After giving the team's report to Monogram, Perry made his way back down the hallway to go home. It had been a long day- that morning he hadn't even known Dennis had broken out of the OWCA-Traz yet.

Monogram had definitely been surprised to see Perry being the agent giving the report- Perry himself was, too- because typically it was the team leader's responsibility, and Jordan had been the one to report previously. But instead Jordan had insisted he would register the evidence they had found in the evidence room, which Perry would have been perfectly willing to do instead. Jordan's reasoning was that he knew more about the evidence than Perry, because he was there when any of it was discovered and Perry wasn't. It made sense, certainly, but Perry couldn't shake an uncomfortable feeling that Jordan had other motivations, especially with the way Jordan had been acting recently. Penny wanted him to try and trust the other agents, but maybe it wouldn't do much if he just stopped by the evidence room to make sure that Jordan was actually doing what he said he would.

With that in mind, Perry turned down a hall, detouring to go calm his suspicions and help convince himself that Jordan could be trusted. What had happened with Archer really wasn't Jordan's fault, but... No matter how much he tried, Perry just couldn't let it go. He needed to, he knew that much- not only did he owe it to Jordan, but he owed it to Penny as well, who he had kept brushing off despite the fact that she needed to know. And... Astrid and Maxwell, too. He didn't have to like any of his team members (obviously excluding Penny), but he could tone down the attitude more and force himself to trust them all more...as long as he let it go.

But at the same time, it really would just be easier for everyone if he convinced them to just let him leave the team. What did he provide anyway? He was OWCA's best agent, on a team or not. As a matter of fact, ever since he started working with his new team, he hadn't really done a ton. Ever since talking to Doof to learn about DANGER in the first place, he really had just stood on the sidelines. Maxwell had found Dennis' claw marks, Jordan and Penny had found DANGER's actual hideout, Astrid had the tech skills to uncover the information that DANGER even had a hideout... He was just (purposely) complaining to go back to being a lone wolf, and that probably wouldn't change whether he trusted his teammates or not.

Getting as absorbed into his thoughts as he was, Perry almost completely missed the entrance to the evidence room. It took the bright red flash in the corner of his eye to bring his attention back to his goal at paw. He turned and looked into the evidence room, immediately seeing Jordan in the middle of the room.

The red platypus was bent over the table in the middle of the room, looking through...a microscope? He said he was going to register the evidence, not examine it himself. Perry scowled. This was exactly the kind of potentially reckless, self-absorbed behavior that he had seen in Jordan since they were children.

Perry didn't even knock on the doorframe as he came into the room, just letting his voice bring his presence to Jordan's attention. "Didn't know that field agents were also qualified to perform their own examinations of evidence without warning."

Jordan jumped straight up, almost falling off the stool he was using to reach the top of the human-sized table. "P-Perry!" He quickly hopped off the stool and brushed his paws off on his fur, like he was wiping something away. "I thought you were giving the Major our report."

Perry crossed his arms, meeting Jordan's black eyes with a challenging stare. "I finished and decided to come over. I wanted to reassure myself that you were trustworthy and had just registered the evidence and left." He gestured to where Jordan had been working with his bill. "Clearly that didn't work out. So spill."

Jordan scowled. "I thought we had an agreement, Perry."

"We did. But right now I'm not even picking and choosing a fight." He rolled his eyes. "I shouldn't have to explain the rules to you, our team leader, that I am required to confront you for any kind of behavior that seems unprofessional. For example. tampering in the evidence room."

"I-" Jordan had the decency to look ashamed. "You're right. I just wanted a closer look at what we found today. It's been bothering me since I found it."

Perry raised an eyebrow, trying to fight off the cynical disbelief he was so used to feeling around Jordan. "I thought you guys just found some rabbit hairs. Are they not Dennis'?"

"No, they are." Jordan looked away, not meeting his stare any longer. "I'm fairly positive."

"Then why the-"

"Listen, I need you to stop sticking your bill into my business." Jordan's scowl returned to his face as he crossed his arms, looking back at Perry. "I am your leader. The Major put me in charge because he trusts me. So maybe you should do the same."

Before Perry could snap back at him, Jordan was storming out of the evidence room. Perry growled and almost whirled out after him, but froze in his steps and turned back to the table. Jordan hadn't taken care of what he was examining yet.

He hopped onto the stool and examined the evidence on the table. At least Jordan had handled it well, assuming that all the hairs on the microscope plate were there. He'd have to call someone qualified in to handle it, just in case he managed to screw it up. He was there for collecting evidence, not examining it. Something Jordan either didn't understand or just didn't care about.

With a sigh, Perry got back to the floor and left the room to get help to clean up Jordan's mess.

(...)

When he went to leave the building, he noticed Astrid standing a ways away from the front door, on her phone. Although curious why she was still there, she had been acting like a bit of a loose cannon all day, and Perry did not feel like dealing with that. He just wanted to go home and see the boys and rest-

"Wow, you're only just now leaving?"

Damn it. Perry flinched and turned to see Astrid, who had put her phone down and was watching him, her head tilted. "It's been easily over thirty minutes since we got back. I didn't think giving a report would take that long."

"No, I..." Perry sighed. "I didn't like the way Jordan was acting today. I wanted to check up on him in evidence before leaving to try and clear things up."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Giving him a chance, are we?"

"That's beside the point." Perry shook his head. "All I wanted to do was clear up his behavior in the field."

Astrid nodded, her blue eyes focusing on nothing in particular, like she was thinking. "He was definitely acting strange. So did you succeed?"

"No. When I found him, he-" Perry hesitated. "Listen, if I tell you this... I need you to not tell Penny."

"Really?" Astrid crossed her arms. "You seriously want to keep another secret from your sister?"

"Another? What do you-" Perry shook his head. "Never mind. I just... I think she's finally starting to feel at home with this team, and she's getting along with Jordan better than I could. I promised Penny I'd try to get along with everyone and wouldn't be the reason the team falls apart. Besides... I'm worried that she'll blame Jordan's behavior on me."

Astrid snorted. "So instead you want to keep secrets. What perfect team behavior."

Perry rolled his eyes. "Says the person who spent the whole morning insulting and complaining about everyone. Astrid, I am not in the mood to be preached to. Apparently you're some 'perfect agent' who always knows the responsible way to behave, but that doesn't mean we always want your opinion."

"Who's the one insulting who now?" Astrid said, a painfully patronizing smirk developing on her face. "I thought you might appreciate what I said. After all, you seem determined to prove to everyone that you're not cut out for this team. You've certainly proven it to me. Jordan too, definitely."

He processed what she was saying. She...actually, she was right. She was still being a bit of a bitch about it, but ultimately he was still trying to get off the team. "Okay... So if I don't belong on the team, do you agree to keep it a secret?"

"Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Thanks... I think." Perry sighed. "I don't know. Maybe Penny's right and I'm being irrational about Jordan. I just don't trust him. That's why I want you to help me keep an eye on him to see if he gets worse."

"Just the two of us?" Astrid stared at him, her dark blue eyes full of disbelief.

Perry frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Just that you and Maxwell have been inseparable recently." Astrid shrugged. "Bit weird that the two lone wolves who swore they'd never work well on a team have made such great partners."

Geez, who knew Astrid was so observant? She seemed to be noticing more about his life than he was. That was another good point, though. They... They did make good partners, didn't they? "I... I don't want to bring Maxwell into this. At least not right now, before things get dangerous. There's a chance that I'm genuinely just being paranoid, and I don't want to pull the team apart with that, it could break Penny."

"Ah." Astrid smirked. "I see. Alright, I guess I can keep it between the two of us."

"Good to know. I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yeah." The smirk on Astrid's face didn't fade as Perry moved away and she pulled her phone back out. "See you tomorrow."

Well. That conversation hadn't gone as expected. But it certainly did give Perry some things to think about...