"Are you sure he'll like me?" asked Gavin.

The nighttime of Victoria was somewhat quiet, certainly nothing like the Border collie's former home on the streets of Manhatten. After arriving a few blocks from the apartment building that Alex called home, the pair had made their way to the building and snuck inside.

"Trust me," replied Alex, as they approached the door to Hector's apartment. "He'll love you…as long as you behave."

"Yes ma'am," Gavin said, giving the malamute a mock salute.

Alex giggled as she scratched at the door to apartment number 418. After a few moments with no response, she resorted to whining. When that produced no results, she cocked her head in puzzlement.

"I don't get it," she said. "He's usually awake this time of night."

"Let me take a look," said Gavin.

Closing his eyes, Gavin reached out with his mind, psychically exploring the space behind the door. In his mind's eye, he could see a jumbled mess of disorder, until he caught sight of an active mind. Looking closer, he could feel stress, fear, and worry coming off the mind in waves. Reaching closer, he touched the mind and felt thoughts that were not his own flood his mind. Curiosity got the better of him, and he leaned in to touch it. However, before he penetrate the mind, he felt it jolt and throw him out. Startled, as his concentration was broken, Gavin yelped and fell backwards.

"Gavin!" Alex exclaimed.

The Border collie rolled to his feet, shakily raising himself from the floor.

"I think he's awake now," he wheezed.

The pair's ears perked up as they heard someone working the door's lock, and they turned as the door swung open. From within, a thin pale human male looked down on them, a pair of slightly discolored pajama pants and a white t-shirt framing his thin form.

"Alex!" he exclaimed as he rushed to embrace the malamute.

Excited yips and whines escaped the malamute's throat as she nuzzled her master.

"Oh, Alex, where have you been!?" the human exclaimed. "I've been so worried. If you weren't back by tomorrow, I was going to –"

For the first time, the human noticed the Border collie sitting in the hallway behind his own dog, his tail wagging slightly.

"Alex? Who is this?"

"Gavin, this is Hector," Alex murmured as she moved to sit next to him. "Just be nice. I'll handle the rest."

Alex then nuzzled Gavin, rubbing her cheek on his. The sudden contact surprised the Border collie, but he was not about to complain.

"Alex, did you get a boyfriend while you were gone?" asked Hector, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Well, let's see if he likes me."

Getting down on one knee, Hector extended his hand to Gavin. The Border collie moved his muzzle forward to sniff the hand. Once he had gotten the human's scent, Gavin gave the hand a friendly lick.

"Well, you are a friendly one, aren't you?" Hector chuckled. "Come on, you two. Inside."

Gavin's tail started wagging at full speed as he slipped inside the door Hector held open. As the door shut behind him, he looked around the sparsely furnished apartment. A pair of worn couches sat in one corner, boxing in a homemade set of shelves which were filled with a television, several pieces of electronic equipment, and dozens of set of videos and games. One door led to a kitchen, the linoleum cracked in several places. Another led to a bedroom, a pile of dirty clothes nestled in one corner. Gavin knew that, to some, this might seem like a dump, but to him, it was the most wonderful place in the world.

"So, this is home?" asked Gavin, his hopes high as he took in his surroundings.

"Yes, Gavin, this is home."


Alex's voice faded with the memory as Gavin awoke from his sleep. A week had passed since Alex and Hector had given him a new home, and the Border collie had never been happier. Playing with Alex and Hector in the park had been wonderful. The sights, sounds, and smells of his new city, his new home, filled his mind as he stretched. Looking around apartment 418, he saw Hector bent over his laptop typing away, a wireless cellphone headset attached to his ear as he held a conversation with some unseen other. Alex was curled up at her master's feet, content to listen to the sound of his voice.

Seeing that Gavin had woken up, Alex got up and trotted over towards him. Nuzzling her muzzle against his neck, she smiled back at him.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said.

Gavin yawned and stretched, rising from the floor.

"So, ready for today?" he asked, nuzzling her back.

"Sure am," Alex replied. "Though, I'm still unsure how we're getting back."

The dogs' ears perked up at the sound of a zipper being pulled shut.

"Well, it looks like I just have to go fill out some paperwork," said Hector, as he stuffed his laptop in its carrying case, "and then this handsome fellow will be officially ours."

He bent down and scratched the pair behind the ears.

"I'll be home late from work," he said, "since I'll be stopping to get his paperwork done. No idea how long that will take, so be good, you two."

With that, he strode out the door, locking it behind him. As his footsteps faded down the hallway, the two Rovers sat together for a moment.

"So, like I was saying…" Alex began.

Before she could get any further, she felt a familiar energy engulf her, and instants later, she and Gavin were sitting in the courtyard of the Road Rovers' base.

"Ugh…" Alex held her stomach as her insides squirmed.

"You okay?" asked Gavin, concernedly.

"I think it might be teleportation, not magic, that makes me nauseous," she replied.

Shaking off the feeling, she cocked her head towards the transdogmafier.

"Well, shall we?" she asked.

The pair trotted over to the machines, smoke surrounding them as they entered. Moments later, they emerged from the machines, walking on two legs and clad in their red and silver uniforms.

"Good morning, you two," said a voice.

The pair turned to see the Master, standing by the transdogmafier's controls.

"Good morning, Master," replied Alex.

"Are you two ready to start your W.I.S.P. training?" asked the Master.

"Sir, yes, sir!" exclaimed Gavin, giving him a mock salute.

The Master chuckled.

"Well, let's go meet up with the others," he said, as he left the Transport and Transformation Building. "We'll be leaving in just a few minutes."

As they walked, Gavin and Alex took in the sights of the new and improved base. All around, the pair could see new structures in various states of construction. Several of the hydrant-like structures were covered in scaffolding, with W.I.S.P. agents renovating the buildings inside and out.

"Master, before we go," Alex began, "I just want to ask. How did you know we were alone before you brought us back?"

"W.I.S.P. has assigned handlers for each of you," replied the Master. "When he saw you were alone, he alerted me, and I brought you here."

"Handlers?" asked Gavin.

"We'll get into that once we get to W.I.S.P. headquarters," said the Master.

As they entered the Rovers' Dormitory, he directed them to the central lounge. As he turned to leave, the three of them heard a voice from below.

"Doctor Shepherd!"

The trio looked down see an ethereal figure rise from the ground. Its long hair appeared to flow in an unseen wind, and its thin, gaunt form seemed ready to fade away, as its edges seemed to evaporate.

"The crew working in the tunnels has run into a bit of a pest problem," it said. "Do you know if there are any industrial strength bug bombs were brought in from W.I.S.P. HQ?"

"Sorry, Matilda, I'm afraid I can't help there," replied the Master. "You'll need to ask Reeko. He's in charge of the retrofitting, and I couldn't tell you what half the stuff he brought does."

The floating figure shrugged.

"Oh well, worth a shot. Guess I'll head over there then," she said.

Turning to the two Rovers, she smiled.

"Oh hello, you must be Gavin and Alex. I've heard some good things about the two of you. Good luck today."

With that, the transparent woman floated away. The two Rovers stared after her, their mouths agape. The Master chuckled.

"That was Matilda," he said. "She died in a car accident twenty years ago, and now, she's one of W.I.S.P.'s best spies."

Seeing their expressions still locked in bewilderment, the Master sighed.

"Trust me, you two. A ghost is one of the least weird things you'll see while working at W.I.S.P. Now, go on into the lounge. The others are waiting."

As they entered the lounge, Alex and Gavin were greeted to the sights, sounds, and smells of their teammates. As they entered the lounge, they saw Exile and Taz playing a game of Ping-Pong. Colleen and Sylvia were sitting in one corner, sharing a pot of tea and chatting. The sound of clanking metal, heavy panting, and the occasional growl of exertion came from down the hall told the pair that Anton, Blitz, and Shag had taken to the weight room. As they waved to the others, they were suddenly caught in a bear hug by a speeding Hunter. The Labrador was crying his eyes out as his grip tightened on the two Neo Rovers.

"Hunter, what's wrong!?" asked Gavin.

"Guys," responded Hunter, his eyes brimming with tears, "the cake was a lie!"

With that, he broke down crying again, as the other Rovers looked on in exasperation.

"Um…what?" asked Alex, puzzled by the Labrador's actions.

With a sigh, Colleen walked up and gently extricated her boyfriend from the other Rovers, before leading him off to a nearby sofa. Exile walked up a sigh.

"Welcome back, comrades," he said. "Sorry for that little season."

"You mean episode?" asked Alex.

"Right, I am pretty sure you're wondering what has Hunter in such tizzy."

The two Rovers could only nod.

"During the first day of vacation, Taz shows up with something called "Xbox" and introduces Hunter to video games. Poor fellow has been attached to TV ever since, and last game he played ended without cake, though I am not sure why it mattered."

Alex sighed.

"It would take too long to explain," she said.

"Rovers, front and center!" came a cry outside the lounge's entrance.

The Rovers turned to see the Master, flanked by a pair of W.I.S.P. agents, wearing a grey and blue uniform emblazoned with an image of a flame and standing out in the courtyard. Heading their master's call, the Rovers lined up before the entrance to the dormitory.

"Today, you begin your training as W.I.S.P. agents," said the Master, sounding very much like a drill sergeant. "First, you will be tested to determine the extent of your abilities. Then, you will each be assigned to a seasoned W.I.S.P. agent to further your training. Over the course of the next few weeks, you will be trained mentally and physically to improve your abilities and your effectiveness in combat. You will also be trained in a number of more mundane skills, to better aid you in your fight against evil and the unknown. You will be briefed in more detail once you arrive at W.I.S.P. HQ. Now, follow me."

With that, the Master turned on his heel and marched towards a new structure that had been constructed. The walls of the structure were a bright copper color and stood about ten feet high. Its domed room was dotted with equipment jutting from within, and the large double doors that dominated the front had the same image on them that was on the Master's uniform.

"This is the transporter sent over from W.I.S.P. HQ," said the Master. "As of this moment, it is not functioning at full capacity, and so you will go through in groups. The Neo Rovers will go first, escorted by Agent Carnelli, followed by Agent Hawk with the Proto Rovers."

"Proto Rovers?" asked Colleen.

The Master gave her a short grin.

"Well, we can't keep calling you 'the original Rovers,' can we?" he asked. "Now, inside, on the double!"


Author's Note: This may or may not be the final chapter in the story. Oh, don't worry, the tale of the Neo Rovers is going to continue; I'm just debating whether the next section of the tale is worth devoting an entire story to. So if, in the next few weeks, you see me tag this story as "Complete," keep an eye out for a Neo Rovers 3 popping up shortly thereafter. See you all next time!