Head Rush

Head Rush

All non-original characters copyright Disney. All original characters and concepts copyright pOd.

It had been a week or so since I'd met the Rangers, and it seemed as if we were getting along just fine. Except for Chip, of course. He seemed pretty sceptical about the whole Hacker-involvement thing. I'm not sure if I blame him, now that I think about it more. I mean, I was a walking tank, for crying out loud!

But everybody else seemed pretty cool with me. Me an' Dale took the Corvair out once or twice to some A-car shows, and Monty and Zipper had come over a few times to help patch up my garage. And I'd been talking quite a bit with Gadget. Whether testing our SATt-phones or just messing around with the Corvair in the basement garage, we got together every day or two. She had quite a knack for augmenting, that's for sure! It was good to talk to someone with the same interests, too, weird as they may be.

But no matter what we were doing, one of us would eventually bring up Nova. Truth was, I had no clue what to do with the thing! Gadget was stone-set on me keeping him, of course. Becoming some crazy robot warrior or something, to put it to use. But I was always skeptical. I'd have just as easily blown the suit up, and been done with it.

We finally agreed on a compromise, but did that ever turn out a nightmare!

A tall, lanky mouse stepped from his bright silver sportscar. His white leather jacket shielded him from the bitter cold. A black stocking cap was pulled hard over his head, and his ears protruded from two holes in the fabric.

He glanced around the Central Park surroundings. The Rescue Rangers' treehouse stood before him, windows and door closed tightly. He nodded, and pulled a small two-way radio from his pocket. "I'm in position, sir," he said quietly.

Gadget sat in her workshop, a scrap-metal cordless telephone at her ear. She weaved about on the slightly-cluttered floor, searching over it carefully.

"Darn it, I just dropped a screw!" she grumbled. "But anyway, I think this is the best idea we could come up with, don't you?"

Ratchet's voice came back feintly from the phone. "Yeah, I guess. Hiding blueprints is better than hiding the whole thing. How far did we get today?"

"I think we're almost finished!" said Gadget. "I just haven't written it down yet. I've got it memorized though, don't worry! Boy, is it interesting how that thing works!"

"I know," Ratchet replied. "But it's dangerous. So, once we get the prints done, I'll destroy the suit, and that'll be that."

The mysterious mouse pulled a long, flat metal case from his car. He placed it carefully on the hood, and flipped it open. A slender, thin steel contraption lay surrounded by black foam. A long metal tube stretched into a dull rectangular box. Wires crossed from either part of the device.

He gently lifted it from its case, and held it under his arm. A pair of black metal goggles came from his pocket. Slipping them on, the mouse adjusted a knob on the temple. The goggles' lenses zoomed in and out.

"Visual acquired," he mumbled softly. "Preparing implanter."

"Anyway," continued Gadget. "I don't wanna be around when you destroy that poor thing! It's kinda cruel, if you ask me!" She grabbed a tiny screw that lay at her feet. "Ha! Found it!"

"I don't really have a choice," Ratchet replied distantly. "To tell you the truth, I don't want it! It's got too much potential for...well, for something to go wrong."

Gadget stooped over a workbench by her window, where a giant cassette player was dismantled. "But think of the potential for good! I still think you should use Nova!"

"I can't, Gadget! I can't get deeper into this whole thing than I already am. I hate to do it, but Nova's got to go."

"Well, if there was any way I could stop you, I sure would! But you'd know best."

Ratchet laughed. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure," said Gadget, tightening the screw with a miniscule screwdriver. "Finally started taking apart my tape player today! I'm not sure what could be wrong with it! I cleaned the heads, of course, and they were fine, and I checked it for battery corrosion too, but that didn't seem to be the problem either! Maybe I just need to..."

She jerked quickly back from the window, and brought her hand to her neck. "Ouch! Where'd that come from?"

"What happened?" asked Ratchet.

"I dunno, I just got this pain in my neck! Seems to be going away, though. Huh, that's odd, it hasn't hurt all day! Maybe I just turned it wrong...or...something..."

She began to drift off. The phone dropped to the floor, and her arm slowly fell to her side. Her eyes half-closed loosely.

"Gadget?" called Ratchet. "You still there?"

She stepped methodically toward the door, and left the workshop.

Chip sat at the kitchen table, looking over a folded-up section of the newspaper. Dale sat on the floor, and laughed as he skimmed over the comics section.

Gadget slid quickly down the slide from her workshop. She reached the bottom, and started walking as soon as her feet touched the ground.

Chip looked up from the kitchen table. "Hey, Gadget!" he called to her. "Need help in there?"

She slowly turned her head toward Chip, and stopped. "No, I don't," she replied quietly. "I need to go outside."

Gadget stepped rhythmically across the room, and pulled the door open. Icy cold wind blasted her, but she showed no reaction. She passed through the doorway, and closed it behind her.

Chip and Dale looked at each other cockeyed. "Oh-kay," they both shrugged, and went back to the paper.

Monty burst through the door, and Zipper flew in over his head. Dressed in warm, heavy jackets, they both turned and slammed the door behind them.

"Whoo!" sighed Monty. "It's a nipper out there! Hey, since when did Ratch get a new car?"

Dale put the paper down. "Uh, he didn't! He still has the Corvair. Why?"

"Well, me an' Zip saw 'im down by the sidewalk, an' that didn't look like the Corvair!"

"Are you sure it was Ratchet?" asked Chip, rubbing his chin.

"Yeah, pretty sure. He 'ad a white leather coat on, an' Gadget was headin' his way, an'..."

The whole gang lit up. They charged to the door, Chip and Dale in the lead. Dale grabbed the handle, swung it open, and bonked Chip in the face.

"Oh, no!" Dale cried, running onto the Ranger Plane's landing strip. "It's a Hacker!"

Monty, Zipper and Chip caught up with him, and they craned their necks over the rope fence. Gadget limply sat into the Hacker's passenger seat. The mouse closed the door tightly, and ran around the front of the car.

"Get him!" called Chip, rubbing his forehead.

They charged down the tree, and ran full-force at the powerful A-car. But it flashed to life with the buzzz of turbo reserves, and screched down the sidewalk.

Dale's jaw dropped. "Guys, they just kidnapped Gadget!"

"Not for long, they didn't!" Chip shouted. "Let's stay calm, here! Monty! You and Zipper come with me in the Ranger Plane, we'll follow that car! Dale, call Ratchet!"

"Aw, we don't know how to use the new phone!" growled Dale. "Gadget never taught us!"

"Okay then, you'll have to find a way to get to his garage. Can you make it?"

Dale saluted. "You bet I can!"

"Good!" Chip led them back to the tree. "If we lose Gadget, we'll come straight back here and formulate another plan. Maybe Ratchet knows where they're taking her!"

"Let's hope so, mates," said Monty. "That thing was fast! Dunno if there's any catchin' up with that!"

Zipper buzzed as he flew, with his arms crossed.

Chip nodded. "Right, Zipper! We're sure gonna try!"

Dale rummaged around Gadget's workshop. "Hmm, there's gotta be something in here I can use!"

He came across a big wooden box, full of junk. "Let's see what we've got here..." he rubbed his hands, and rooted through. "Pieces of metal...more pieces of metal...oil can..." He rattled off the names, throwing the items over his shoulder. "A pencil tip...one of my comic books! Hey, how'd that get in there?" He carefully folded the book, and shoved it in his shirt.

"Ah, here we go!" he said excitedly. Out of the box, he pulled a folded up scooter with small jet engines attached to the back. "What are the odds?! Hey, what's this? A note?"

He pulled a small piece of paper from the wheel, and opened it. "'Dale'," he read aloud. "'Don't touch this!' Hmm, guess I can't touch this! But hey, I have to! She's kidnapped!"

He flipped the note over, and continued reading. "'Not even if I'm kidnapped'. Aw, bummer!" He placed the scooter back in the box, and left the workshop. But a few seconds later, he returned. "What am I thinking?! It's an emergency!"

Chip struggled to keep the Ranger Plane in the air. "Boy," he grunted. "I sure wish I'd taken more lessons on this thing!"

"Too right!" said Monty edgily, sitting beside him. Zipper, between the two, gave a nod and a nervous buzz.

The Hacker A-car was under them, and gaining distance fast. Chip glanced down at the console. "Monty," he commanded. "Hurry, harpoon the car!"

"Right!" Monty flipped a switch, and the Ranger Plane's plunger-leg fired down at the A-car. It struck on the rear window. A long rope, attached to the end of the plunger, snapped tight.

"Good shot!" Chip said. "I've got an idea. You guys try and keep the Plane level!"

He slowly climbed out of the pilot's seat, and leaned over the Ranger Plane's side. Monty bit his lip. "Careful, mate!" he said, grabbing hold of the controls.

Chip gulped, and leapt from the side. As he fell, he grabbed hold of the rope with both hands. Monty looked over the side, and Chip nodded to him. "I've got it! Just watch the plane for me!"

He inched down the rope, growing closer to the ground as it rolled by at blistering speed. As he reached the end, he carefully stepped onto the rear window. Gadget was inside, sitting upright in the back seat.

"Hey! Gadget! Hey, it's Chip!" he yelled, banging on the glass. "Come on, do something! Knock him out!"

She did not seem to notice him, sitting still and facing away from him. But the driver did. He turned his head back quickly, then returned to the wheel.

Chip grasped the rope tightly. "Uh-oh," he cringed.

The A-car swerved wildly across the sidewalk. Chip held on as best he could, swinging around the rope as the car held its speed. He turned his eyes forward. A hanging branch approached from the right side.

"Monty!" called Chip. "Cut the rope! We're gonna hit the tree!"

It was too late. The Hacker car screamed under the branch, and the rope bent, pulled, and snapped in half. It whipped into Chip's jacket, sending him flying off the car into a nearby bush.

He slowly crawled out, covered in twigs and leaves, with his hat in hand. The Ranger Plane lowered shakily from the sky. It landed roughly, bumping along the ground with one leg. Monty and Zipper quickly bolted from the plane.

"What happened?" asked Monty. "You all right?"

Chip pointed up. "Tree. Yeah, I'm okay. But we lost her!" He looked up, to see the plunger-laiden A-car blaze away from them. "They're heading for the city," he said. "We'll never catch up with them now."

Zipper buzzed, pointed to the car, and gave his best "bambi-eyes" to Chip.

"Yeah," he replied. "I saw her, she was in the back seat. I don't think she even heard me! She never even turned around."

"Funny," said Monty. "What's that all about?"

"I dunno." Chip shoved his hat back on. "But I sure hope Dale's having better luck than us!"

Dale crashed through a giant bush, sending a cloud of branches and leaves around him. He launched through the air and landed on the sidewalk.

"Whoa! Hold it!" he called. "Slow down!"

The scooter blasted along the concrete, leaving a trail of flame behind. Dale looked ahead, and noticed a low branch. He ducked, and it sped overhead.

"Nyaah!" He turned around, and stuck out his tongue. But another branch collided with him, and knocked him off the speeding scooter. He scraped along the grass next to the sidewalk, and watched as the scooter flew down the street by itself. "Grr, stupid branch!"

The scooter exploded in a blazing fireball. Chunks of metal and concrete littered the grass around him. A wheel bounced along the sidewalk.

"Whoa! Thank you, branch!" Dale laughed, and gave the branch a pat.

He passed the scooter wreckage. "Maybe I shoulda listened to the note," he pondered, looking back at the pile of metal as he passed.

He collided with a hard metal wall, and fell over.

"I gotta stop doin' that!" he laughed, and rubbed his forehead as he examined the wall. It was part of a long, one-story building, with a sardine can attached to the front. A wooden sign posted across the front read "Ratchet's Garage."

"Wowie! I made it!" Dale laughed, and hopped up. He rounded the front of the building. Ratchet's sardine-lid door was open, and a beaten radio-controlled car was parked inside. Tools lay all over the floor.

Dale took a deep breath. "Ratch-et!" he called loudly.

"Gaah!" came Ratchet's voice from under the car. He rolled out from under, laying on a wooden board with four marbles drilled into it. "Geez, people have to stop doing that!" He wiped off his face, and looked up. "Dale! What's up, bud! Good to see ya!"

He got up and brushed himself off, and Dale slapped hands with him. "Bad news," he said. "Hackers just kidnapped Gadget!"

"What?" said Ratchet. "How?"

"I dunno, really. She was in her workshop, and all the sudden she came out actin' all funny! And she walked right out the door, and into a Hacker car!"

Ratchet leaned against the wall. "You're kidding me."

"Nope, Chip an' the others are tryin' to chase the car now, but they don't think they can catch up. They're gonna meet me back at headquarters. Can you help?"

"You bet! We'll take the Corvair, it's downstairs. I'll meet you in a sec...hey, wait! How'd you get here?"

"Don't ask," laughed Dale.

"Eh, all right, then! Lemme get my jacket, and I'll meet you down there."

Dale stayed where he was. "Ratch, don't you think this is a job for Nova?"

"Oh no!" Ratchet shook his head. "That thing's stayin' right here! I'm not getting anywhere near a Hacker with the Nova suit on!"

"Aw, come on!" Dale persisted. "He could make all the difference, you know? Nova could save Gadget's life!"

Ratchet folded his arms. "You really think we need him?"

"Better safe than sorry," shrugged Dale.

A moment of silence, and Ratchet threw up his arms. "Why not? He's in the living room. Hope I've got some bigger coveralls!"

The headquarters door burst open, and Dale and Ratchet stepped in. "Anybody home?" they shouted.

"Right here," said Chip, sitting at the table with Monterey and Zipper. "We lost her."

Monty and Zipper waved to Ratchet. Monty stood up. " 'Ow's it goin', Ratch?" he asked.

"All right," Ratchet replied. "How can I help?"

Chip sat back. "Did Dale fill you in?"

"Yeah, he told me everything you saw."

"Well, we just tried to catch the A-car in the Ranger Plane, but it was too fast. It took off heading for the west side of town. Do you know any Hacker organizations in that area?"

Ratchet nodded. "Yeah, some. One of the biggest is right outside the park. There's a big research facility there, maybe that's where they took Gadget."

"Any idea why?" asked Chip.

"Maybe they saw her with me. They're still looking for Nova, so they could be setting me up for a fall."

He rubbed his face, and pushed off against the wall. Metal clanks sounded with his footsteps.

Chip lit up. "Don't tell me you brought Nova!" he groaned.

"It was my idea, Chip," protested Dale. "We might need it! You never know!"

Ratchet turned to Monterey. "Mind if I see where she was when it happened?" he asked.

"Sure!" said Monty. "She was back in 'er workshop, go check it out."

Dale cringed. "Uh, it's a little messy in there..."

Relic leaned over a long drawing table, constructed of steel pipes and sheet metal. Upon it, a thick set of blueprints was spread. He ran his finger over the top page. "I'll not be delayed," he said to himself. "Perhaps following Ratchet around was the worst thing to do after all. But no matter now, one way or another, I'll make the Augment proud."

Three metal raps sounded on his door. Relic stepped away from his drawings, and cracked his knuckles. "Who is it?"

"Sergeant Steer, sir!" called a voice. "I've brought the hostage!"

Gadget's voice cried out. "Let me go! What's going on?"

Relic unlocked the door, and opened it. A white-jacketed Hacker entered, holding a dizzy Gadget by both arms. He threw her onto the floor, sharply saluted, and exited.

"Hello there," said Relic, locking the door. "Remember me?"

Gadget fought a spinning head. "Where am I? Who brought me here?"

"Ah, but that's the beauty of it. You came yourself."

She shook herself awake. "Ratchet told me everything! Nova's yours! You were using it to blow up the racetracks!"

"Very good," Relic nodded. "So we were. Until your friend Ratchet stole the suit, and slowed our entire operation. Nova means more to the Hackers than you could imagine. And we need it back, immediately."

"You'll never get it! He's probably destroying it right now!"

Relic laughed. "Let him try." He knelt beside her, and looked her in the eye. "He can't. No one can. Now be quiet, so I can get us to the point."

Gadget's eyes began to droop, but she shook her eyes back open.

Relic stood once more. "I've grown tired of chasing Ratchet for the last week. If he wants Nova that badly, than he can keep it. For now, at least. Because you're going to help us build another one."

"I-I'd never do that!"

Ratchet grabbed her by the arm, and picked her up. "Sure you would," he smiled. "You'll do anything I say, as a matter of fact. Because there's a little computer chip on your neck that makes me the boss of you." He reached into his pocket, and retrieved a palm-sized computer. "All I need to do is activate it. Struggling only speeds up the process."

He let her go. As she backed away, he pressed a button on the remote control. Gadget winced, and grabbed her neck. But after a few seconds, she began to relax. Her arm fell to her side, and her eyes grew distant.

Relic pocketed the computer. "What is your name?" he asked.

"Gadget Hackwrench," she replied methodically.

"Gadget Hackwrench, I am your direct commanding officer from this point on. Do you understand?"

"Yes..."

"Yes, sir, if you please," said Relic.

"Yes, sir..."

"Gadget Hackwrench, you will assist Hacker Special Service in recreating the Nova prototype."

"Yes, sir..."

He paced around the room, but Gadget stood limply where she was. Relic continued nonetheless. "We need the blueprints before our mechanics can begin. Ratchet is not aware of this, but there is a computer disk in the trunk of his car that contains the entire set of Nova prints. One of our men dropped it there by mistake, before Ratchet defected. Find the prints."

Gadget's head swayed lightly. "I have the prints, sir..."

"Yes," said Relic. "Find the prints for us."

"I have them, sir..."

"What do you mean, you have them?"

"I have them memorized, sir..."

Relic's eyes grew wide. He returned to Gadget. "You have the plans in your head?"

"Yes, sir..."

He smiled, and clenched his fist.

Ratchet stepped over a pile of junk on the floor. He squinted his eyes. "There had to be a tagger involved," he said to himself. "Where'd he get her from, though?"

His eyes met the small window at the room's far end. "Here we go," he nodded, and stepped up to the long bench under the window. He carefully ran a metal-gloved hand over the glass. "Nothing there," he wondered. "Not a crack!"

"Wait, let's try something!" He tightly fit the Nova mask over his head, and snapped it into place. Behind the angled slit-eyes, his own glanced back and forth. "Zoom lenses," he called to the suit. "Zoom factor of four-hundred percent."

The eye slits glowed yellow, and Ratchet's helmeted head turned slowly to inspect the window. It suddenly stopped. He placed his hand on the glass, almost directly in the center. "I knew it," he said, his voice garbled by the computerized helmet.

Chip appeared from behind the doorway. "Find something?" he asked.

Ratchet turned, and nodded slightly. His eyes lost the glow, and returned to darkened slits. "Shut the door," he said quietly.

The chipmunk obliged, and stepped beside him. "What'd you find?"

"There's a hole in the window, about a hundredth of a millimeter wide." He carefully pulled off the helmet, and stood up. "I think the Hackers are messing with her head."

"What do you mean? asked Chip.

Ratchet motioned for Chip to step back. "Here's what we have so far. At the approximate time of Gadget's disappearance, or rather a moment before, she was standing at this very spot in the workshop. And she held that phone in her hand, am I right?" He pointed down at her telephone, laying on the ground.

Chip nodded. "Right."

"See that spot on the ground where the grass is torn up? I'm assuming that's where the A-car was parked. Notice the clear view of that spot from the window, and vice versa. Something made her drop the phone, and she left the workshop."

"Yeah, so?"

So," said Ratchet. "She was sniped. That's my theory, at least."

Chip's jaw dropped. "What?! She was shot?!"

"No no, I didn't say shot, I said sniped. Hackers used the sniping process often a few years ago, mostly to gain information. They have a device called a neural implant, that they fire from a launcher that works similar to a gun."

Chip staggered back against the bench, and listened as Ratchet continued. "It's a little computer chip, almost too small to see, but it expands on contact. If it attaches well-enough to the victim's neck, it'll intercept the nervous system. It sends messages to the brain that associate certain feelings with whatever commands the programmer decides to enter." He raised an eyebrow. "Puppet on a string."

"I think the guys need to hear this," Chip said, astonished.

"...And that's basically how it works," said Ratchet, standing before the television. Monty, Zipper, Chip and Dale watched intently from the couch, as he addressed them.

"So, did it hurt 'er?" asked Monty.

"No," Ratchet replied. "Not yet. "But it will. When the transmitter gives Gadget a command, her brain considers it essential. It makes her body create chemicals that drive her to accomplish the task."

"Like adrenaline!" said Dale.

"Right, adrenaline's one of them. But Gadget's body starts to adapt to the chemicals' effects after a while. Her brain sends the message to increase the chemicals, to keep her stimulated. And this happens, she gets more and more fatigued. So the longer the transmitter's commanding her, the more tired her body gets."

"Without even realizing it!" said Chip. "So, she just keeps working, and doesn't realize she's tired?"

Ratchet nodded. "Tired, or in pain. And when the transmitter gets shut off, it catches up to her. At the very least, we can expect her to have a major headache."

Dale pounded his fist. "We've gotta do something!"

"Too right!" shouted Monty. "Is there a way to, uh, switch 'er off?"

"I can," said Ratchet. "And I think I know where they're keeping her. There's a small complex on the east side of the park that specializes in neural sniping. We should check there first."

Chip shook his head. "But the sniper was going west! We should check the west base first."

"You were following him, Chip. He was probably trying to lose you first."

Monty offered his thoughts. "Ya know, Chip, Ratch 'ere does seem the expert on Hackers."

Ratchet tossed his helmet in the air. "I can get us in, through, and out of that building in no time. As long as we all stick together, we'll do fine. At least it's somewhere to start."

"Yeah," said Dale. "And it sounds like we gotta start soon!"

Chip shrugged. "Wouldn't hurt to check it out."

"Let's go, then!" said Ratchet. He clapped his helmet to his steel hand rousingly. "Chip, take your team in the Ranger Plane and follow me. We'll meet at the base of the building and rise to the roof. Once we're in, we'll check a few spots, and be out."

The Rangers jumped off the couch, grabbed some warm coats off the rack, and bundled up. Ratchet remained at the television, fitting the helmet back on his head. Chip approached him, hat in hand.

"Hey Ratchet," he said. "How come you know all this about the Hackers?"

"I've been around," said Ratchet. "I can explain it all once we get Gadget back."

Chip slapped the hat on his head. "I'm not doubting you here, but I just hope you know what we're getting into."

"Oh, I know."

Gadget sat quietly, welding together two pieces of shining metal. Under her smoke-covered blue goggles, her half-closed eyes were dull and bloodshot. Her shoulders hung limply, and her head rocked back and forth.

Light from floodlamps kept the pure white room bright as day. Burnmarks covered the concrete floor. Metal sheets, wires, and mechanical devices were carefully lined up along one of the walls. Sparks flew from the pieces of steel that Gadget meticulously welded, and singed her smoke-dulled coverall.

A metal door clanked open, and Relic entered. A short, chubby mouse in a lab coat stepped in after him. The two examined Gadget as she worked, not noticing their entrance.

Relic sneered. "What's wrong with her?"

"She's tired, Relic," the lab mouse replied. "Her body needs rest. She's been under the transmitter for half a day!"

"But just look at the progress she's making! She's already got the core completely laid out, and she's starting on the shell! She could be finished within hours!"

"You asked me what was wrong," said the chubby mouse. "And I told you. Do what you will with her. But the post-fadeaway isn't going to be pleasant for her, that's for sure! She may not even survive!"

"Too bad for her. She'll finish tonight, I'm confident of it. After that, who cares."

The lab mouse turned for the door. "You newcomers never appreciated our technology. You don't deserve the Connection, you know that?"

Relic paid no attention to him, and looked over Gadget's work once more. "Amazing," he said. "So much brilliance. You'd have made a good Hacker. Too bad the Augment made this your place."

He turned, and exited the room, locking the steel door behind him.

The Ranger Plane touched down beside Ratchet's shining Corvair, at the base of a one-story warehouse building. Dusk was crawling in, and streetlights around the building began to flicker on.

Ratchet slid the Nova mask into place. "Up to the roof!" he called to the Rangers. "There's a way in up there."

"Okay," said Chip. "Get in, we'll take you..."

Ratchet looked into the air. "Jumpjets!" he shouted. Blasts of flame burst from under his boots, and smoke blew about as he launched into the air. He quickly flew over the flat roof, and slowly spread his arms and legs. The flames died down, and he dropped lightly to the surface.

"Up," Chip shrugged.

He brought the Ranger Plane onto the roof, and hopped out. The Rangers followed as he met up with Ratchet. "What now?"

"In and out, real quick," said Ratchet. As he spoke, his leg plate slipped open, and one of the blasters rolled out. He grasped the handle and pulled it up. "There's a vent entrance at the corner of the roof. We should be able to slide right into the storage area. At this place, they normally throw prisoners in storage."

"So, say we do find Gadget," Dale said. "And she's...uh, what do you call it?"

Ratchet adjusted the blaster. "Under transmission."

"Eh, big word for 'zombie.' Anyway, what do we do? Just shake her or something?"

"No," Ratchet shook his head. "I have to destroy the transmitter. I should be able to find it pretty quick. Follow me."

The team quietly stepped across the roof, as Ratchet continued. "And this is important. She won't wake up right away. The chemicals'll still be running through her for a while. The Hackers call it fadeaway. So even if we do find her, it might be hard to get her out."

"Eh, we'll do it, mate," said Monty. Zipper buzzed in agreement.

A plain, square room lay cluttered with sharp scraps of metal. Wires tangled them together, and white-hot floodlights made them shine brightly. A metal door lay closed tightly.

Gadget sat amid the metal mess, hands folded patiently. Black bags rounded under her tired, distant eyes. Under a pair of black-scorched goggles, her hair was sutty and tassled about. Her shoulders drooped wearily, and she rocked back and forth with each breath.

At the corner of the room, a small vent shaft on the ceiling suddenly banged about. Dale's voice echoed from inside. "Guys, it won't budge!"

"Hold on!" came Monty's voice. "I'll give 'er a good kick."

With a powerful pound, the shaft broke open. The Rangers fell from the ceiling into a heap on the floor. Ratchet soon followed, landing on top of them. He quickly rolled off, as the Rangers fought to untangle themselves.

Chip laughed, and pushed everybody away. "Spread out!" he shouted, picking up his flattened hat. "Okay, Ratchet, if they haven't heard us yet, there's nobody here! What now?"

He caught himself short. Ratchet stood amid the room, staring down at Gadget as she sat oblivious. His hand loosened around the gun, and he almost dropped it, but caught it back up.

Chip slowly stepped up from behind, the rest of the Rangers following closely. "She doesn't look healthy," he said quietly.

"She's bad," replied the metal voice. "They must've had her on this thing all day."

With a sharp clank, he knelt before Gadget. His black eye slits lit up, glowing bright yellow. Carefully, he brought his hand to her neck. "Gadget, can you hear me?"

She stared back distantly with half-closed eyes.

Ratchet slowly tightened his grip on her neck. He quickly let go, and stood up. His eyes darkened. In his hand were tiny pieces of metal. "Okay guys, I got it."

He turned to the Rangers. "Take her back to headquarters, as quick as you can. Put her somewhere comfortable. Keep her away from loud noises."

Monty gently scooped her up. "Ain'tcha comin' with us?" he asked.

"I'll catch up later. I need to look around a little."

Chip led the team back to the vent. "You gonna be all right?" he turned his head.

"Yeah, just gimme a sec. Get Gadget back home."

Chip nodded, and climbed back up. The Rangers quickly followed. Ratchet stomped toward the metal door, and grabbed hold of the handle. He tore it clean off.

Monty locked himself into the front passenger seat. "She's all strapped in, mate!"

Chip looked back. Gadget was carefully belted into her seat, Dale and Zipper beside her. "Good!" he said. "Let's go!"

As the Ranger Plane began to lift off, a loud crash sounded from inside. Chip thought a moment, and brought the craft back down on the roof. "Monty, you can fly, right?"

Monty laughed. "Barely at all!"

Chip unbuckled himself, and hopped off. "Take 'er back for me! I have a feeling Ratchet's gonna need help."

"Waidaminnit!" shouted Monty, as he ran back to the vent.

"Good luck!" Dale called. "We'll see ya back home!"

Relic stood in the midst of a feintly lit warehouse room, a spacious cavern that seemed to extend for eternity in all four directions. Towering plywood crates were piled one against another on rows of metal shelving. He leaned against one of the huge shelves' legs, surrounded by a handful of Hackers. Under the shelf, a row of a dozen or so Hacker A-cars lay still.

His body was covered in a thick steel armor. Arms and legs were wrapped in massive steel boots and gloves, with sharp spikes protruding from the ends. A long-shouldered chest plate wrapped around him. In his hand, he grasped a wide metal helmet.

"Team Alpha," he said, pointing to a group of three. "Cover my left. Team Beta, take my right. Gamma, you'll fall behind. Delta, split up and serve as lookouts. We're gonna do whatever it takes to demolish the track. If anybody gets in your way, put 'em on the ground. Do you understand?"

"Sir, yes sir!" they shouted unanimously.

"Let's go!" he commanded. The troops scrambled to their A-cars, and Relic slipped the helmet on. A deep scowl was cut into the metal. Eye slits were angled menacingly. He watched his soldiers finishing preparations for their mission, unlocking charge wires from the open hoods.

A robotic-laced voice startled him, echoing through the dim room. "Heya, Relic! Going somwhere?"

Relic spun about. "Who's there?" he growled, his own voice deep and scrambled by the suit.

A loud crash sounded from the boxes above. Giant splinters of wood rained upon the A-cars. Ratchet swooped from the shelf above, landing hard upon Relic's shoulders. The suited Hacker stumbled to the ground.

"Tag! You're it!" Relic mused. "Come on, let's see you use that thing!"

Relic slowly raised from the ground, and brought his mask toward Ratchet. "We never liked that attitude, Ratchet."

He leapt forward, but Ratchet sidestepped away, kicking the big mouse as he passed. "Be right back, 'kay?" he waved, as Relic slid along the ground.

Blasters unlocked from Ratchet's legs, and he grabbed them up. Laser bolts fired on the hoods of the Hacker A-cars, melting them down one-by-one. Soldiers shouted as they brushed off the pieces of wood, and charged for him.

"Come on, kids! Let's play nice!" Ratchet reached to the weapon holster. A small orb slid out, and he grasped it, and threw it to the floor. A white lightning flash filled the room, and the soliders fell to the ground unconscious.

Ratchet spun his blaster, and blew imaginary smoke from the barrel. "G'night!"

A great force bashed him from behind. He flew off his feet and landed hard against the floor. Relic's metal-studded arm grabbed him up, and held him high.

"Your little friend was quite a help to us!" he sneered into Ratchet's face. "She was a better mechanic than our boys! Look what she threw together for me?"

He launched Ratchet away, and stretched out his empty arms. Their armor reformed into circular gun barrels.

"Bummer!" Ratchet groaned, crawling up. "Daddy's got a new forty-five, I guess."

Relic's eyes glowed bright red. "I call it Supernova! It's not exactly what the Augment called for, but I figured I'd add some personal touches. And now that I've got our plan back off the ground, I don't see any reason to keep Nova alive."

A blinding burst of electricity flashed forth. Ratchet rolled away as it struck the concrete. "Watch it with that thing!" he shouted.

He ran for cover, but a powerful blast struck his chest. He flung backward, into the side of an A-car. His stomach armor was scorched with black dust. Relic shot again, and struck him harder. The A-car buckled behind Ratchet as he drove farther into it.

"There's no room for you in the Augment," Relic growled. "So why don't you just roll over and...aughh!"

Chip tackled him from behind, knocking him into a wooden box. The metal spikes on Relic's shoulders cracked open the wood, and sent him smashing through. Chip dusted off his hands, and rushed to the A-car.

Ratchet was already staggering out of the hole in the car. "What are you still doing here?" he coughed.

"Saving your tail, I guess," said Chip. "Let's get out of here."

Ratchet stood against the car. "Not yet. I've got to get rid of Relic's suit!"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Ratchet put his blasters back in their place. "I've got an idea. Try and get behind him."

The crate smashed open, and Relic stomped out menacingly. He charged forward at the duo, screaming. Weapon-arms waved in the air.

Ratchet sidestepped again, and slammed his foe into the A-car's hood. He picked Relic up, and threw him aside, grabbing the hole in the crumpled hood. With barely a strain, he tore the thick plastic off, and ran from the car.

Relic jumped up. Chip quickly slipped behind him, and watched for Ratchet. The smaller mouse stood for a moment, then leapt forward. His leg-jets fired and propelled him at freight-train force.

"Ha!" scoffed Relic. "Bring it on!"

Chip ducked to hands and knees. Ratchet pounded the Hacker hard in the chest, and Relic tripped over Chip and into the open A-car hood. Ratchet flipped to the ground. He quickly snapped up the battery cable, shoving it into the Supernova's chest plate. Bolts of blue energy coarsed through the suit.

Ratchet let go. Thin plumes of smoke sizzled from the metal. Chip stood, and watched with Ratchet for signs of consciousness. After a moment, they found it.

"Aaaaauwwwchh!!"

Relic's voice was no longer garbled by computer, only muffled. "Hey! Hey, I can't move! I'm stuck in here! Get me out!"

Ratchet sighed heavily, and started away. "Let's get out of here, Chip. We'll call for assistance from the Corvair."

Chip nodded, and joined him. "That was your plan?" he laughed. "Schoolboy him?"

"Well, no, I was hoping you could disconnect the suit's power supply from behind...but either way, it worked!"

Ratchet stood before the headquarters door. He pulled up the collar on his black jacket to ward away the frigid breeze. "Anybody home?" he called, knocking.

Dale swung open the door. "Hey, Ratch! What's up? Come on in!"

"Hey, Dale," said Ratchet, unzipping his jacket. "Just stopped by to check on Gadget. How's she doin'?"

"So-so," replied Dale. "She's still pretty tired, and she has a killer headache. So I'd talk quiet if I were you!"

"Good advice. Can I see her?"

"Yeah, sure! She's in the workshop. Go on ahead."

Ratchet stepped up to the workshop door, and slowly turned it open. Gadget sat inside on a makeshift cot, holding her head.

"Hey," whispered Ratchet. "Can I come in?"

Gadget looked slowly up, and smiled. "Ratch! Sure, please do!"

He closed the door behind him, and tiptoed across the room. "How're you feeling?"

"Awful," she moaned. "I've been sleeping for the last few days. And my head's killing me!"

"Did you take any asprin?"

Gadget nodded. "It's been...two hours and forty-eight minutes since I last took an asprin. And it sure isn't helping!"

"Hang in there," laughed Ratch, sitting down beside her. "You'll come around."

"Umh," Gadget fumbled. "Listen, before you go on, I...well, I'm so sorry about what happened! I just feel terrible about the whole thing! And don't worry, I don't expect forgiveness right away...I mean golly, I guess I indirectly tried to kill you!"

Ratchet put his arm around her shoulder. "Aw, you did not. Don't be so hard on yourself! You didn't do a thing wrong."

"I built a killer robot, Ratch!"

"Well, okay, but what's one killer robot in the grand scheme of things, right?" He sat back a little. "It's my fault anyway, I really oughtta be the one apologizing."

"What for?"

"I'm the one bringing this all upon the Rangers. If we hadn't met, none of this would've happened."

Rubbing her head, Gadget smiled. "It's not your fault, just 'cause we met! The Rangers'd probably have gone after Relic anyway. And if we would have done it then, you wouldn't have been around to help us through it!"

Ratchet shrugged. "I can live with that."

Gadget laughed tiredly. "So, Relic's suit is gone, then?"

"Yeah," Ratchet nodded. "Me an' Chip took care of it, and Relic too. All in one shot. We really ought to go visit him sometime, by the way! Next time you're at the police station, let me know!"

"I'll do that," she smiled. "Guess Chip really came through for you then, huh?"

"Sure did. He's one brave chipmunk!"

They sat together, and looked out the small workshop window. Gadget glanced down at the homemade phone laying on the floor, and sighed. "I suppose you won't want my help on the Nova drawings, then."

Ratchet shook his head. "No, I burned the plans."

Gadget's eyes snapped open, then sunk in disappointment. "I see."

"I mean," continued Ratch. "Why bother with the plans if I'm keeping the suit?"

"What?!" Gadget turned about. "You're keeping him? That's incredible! What made you change your mind?"

"Well, I thought about it a lot over the last few days. And Nova basically saved both of our lives, so I think I owe it to him to keep 'im around, you know?" He squeezed her shoulder. "Plus, I noticed you'd kinda grown attached to him."

"Golly, this is great!" she exclaimed, and embraced him. "You're gonna be a Rescue Ranger!"

Ratchet lightly pulled her away. "Whoa, sister!" he smiled. "Back the Ranger Plane up a second! This mouse has to eat, you know! And I don't exactly feel comfortable mooching off kind folks like yourselves. I think it'd be best if I stayed on my own for now."

"Oh...well, you're sure welcome here, you know that!"

"Thanks, Gadget."

He glanced around the cluttered workshop. "You really built a Nova suit in half a day? That's amazing!"

Gadget giggled. "Well, I think I did, anyway!"

"You're gonna have to show me around this place," said Ratchet. "You've got some pretty cool stuff! Did you think of it all yourself?"

"Oh, I dunno," she said bashfully. "I guess so...it's just a few things I tinker around with when I have the time." She pointed to the workbench. "That'd be the tape player I was working on, before I was so rudely interrupted...and that on the floor, that's combination pocket knife, can opener and laser cutter...why I put the pocket knife and can opener on there, I have no idea, cause the laser pretty much cuts through anything..."

Ratchet nodded, impressed, as she went on. A puzzled look crossed her face. "Hmm, that's funny," she said.

"What's that?" asked Ratchet.

"I had a jet-powered scooter in here, I wonder what happened to it!"

So basically, things got wrapped up nice an' tidy-like. Relic got sent to the pokey, I trashed a few A-cars, and we all got out of it in one piece. Good times!

Plus, I finally started to get the intuition that Chip didn't want to throw me off the tree anymore. No, we weren't buddies or anything. But at least I could talk to him without getting called "Nova." And that's what I call progress!

Poor Gadget, though, she really got the short end of the stick. Getting transmitted's no fun, I can attest to that better than anyone. But hey, that's a story for another time. And Gadget was still alive, headache or not. It was hard enough to see Gadget in the state she was, it'd be hard to imagine worse. It's over though, enough of that.

And to my own dismay, Nova stayed. I wasn't sure what exactly to do with him, but I couldn't bring myself to getting rid of him. But really, after surviving a blast from Relic's guns, I wasn't sure what would harm him anyway! So there I was, being the peace-loving mouse that I am, with the Hackers' best weapon sitting on my living room couch, and no idea whatsoever what to do with him.One thing was for sure, I didn't expect to wear it much.

Little did I know, but I'd be wearing it much sooner than I'd hoped.

The End.