn at camp, and there was also a red and black one. Penny asked, "Are you sure you want me to take these?" Jeff's mother said, "Oh, yes, definitely. We have plenty of other things to remember Jeff by, and he really wanted you to have those." Jeff's father said, "Poor kid; he loved football so much. I'm sure he talked to you about it." Penny nodded, and Jeff's father continued. "Then, that disease hit him, and he could only watch football, and not participate. I hope you keep these, to remember Jeff." Penny sorrowfully tried on the blue and white jacket, and it fit perfectly. Jeff's parents smiled.
That evening, Penny sat down with her Uncle Gadget and told him the story of Jeff, and how his parents had given her two of his football jackets to wear. She showed him the two jackets. Uncle Gadget listened to Penny tell the story, then he said much the same thing that Jeff's parents had. He said that he was proud of Penny for being the one to step up and reach out to an awkward, withdrawn boy in a wheelchair when no one else would. Penny had just gotten her pictures back from being developed at the lab, and she sat with Brain and her Uncle and went through them, one by one. She showed him pictures of the cabin, and the lake, and all her friends from school. There was a picture of her and Brain sitting and smiling on the wooden raft island in the middle of the lake, as well as a picture of her and Brain with Jeff in his wheelchair, wearing the blue and white jacket.
As they progressed through the pictures, Uncle Gadget noticed something. In the background of one of the photos, he saw one of the bullies, covered with stings. "Wowsers! What happened to that boy, Penny?" She glanced at Brain, and said, "Uuumm, well, he and his friends, they… got a little too close to a wasp's nest, Uncle. They had to wear ointment for the rest of the camp." Brain had to fight with all his might not to snicker. Even Penny had a hard time keeping her face straight. Uncle Gadget said, "Wowsers! I'm glad I warned you two about those wasp nests. You don't want to mess with those stinging insects. They can be vicious."
When they had finished looking at all the photos, Penny and Brain both hugged Uncle Gadget. Penny said, "Thank you for sending us both to camp, Uncle Gadget; we had a wonderful time… but, we did miss you." Uncle Gadget replied, "I missed you both as well. I slept at our farmhouse while this place was being remodeled, and let me tell you; trying to fall asleep in that house, with no Penny or Brain around… it was very tough. I'm very glad you're back."
As Penny was preparing for bed, and Uncle Gadget was adjusting the new gadgets in the kitchen, Brain slid off the edge of the sofa and was just about to head upstairs to Penny's room, when something caught his eye. He looked more carefully at the mantle above the fireplace, where there was a large framed portrait of the Gadget family, in a fancy, ornate frame. Brain had seen this portrait many times before, but now, there was something different about it. He looked closer at the frame, and when he peeked into one of the ornate corners of the frame, he could see inside, there was a hidden object. He dashed over to the desk, pulled out a magnifying glass, and looked closer. He could see it was a spy camera. Brain dashed up to Penny's room.
At MAD headquarters, the MAD agent who had been assigned to watching the Gadget house said, "Uh-oh. That dumb dog looks like he found a camera. Dr. Claw's not going to be very happy…"
When Penny returned to her room from the bathroom, she was surprised to see Brain looking very agitated. He tried to speak to her. "Renny!" Then he used his hand signals. Penny tried her best to keep up and interpret what he was communicating. "Umm… fire, telescope, binocular… camera? MAD? You mean, MAD wants to burn telescopes? Brain, I don't understand…" Poor Brain grew frustrated, seized Penny's hand, and pleaded with her to follow him. He took her downstairs, and pointed to the camera he had found. Then Penny understood. "Oh, I see! You found a MAD spy camera, above the fireplace!" Brain said, "YEAH!" Penny called over her Uncle Gadget, who carefully took down the framed portrait, and removed the spy camera.
At MAD's headquarters, Dr. Claw watched this through the monitor, and slammed his fist down on his desk with rage. "BLAST! He found one of our cameras! I told that incompetent idiot agent on the construction crew to make sure that they couldn't be seen!" Dr. Claw's rage increased as he observed the Gadget family carefully combing the whole house, and uncovering over two thirds of the MAD spy cameras. When they were done, only a few were left undiscovered and still operational.
Uncle Gadget laid all the MAD spy cameras out on the concrete garage floor, and handed a hammer to Penny. "Here you go, Penny; you found the first one, you do the honors." Penny smiled, and handed the hammer to Brain. She knew who was really to thank. "Go ahead, Brain." With a mischievous chuckle, Brain smashed the hammer down on the spy cameras, smashing them to bits. Uncle Gadget then activated the automated garage floor sweeper to clean up the mess.
Penny and Brain went back up to her bedroom, and before they went to sleep, she put her hand on Brain's shoulder and said, "I'm sorry I wasn't able to interpret your hand signals properly, Brain. If that had happened on a real mission, it could have been very bad. I need to get serious about this canine translator idea." Brain could see the value of such an invention now, and said, "Yeah!" She gave him a goodnight hug.
Seven weeks later, Summer break was over, and it was time to return to school. Brain was somewhat disappointed; he greatly enjoyed having Penny around all day long in the Summer. Uncle Gadget was ready to give her a ride to school, and called up the stairs, "Penny! Are you ready for school?" She answered, "Yes, Uncle Gadget!" She stepped out of her bedroom, and Gadget and Brain saw that she was wearing the blue and white jacket. With Summer ending and Fall approaching, the mornings were now cool enough to require a jacket outdoors. Gadget smiled at her. "You look very good in that jacket, Penny, and I'm very proud of how you got it." She kissed Brain goodbye for the day, got in the Gadgetmobile with her Uncle, and headed off to school.
AFTERWORD
After I wrote my last Gadget story, "The End," it was such a downer, a sad story; I decided to go back to Penny and Brain's younger years and write a happier one. I don't think I'll be going that dark and sad again. This is a 'back to basics' story; no Angels, no Demons, no saving the world, just Penny and Brain being kids.
If you've ever laid awake at night wondering where Penny got the football jackets that she wore in season 2, well, now you know!
Billy the bully dropped out of high school, became a MAD agent, served MAD for a year, was arrested by HQ agents Penny and Brain, and sent to prison. He still has nightmares about wasps.
I also decided to include Gadget getting his house remodeled, and adding all those household gadgets that we see in season 2. It also explains why their house looks so much different than it did in season 1.
We often see Dr. Claw spying on the Gadgets in their house in the show, so I added the part about an undercover agent in the construction crew adding spy cameras. Some were discovered, but some remained in place.
Rather than just say Penny had a fling with a dumb jock who gave her his jacket, I tried to make it a little more touching than that. Besides, in between seasons 1 and 2, Penny was about 9 years old; a little young for serious dating.