A/N: So here I finally decided to get the story in gear. I wanted to write a nice long fanfic, and I really tried hard. So it won't be until here that the plot thickens! I'm also uploading several chaps at once...to make up for not posting last week's and to get some more down cause unfortunately I started to slow down...Don't worry I have about 6 or 7 more completed chapters after this. I really need feedback to keep going though.

Penny sat at the table staring at Rick intently. He was reading her school report card. His grey eyes scanned over the paper quickly darting from side to side. She knew there was nothing to be worried about, but she still searched for praise. He set the paper down and looked at the eight year old.

"You're doing amazing as usual." Rick said with a smile. "I'm pleased with what your teachers wrote." He looked back at the bottom of the page, ""Penny is always respectful and listens." "She works above average, completing astounding assignments.""

"These teachers are better." Penny chimed in. "They understand me."

"Good," Rick smiled again. The girl had been misunderstood by conventional teachers. Rick had been forced to tell her the truth about herself over the summer. She had taken it well, her emotions had run rampant for a brief few hours, but she accepted it without any bitterness. After that he'd found her a school for children with a high I.Q.

Rick finished his eggs, "now we better get goin'. Alex and Grant won't let us hear the end of it if we're late."

Penny nodded. "Right." She finished her juice and jumped down.

Rick put the dishes in the sink and left them for later. Penny grabbed her pink ski coat off the rack and put it on. Rick grabbed the super trench coat and shrugged into it. He pulled a key ring from his jeans pocket and opened the door.

The evening before, a young FBI agent looked into a few reports from when they had seized the FutureTech research. It was noted that several blue prints regarding advanced weaponized cars and other outlandish sci-fi tools were missing. Agents had done some research and knew that Alex Lawrence had been designing some rather unique toys, but a majority of her private work was not with everything they had obtained.

While legally it wasn't part of McDowell's promised research, it was something that should be looked after. That was what his partner Arthur Davidson had said.

Walter Riggs closed up the reports and sighed. His superiors wanted him to infiltrate the Lawrence mansion and see if he could find them. Walter didn't feel that was the proper thing to do. He joined the FBI to protect his country, not steal research that could make a difference in the world.

He removed the laptop on his clean desk and placed it in a brief case. He had a girlfriend to kiss goodbye, a plane to catch, and six hours to come up with an idea to implement when he touched down.

For something that his coworkers thought was black and white he found it was just a little grey and fuzzy. Sure turning people into cyborgs was at the bottom of morality, but the use of cybernetic organs could eradicate transplant waiting lists.

He headed for the doors. Pals caught him on the way and said goodbyes. Every time an FBI agent left on a mission it was highly possible they could come back in a body bag or as a pile of ash in some cases.

"Good luck," that was Agent Linson.

"Snag a pic of the brain child if you can." Agent Johnson suggested.

"Don't forget your girlfriend. A woman can be your deadliest enemy." Agent Tomlin said with a serious monotone.

"Just come back alive." Agent Carling said as she shook his hand.

"Remember the mission." His senior partner said with a tone of levity. He knew that Walter had his doubts about the morality of his mission. "The minute you feel like you are going to slip up you call me." He added a tad less severe.

"Thanks Davidson." Walter shook his hand. "I'll remember." He assured.

Looking back over his shoulder he shivered. That feeling he got in his gut before something went wrong had been distracting him for a day or two now. Something wasn't right, and until he figured it out he was completely blind.

He checked his watch. Two hours until he had to be at the airport. Just enough time for a quick dinner with Melissa and a stop at his apartment to collect his suitcase.

The parking garage was full of cars. Most were ordinary every day sedans and SUVs. There were a few black government issue sedans here and there. There wasn't another soul in the place.

He got into his blue Toyota and drove out. Turning the radio on he frowned and turned it back off. Bad news seemed to be the only thing anyone could talk about. Not that there was much good news, but a few topics that didn't bring more cause to worry would have been nice. It at least might have an encouraging effect on the populace.

Walter stopped at his apartment first. He wanted to get his things first just in case he and Melissa were late. She was taking the car once he was gone. She didn't have her own, and Walter certainly wasn't going to drive all the way from New York to Reno Nevada. That would have been ridiculous.

Inside his apartment he checked to make sure no lights or water was running, he made a quick scan of all his belongings, and deciding that he had everything, locked the door behind him, and carried his single piece of luggage to the elevator. He pushed the down button and waited. He tapped his foot as he did so. The silver doors opened and he hurried into the empty chamber. He pushed the ground floor button and stood stock still as it dropped towards the ground.

Back in his car he headed for Melissa's place. He didn't have much time to say goodbye and he was contemplating telling her that he may just decide to fail this mission on purpose.

She was waiting outside for him in her blue dress, the one he liked on her, and she had a wrapped gift. Most likely some little trinket for good luck. So far she had given him one before every case and he had yet to fail or get injured. When she'd heard he liked dragons she had started buying him them. He had a whole shelf of them by now. Glass and ceramic dragons of varying size and color. And every time she got him a good luck token it was a small dragon he could keep on him.

To date Walter had a dragon pen, a dragon keychain, a dragon ring, a leather wallet with a dragon carved into it, and a dragon embroidered kerchief. He smiled at her and leaned over to open the passenger door for her.

She climbed in and kissed his waiting lips. "Oh Walter I wish you didn't have to go so soon. I've been dying to go see that musical with you. You promised." Melissa said as she buckled up.

"I know." Walter replied with a sigh. "As soon as I get back we'll go. I promise. I even have the money for tickets hidden in the glove box. Of course if something happens while I'm gone you use it." Melissa nodded. Walter always left her a stash of cash in his car when he left on an out of town case.

She never used it, though she promised him she would.

"Here open this now." Melissa passed him the small square wrapped in green paper.

"Sure thing." He tore the paper and tossed it into the backseat. He opened the unmarked brown box and lifted the top. Inside was a lapel pin, a pin of a fierce blue dragon head. The black eyes were bright and the open maw filled with glistening teeth.

"Another draconic luck charm. I bet Atreyu would turn green with envy at all my luck dragons." Walter kissed her cheek in thanks.

"Those dragons protect you rather well." Melissa said as he put the pin on the lapel of his black suit jacket. He pulled out.

"I'm going to need their luck." Walter muttered.

"What?" Melissa asked. Then she realized she couldn't beg for information. Walter was an FBI Agent that meant he had to keep all of his cases a secret, at least until they were broadcast publicly.

And then they never said his name. They weren't allowed to release his name as an agent. They never revealed their names, in fact they usually kept the names of deceased agents in their active files. One could never be too careful in an FBI position.

"Nothing, sorry," Walter apologized. "Let's go have a good dinner."

Melissa forced a smile, "Yes, lets."

Grant let Rick and Penny into the mansion. "Hello Penny," he greeted the girl.

"Hi Uncle Grant." Penny replied hugging his waist. Rick always felt that if anyone had the right to be called Penny's parents it was Alex and Grant.

"I'm gonna do the usual checkup while you're here." Grant warned Penny. She nodded happily, the scientists were the only doctors she knew. "Alex is waiting in the lab already."

"Of course she is." Rick said with a smile. The three made their way through the familiar estate. They entered the lab.

Something flew towards Rick's head. He ducked under and turned to where it had come from. Alex was standing next to a table with a smile on her lips. Penny gasped. Rick felt something slam into his head. He frowned and reached for the object now on his head. His fingers registered the brim of a hat. He pulled it off and looked at it. It was an old fashioned brown fedora.

Grant took Penny over to a chair in the lab and pulled out his stethoscope. She smiled as they talked.

He looked at Alex and gave her a deadpan stare. Obviously he didn't find it very amusing. "Come on Rick, it's a tool, not a fashion statement."

"Everyone already thinks I live in a stereotype with the trench, now you want me to wear a fedora? I'm gonna be the laughin' stock of the whole precinct."

"Just take a look at it." Alex replied with a sharp look.

"Fine." Rick turned it over and instead of the typical felt or satin lining there was a metal inner band and a hinge on the back wall and ceiling of the hat. He quirked an eyebrow but said nothing. The hat weighed quite a bit. Figuring that it was played with just like his coat, and now his shoes, he went ahead and put it on.

"There's a magnetic locking strip that will keep the hat on your head at all times." Alex began to explain the newest toy she'd concocted. "Even if you get thrown from a vehicle it won't come off. It'll act as a helmet in worst case scenarios. Also it has a few new devices for you to use. Most of this is practical use like an umbrella and some extra hands. They're simple and you can control them for instances where two hands are not enough. And the last thing you'll want to know about right now is the helicopter feature."

Rick looked at Alex in surprise. "Helicopter?"

A broad grin spread across her face. "One, fully functioning helicopter propeller and steering unit has been meticulously designed to collapse into that hat. If you put the hat on again it will download the operations program to your existing secondary function program."

Rick was used to this sort of thing, Alex was always providing some new addition to the original cybernetic work she had done. Every year and a half she upgraded the operating system that ran everything from his heart beat to the laser beam installed in his right finger.

He looked at the hat. "Let me guess, it runs off of a wireless connection?"

"Yep, simply put it on your head and relax. It may take a few minutes, the program for the A-1 Gadget Hat has it's own encryption codes as usual. But the download will provide you with the encryption key."

Penny giggled from a few yards away. "I like the name Aunt Alex." She called.

"So do I." The woman replied smiling.

"I'm not so sure I like it." Rick teased as he put it on. His body tensed up as it usually did when he was downloading new files. It always irked him just a bit that he, a human being, was capable of downloading and uploading computer files and programs. It wasn't natural for anyone and he always dreaded what would happen if something he downloaded carried a computer virus. Not that he ever had Alex's work was secure as any files could be. But she had warned him about the dangers a computer virus could bring with it.

The dialogue box in his vision popped up and scrolled through the usual actions. He didn't read it. He always refused to know just how much of his brain was computerized, he believed that in this case, ignorance is bliss.

He felt a slight buzzing sensation through his spine and then he was suddenly aware of something new. Each new weapon Alex gave him, including auxiliary ones like the hat, always brought their own files and connections. This was interpreted by Rick as an awareness of something beyond him, and yet it also seemed to be a part of him.

A few minutes later and the dialogue box changed:

DOWNLOAD COMPLETE: A-1 GADGET HAT ON STAND-BY.

Rick looked at Alex. "I'm all ready to go." He said. Despite the weirdness of the hat, he was eager to try it out. What man could resist the possibility of actually flying.

"Excellent. Go ahead and try something out. You should have a scroll list of the items available."

Rick was already focusing his thoughts. Activate A-1 Helicopter. The lid of the hat suddenly popped open and something began to emerge. Rick heard a commotion of noises from the hat that reminded him of electric drills.

The weight was the same, but now it was all on the very top of his head. He stuck a hand up and found one of the two handles that came down at either side of his face. He could see the grip and the long bar that reach up past his vision. He let his hand continue upward until he felt one of the propeller blades. A diagram in his vision gave him a detailed image of the device.

He brought his hand back down, and looked at Alex who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "How do I start it?" He asked.

"Contact." Alex replied. "That's the command word for all helicopter pilots before they start the ignition." She backed a few feet away.

"Contact?" He repeated questioningly. The engine of the helicopter suddenly came to life. As it revved up, the blades began to spin causing a gust of wind around Rick. Penny was watching from a safe distance in wonder.

After a moment Rick suddenly felt himself being lifted up. He grabbed the control sticks and watched as his feet left the floor several inches. The noise from the engine was loud, but not so powerful that he couldn't hear Alex.

"Ok, since you're indoors the helicopter won't give you more than a hover. When you get it out in the open air you'll be able to rise to whatever safe altitude you desire. After about 2,000 ft you won't be able to go any higher. At that point the air pressure is sure to cause malfunctions to your primary and auxiliary systems. If that happens there's a chance you could cause permanent damage." She was yelling at him. Rick gave her a thumbs up to let her know he had heard her.

He focused his thoughts on dropping back down and the floor rose up to meet him a little faster than he was expecting. His feet hit the ground hard and he bounced back up veering to the side. With the blades still spinning he tried to correct himself and managed to sprint to a halt. As soon as the engine died he focused on deactivating the helicopter. It vanished back into the fedora.

Rick took the hat off and looked at it. "That's really somethin'." He commented.

"Of course it is." Alex replied.

A rumbling from outside made everyone look towards the east wall. Penny shivered and looked up at the ceiling. "Is it thunder?" She asked.