Coop and the others were speeding down the highway, getting closer and closer to the next stage—the shopping mall parking was still annoyed by Mr. Kat's stunt, and Millie's unexpected talent was yet another thing he had to process.
As the group entered the parking lot, suddenly, a strange furry blur zipped past them at lightning speed.
Millie's eyes lit up.
Millie: Aww! A cute hamster! But what's it doing here?
Before anyone could answer, a dark, shadowy figure flipped through the air with acrobatic moves, chasing the hamster. Millie was still staring at Mr. Cheeks, trying to piece together what was happening.
Millie: And why is a ninja chasing it?
Coop, Fiona, and Dennis all flinched at the same time.
Millie, of course, didn't see Monica clearly—just a fast-moving, shadowy figure who seemed to be an expert at landing from great heights and chasing down targets.
Coop (sighing): Oh, great...
Fiona furrowed her brows as the hamster dashed past them. She had a nagging feeling that she had seen it before, but her memories weren't giving her any clear answers. A lot of her past was still missing, but she had already figured out that Mr. Kat was an alien.
Fiona: So… is this hamster an alien too?
Dennis: Oh, yeah. He's the most evil hamster of them all—small, but way more dangerous than Mr. Kat. And right now, it looks like Mrs. B. is trying to beat him into a pulp.
Millie frowned and turned to Dennis.
Millie: Who's Mrs. B.?
Dennis hesitated for a moment.
Dennis: Uhh… no one! It's just a code name!
Millie gave him a suspicious look, but before she could press further, Kyle cut in.
Kyle: Millie, you coming?
Millie glanced at the hamster one last time, then shrugged.
Millie: Whatever. Come on, Mr. Kat!
But Mr. Kat didn't move. The cat stood rigid, staring at Mr. Cheeks, visibly tense. Coop noticed this—he knew that Mr. Kat rarely showed fear, but now, he seemed to flinch. Even he was wary of Mr. Cheeks.
Millie looked down at her cat in confusion and simply tugged at him.
Millie: Don't be lazy, Mr. Kat, come on!
But Mr. Kat wasn't being lazy. He glanced back at Mr. Cheeks for a moment, then let out a meow—almost as if he was warning someone, as if he sensed danger. Millie just rolled her eyes and grabbed him.
Millie: Ugh, drama king…
With that, she followed Kyle, while Mr. Kat kept meowing and glancing backward.
Coop furrowed his brows. If even Mr. Kat was worried, then something was seriously wrong.
But he didn't have time to dwell on that—Monica had just landed in front of him.
Dennis (grinning): Good evening, Mrs. B. Nice to see you again!
Coop had gotten used to Dennis' excessive admiration for Monica, but it still felt weird.
Coop: Mom, this is a skateboarding race, not a secret agent parkour course!
Monica: Please. If this were a parkour course, I'd already be at the finish line.
Coop rolled his eyes—typical Monica, aka Agent Moonbeam.
She was just as composed as ever, and Coop already knew what her next words would be.
Monica: And don't call me Mom.
Coop raised an eyebrow and spread his arms in an exaggerated gesture.
Coop: Right, because the walls have ears.
Monica: Glad to see you're finally learning.
Coop: Oh sure, the most important lesson: hiding the obvious.
Monica: No, kid. The most important lesson is: never give away information needlessly, even if it seems obvious.
Coop: Okay, okay… but why are you even here? Don't tell me you've taken up skateboarding?
Monica stared at Coop for a moment, as if deciding how much to tell him. Then, in her usual cool and matter-of-fact tone, she got straight to the point.
Monica: Mr. Cheeks is here. He tried to blackmail me, and I was going to take him out, but it turns out he has a backup of his evidence. And now he's trying to get his hands on the glowing skateboard.
Fiona: Wait… the prize of the skateboarding competition?
Dennis: The glowing skateboard?
Monica: "It's not just an ordinary skateboard. It uses a special technology. Its material is a hyperquantum zone that, by utilizing energy, can manipulate the laws of gravity. Basically, whoever controls it can achieve extreme speed, weightlessness, and even temporary space distortion."
The three kids looked at each other and then burst out at the same time.
Coop: No way! That skateboard is an intergalactic weapon?
Monica: Essentially, yes.
Fiona: Of course, what else would it be?
Dennis: This is the worst and best thing that could have happened.
Coop: So if we win, the most dangerous weapon in the universe will be in our hands?
Monica: Exactly.
Coop stood still for a moment, trying to process the situation. A skateboard was one of the universe's most dangerous weapons? But something else was bothering him. Slowly, and with a hint of suspicion, he looked at his mother.
Coop: But you said Cheeks blackmailed you. What was it about?
Monica hesitated for a brief second. The truth felt too risky. If Coop found out that Mr. Cheeks had threatened to tell Burt that she was still alive, what would he do? Deep down, maybe Coop wanted that too. Could a part of him be hoping that Burt would finally learn the truth? If so, his emotions might drive him to interfere in something he shouldn't. She couldn't risk that. So she only told him half of the truth.
Monica: He took photos of me during some of my past missions. He gathered holographic recordings of me and is now threatening to release them, which could put my current work in jeopardy.
Coop studied Monica for a moment, trying to decide whether she was lying or not.
Coop: That's it? Just some photos?
Monica: Very detailed photos. And I can't afford to be documented.
And it was true— the lives of secret agents were lived in the shadows. If pictures of them existed, they became targets for elimination.
Fiona: So this hamster is also an obsessed paparazzo?
Dennis: I knew it! I always said hamsters hide dark secrets.
Coop was still trying to process how a skateboarding competition had turned into an intergalactic chase. But since they were still behind, they had no choice but to keep going.
As the others took off toward the next section, Monica fell slightly behind.
Coop: What's wrong? Aren't you coming?
Monica: I need a vehicle.
With that, she turned and disappeared into the darkness.
The skateboards whizzed over the asphalt as Coop, Dennis, and Fiona sped through the parking lot slalom course, skillfully weaving between cones and obstacles. The race was heating up. Coop knew that if he didn't give it his all now, Kyle could easily gain the advantage.
But then, a black motorcycle glided silently along the edge of the track. Monica sat on it, her face hidden beneath a black helmet, her posture so effortlessly composed that she looked as if she were just out for a quick grocery run.
Coop rubbed his forehead.
Coop: Mom, seriously? Do you have to go this over the top?
Monica (coolly): What was I supposed to do? Steal a skateboard?
Coop: No, but at least try not to stand out!
Monica was silent for a moment before answering with deadly calm.
Monica: The bike is in stealth mode.
Coop: You're riding a motorcycle in the middle of a teenage skateboarding competition! And you call that stealth?
Monica: Technically, yes. The bike runs silently. It's radar-invisible and emits no heat signature.
Coop had no response to that, but the race continued. The team weaved through the parking lot, Coop gaining more speed until he finally overtook Kyle by a few inches.
Of course, Monica didn't go unnoticed by Kyle either, as she moved along the track's edge.
Kyle: What's up, Burtonburger? Did you hire a biker bodyguard? Are you that scared we're gonna beat you?
Coop tried to appear indifferent, though his heart was pounding.
Coop: I have no idea who this is. They're probably just going the same way we are.
But Millie suddenly interrupted.
Millie: Don't be silly, Kyle. This is probably the ninja chasing the hamster.
Kyle: What? Who's the... what?
Coop desperately tried to salvage the situation.
Coop: Forget it! Millie watches too many cartoons. There's no ninja or hamster here.
Kyle shot a suspicious glance at Millie, then Coop, and finally the motorcyclist. After a moment, he shook his head and muttered under his breath as they continued.
Kyle: This family is completely insane! My mom can never marry Mr. Burtonburger. Never!" — then he added loudly — Let's go team, leave Burtonburger and his crazy ninja friend behind.
The team continued weaving through the parking lot, Coop getting faster and managing to overtake Kyle by a few inches. The glowing skateboard was still somehow within reach, and Coop knew that if Mr. Cheeks got his hands on it, it would cause huge trouble.
But after they went through the slalom course, they reached a checkpoint where an official race supervisor was standing.
As Coop and the others zoomed past, the supervisor spotted the motorcyclist, raised an eyebrow in confusion, and stopped them.
Race Supervisor: Excuse me, ma'am, but you can't participate in the race with a motorcycle.
Monica braked, standing tall with a calm and composed posture, her face unreadable behind her helmet.
Monica: I'm not here to race. I'm chasing a target.
Monica's voice, clear and mature even through the helmet, made it obvious that it wasn't a teenager riding the bike, so she didn't even meet the age requirements for the race.
Race Supervisor: What kind of target are you looking for? Are you a police officer?
Monica paused for a moment, as if evaluating the situation, then responded in the most natural tone, as if she were talking about the weather.
Monica: A wanted intergalactic criminal, extremely dangerous. If you'll excuse me, I must continue the pursuit.
The race supervisor stared at her for a long moment, unsure whether the woman was joking or an escaped patient from a mental hospital.
Race Supervisor: Uh... I don't think there are rules for that. Fine, go ahead, just please don't disturb the other racers.
Monica nodded and continued to roll off on her motorcycle.
At the checkpoint, there were also fans, family members, and friends watching the race. Burt and Ms. Brannigan were watching from there, cheering for their kids, but Burt was having a hard time deciding who to cheer for since Coop and Millie were on separate teams, and Millie was with Kyle.
Burt (uncertain): So... who should I be cheering for? Millie's really good... look how fast she takes those turns. But Coop is too, look at that trick! I definitely couldn't do that.
Ms. Brannigan nodded appreciatively.
Ms. Brannigan: Kyle is really good too, he handles the obstacles with such precision. True strategic thinking. At least he's like me in that regard.
Burt looked proudly at Coop but winked toward Millie for a moment, suddenly feeling nostalgic.
Burt: You know, when I was younger, I tried skateboarding too.
Ms. Brannigan: Really? How was that?"
Burt: Well, I mostly fell off it.
Ms. Brannigan (smiling): That doesn't surprise me, but at least you tried.
Burt puffed out his chest proudly, as if his skateboard falls were real athletic accomplishments.
However, their conversation was soon interrupted by a completely silent-moving motorcyclist. Burt furrowed his brow.
Burt: What's a motorcyclist doing at a skateboard race? And why is the bike silent?!
Ms. Brannigan (nodding approvingly): That really seems against the rules. How did the officials let her in here?
Burt couldn't leave it at that.
Burt (yelling, firmly): Hey, ma'am! You're off the course, this is a SKATEBOARD race!
The motorcyclist stopped, then turned back to them with precise, measured movements. She didn't take off her helmet, and her voice was sharp and deliberate when she spoke.
Monica: Thank you for the clarification! I'll keep your comments in a separate section titled 'Information I will never find useful.'
Burt was stunned. The tone, the style—it felt like he had heard it before. But before he could think about it further, Old Lady Munson interrupted.
OLM (shaking her head with arms crossed): At least someone's looking out for the kids! And making sure that hooligan Burtonburger doesn't do anything wrong.
Burt (outraged): Not this again!
Old Lady Munson: "Well, she's right, dear!" – she threw a meaningful look at Monica, as if she were the only competent adult around here.
Burt still looked at the motorcyclist oddly as she turned around again and silently drove off.
Ms. Brannigan noticed that Burt froze for a moment, so she gently brushed his arm.
Ms. Brannigan: Are you okay?
Burt snapped back to reality and smiled, albeit a bit confused.
Burt (uncertainly): Yeah, I'm fine. Just reminded me of an old memory.
Ms. Brannigan nodded encouragingly, then hooked her arm through Burt's and they continued on to the next cheering point.
