"…and for those keeping score, that last match puts the Kangaroos in the Final Four for the Tri-Lakes Dodgeball Championship! Once again, Great Lakes City seems to be the team to beat, but our own Lynnsanity is sure to give them the fight of their lives! We'll be sure to cover the details of this tournament as they come. Back to you, Lincoln."

"Thanks, Rusty."

Another day, another successful Action News Team broadcast. We've just been firing on all cylinders since Katherine Mulligan gave us access to this new top-notch equipment. Even on the slowest of days, we usually can find something to report on. And today, while seemingly ordinary, is no exception.

Checking my script, I couldn't help but smile slightly. Clyde, Zach, and I have been planning for this story all week. And boy, is it a big one. It might sound a little out there for a news program, but I'm not too worried about that. For one, this was all Zach's idea, and one thing you need to know about Zach Gurdle is that he lives for this out-of-the-box conspiracy stuff. But more importantly, a lot of crazy stuff happens in Royal Woods. Yes, it's not just limited to my house, although trust me, things in there do get pretty crazy. Well, best not to keep our viewers in suspense.

"When deep and surreal stories fall through the cracks, we can always count on our on Zach Gurdle to catch them," I said, reading off of my copy. "And to that end, here he is with a segment we like to call… The Tangled Web."

We cut to a fancy graphic of Zach posting threads on a large cork board. Spooky theremin music plays as Zach's glasses flash with each new post on his conspiracy chart. Looks like Zach's really determined to get his money's worth on that editing software Katherine gave us. Man, I love this new equipment. Once we got past the title card, Zach joined me and Clyde at our desk, wheeling in a whiteboard covered with red threads connecting to all sorts of photos.

"Thanks, Lincoln," said Zach. He adjusted his glasses and turned to face the camera. "Greetings, Kangaroos. Today on the Tangled Web, my colleagues Lincoln and Clyde are exploring a very curious thread. One which not only baffles us, but the entire scientific community. It involves the organization known only as… Incognito Labs."

Zach shifted position and pointed to a particular photo on the board. Liam zoomed in on the photo, revealing what appeared to be an old warehouse by the docks. Man, it feels like ages since Clyde and I were last at that place. And we've got a lot to say about it.

"Now, I know what you're asking. What exactly is Incognito Labs?" said Zach, pressing his fingers together. "Well, here's the thing about that. Information about them is actually rather scant."

"Indeed," I said. "According to my sister, local scientist and prodigy Lisa Loud, any attempt to look up information about them only leads to dead ends or some sort of virus infecting your computer. They keep a lot of their cards close to the chest."

"From what we've been able to gather, they specialize in black ops aeronautics research," Clyde continued. "One big project they had was finding a human who could survive in space without a suit."

"And that seems to be their biggest priority right now," said Zach. "But tell me, Lincoln. How did you and Clyde come across this information?"

He raised an eyebrow at me, as if expecting me to dodge the question. However, I knew this was just part of his schtick. I wasn't about to hide something this big.

"In truth, we wouldn't have known anything about this organization if it wasn't for Lisa," I said. "She was conducting her own research on the curious anatomy of someone this entire town is familiar with: Phillip Phillipini, better known as Flip."

Liam had the camera pan from the warehouse photo to a picture of Flip, with a red thread naturally connecting them both.

"A researcher from Incognito Labs, known only as Dr. Linnaeus, offered to continue Lisa's experiments in exchange for money and prestige," said Clyde. "But it turns out that Flip was being abused by her and her research team, and his life was very much in danger."

"When we discovered this, we helped Lisa bust Flip out and shut down the facility," I said with a triumphant smirk. "Just another day cleaning up Royal Woods."

Zach nodded. "Very good, gentlemen. Truly remarkable work." He then adjusted his glasses as his face darkened. "However, according to my own sources, that's but the tip of the iceberg."

He turned back to his chart and traced along the massive web, going from photo to photo as he continued his speech. "There have been instances of this mysterious organization cropping up again, though rarely are they mentioned by name. They tend to operate through shell companies; hiding their identity from investors and fellow researchers. But the question remains: what do they have to gain from hiding all this?"

Zach whipped around, staring directly at the camera. "From Lincoln and Clyde's experience, we already know Incognito Labs doesn't have the most humane practices when it comes to their experiments. But that leaves us with many questions unanswered. Why were they so intent on sending someone to space without a suit? Where do they get their funding if tracking them down is almost impossible? And again, why all the secrecy if this is meant to be a science organization trying to benefit mankind?"

Zach leaned back and folded his hands together. "We don't have the answers to these questions currently, but we do know this. According to my sources, they still have a presence in Royal Woods, and they might be preying on more innocent folks without their knowledge. The Action News Team will continue to follow this story, but I implore all concerned parties to do the same. Fellow journalists, our job is find the truth and inform the masses. The public is counting on us."

…

I frantically looked through my notes. That… was not in the script. I mean, I don't disagree with Zach on this at all. Incognito Labs might be just as dangerous as he claims, and someone should try and uncover the truth about them. But is this call-to-arms really justified here? There have been other incidents involving Incognito Labs since that first encounter, but it's not like it's an everyday occurrence. I looked over to Clyde and Liam. Both of them just shrugged.

"We'll be sure to keep everyone updated as we continue looking into this, and we hope our fellow truth seekers will be willing to compare notes," said Zach. He then saluted the camera. "This is Zach Gurdle with the Tangled Web, catching the mysteries that slip through the cracks. Good afternoon, and good luck."

"And, cut," said Liam, turning off the camera. "We're clear, y'all."

Zach nodded and smiled. "Great segment, guys. Do you think the 'good afternoon and good luck' was too clunky there? I know the phrase is normally 'good night and good luck', but it's like two in the afternoon, so…"

"Is Incognito Labs really that dangerous?" Clyde asked.

Zach raised an eyebrow. "Um, duh. Why?"

"Zach, we didn't give you this Tangled Web segment so you can start calling for witch hunts," said Stella, walking in from the green room.

"It's not a witch hunt, though," Zach insisted. "These guys have something sinister up their sleeves; I know it. Lincoln and Clyde can vouch for me on this."

"Not sayin' we don't believe you, partner," said Liam. "But it's been a coon's age since those varmints showed their faces."

"A what's age?!" cried Clyde.

"Clyde, the term 'coon's age' refers to an old myth that raccoons have very long lives," I told him.

Clyde blinked and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh. Sorry, Liam."

Stella rolled her eyes and cleared her throat. "Back on topic, Liam has a point here, Zach. Incognito Labs hasn't been popping up that much lately. Even when they have shown their faces, no one could prove it was them."

"Except for us," Zach corrected. "And that's important. They can't keep getting away with what they're doing."

I furrowed my brow. It's hard to argue with that logic. We only got a taste of their unsavory practices. Who knows what else is going on behind the scenes, and who they're hurting.

"Call me crazy, but I see your point here, Zach. Mysteries like this are important to unravel," I said. "But next time, run that kind of thing by us before we go on the air. We're an Action News Team, after all. We need to be on the same page."

Zach sighed and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah, I hear ya. Sorry, I guess I got a bit excited. It's not ever day you guys take my Tangled Web segment so seriously."

Liam smirked. "Just because you constantly jump at shadows doesn't mean everything you say is nutty," he said. "We know that better than anyone."

"Still, that does feel like a risky move," Stella mused. "We just gave all the journalists in Royal Woods a huge scoop."

"And what's wrong with that?" Zach asked. "This story is bigger than just the six of us. We could use the extra help. This shouldn't be a competition. Not this time, anyway."

"That's not what I meant," said Stella firmly. "We've already established that Incognito Labs will do anything to cover their tracks. What if these journalists do go after the story and put themselves in danger?"

I had to raise an eyebrow at that. "I mean, if we're gonna be following the story, we'll be doing the same thing."

Stella blinked. "Okay, fair. But I'm not comfortable with putting everyone else in danger with that call-to-arms."

"I'm sure they know what they're signing up for, just like we do," said Zach. "After all, we're just getting started in this field. These guys are trained professionals. If we can handle Incognito Labs, so can they."

Stella thought it over for a moment before shrugging. "I guess so. Just… try to be careful. I've got a bad feeling about this."

…

I didn't say anything, but yeah, I'm starting to feel that, too. After all, who's to say Incognito Labs hasn't been watching our broadcast? They might know what's coming and do anything in their power to stop it. And now I'm starting to sound like Zach when he's on one of his conspiracy rants. Eh, not much we can do about this now. It's like Zach said. We've handled Incognito Labs before, along with a whole mess of other mysteries and investigations. No matter what happens, we'll stand our ground and fight for the truth. I expect any journalist worth their salt to do the same.

…

I say that, but I know it won't be easy. To be a good journalist, you have to be willing to kick a few hornet's nests. And I think we just kicked one of the biggest ones out there…