In a large secret gym, hidden from the eyes of London are many members of the Elizabeth Agency of Secrecy. The sound of weights pumped and hard worked athletic agents panting clamed together all around. The pounding sound of hard leather on protected bodies came from the boxing area at the far left hand side of the main entrance. To the right was the weight room, and many other inventories lay just down the way.
But everyone was distracted when a loud clash of metal burst through the air. They all rose from the bench presses, and relaxed the weights to their placements. The boxers took their helmets and mitts off, after staring for a moment over yonder. Those on the treadmill stopped in th on the treadmill stopped in their tracks, almost falling off as the conveyer belt that still circled.
The whole room gathered to the edge of the fencing ring to see two dueling fencers sharing some intensive tactics at one another. Although covered with a protective masks, everyone knew that the male mouse was non other that DM. But no one knew who the female mouse was that opposed him.

"Looks like the White Wonder has finally found a strategy for himself." A voice said.

It was non other than the new recruit, Laura. She blocked every single attack DM tried to over come her with. She was fast, strong, and excessively skilled. Even some tricks DM seemed to always get his natural enemies, she dodged every single one of them. It almost seemed the two could possibly catch on fire, the way the hot steaming battle grew on without neither of them giving up.
Penfold had just entered the gym, trying to find DM to give him a message. He noticed all who attended had crowded over to the fencing arena. He squeezed past the large animals, not with any ease of the sort.

"Hey, little fellow," A Doberman uttered, looking down at the hamster, "Take it easy there."
"Its important! The chief is wanted."
"You mean DM."
"Yes. Him and Laura."
"Wait a minute..... you mean to tell me that's the new agent Laura out there fighting DM?"
"WHAT? Fighting?"
"Relax. Just a little practice fencing duel. Nothing too serious. But man! That girl's got some tight moves on the guy."

The canine took Penfold by the collar and lifted him onto his shoulders. When at clear view, Penfold stared in amazement, "Wow!" He exclaimed, adjusting his glasses.
Their arms now sliced through the air in almost lightning speed, swords colliding together vigorously. Just when it seemed Laura had been cornered by him, she dove with a roll to the side and made an attempt to poke the safety tipped sword in his back to end the duel, but DM too was quick on the pick up and swung the sword back to defend himself from the attack. Laura lunged mightily, striking with brute force upon her opponent. Now it was the White Wonder being backed into the wall by the exuberant female mouse.
When Laura thought she finally had him, he dropped himself down to thrash his right foot clear around to the ground, tripping her in her stance. Now with her back on the ground, she still fought with full effort at DM who towered over her. With one major defense blow, she rolled to the side and brought herself back on her feet, readying herself for the rest of the fight.
Again they clashed, swords flying faster and faster, until Laura distracted him with a wave of the sword in the air, and snuck her foot behind DM's left knee behind his leg to trip him to the ground.
After plummeting back first, she pin-pointed the ball-tipped sword at the center of his neck.
Panting in utter exhaustion and raising the mask from his face, DM finally said to Laura in a mumble, "Tushae!"

Laura rose her mask to reveal a satisfied expression, "And you were wondering how I got into this department," She heard the crowd nearby cheering at her, "Well, I'm, going to go get a lemonade. You want to join me?" She asked him.

Dispite his humiliation of defeat, DM still smiled with a humble impression, "Sure."

Laura reached down with a hand to help DM to his feet. He was quite startled by her incredible strength as she brought him up like he was no lighter than paper.
They walked at each other's side on their way to the deli. “Where did you learn how to fence like that?" DM asked, rather curious. Laura shook her head, "This may sound strange. But I have NO idea. Have you ever been able to do something so remarkable, but you can't quite place its origin?"
"All the time."
"Cause I sure wasn't taught in the agency. I just stopped by here, wandered into the fencing arena, and as I waved around the sword, a lot of things came to me like all the different techniques and terms....... like trying to remember something from a dream. It probably doesn't make any sense.
"No," DM took her shoulder gently, "It makes perfect sense. I've been getting this weird feeling all the time as I pass through old country villages, like there's something there that calls me. I've even had dreams of being pulled there."
"What villages?" "A small place in Edinburgh for one...."

They came to the deli at a corner near the entrance. Laura hopped on a round stool and looked up at the tender.
"One lemonade please," She said to the tender.
"It'll be just a sec, ma'am."

Laura looked back at Danger Mouse and patted a nearby stool.
"Come on and sit down, DM. Get yourself something cool to drink, She turned to the tender again, "Better make that two, sir.
"You got it." He replied One brow lowered over DM's patched eye, "I'm paying for it, you know."
"Nah... it's on me.."

Exhausted, Laura hunched over the table as an ice cold glass of lemonade was laid in reach. Laura took the glasses and gave the tender the money.
"Here ya go, chief." She said, handing DM his drink.
"Thanks."
For a short moment, DM paused from conversation, until he broke again, "Getting back to the subject........ that's what has been bothering me for the past year.... there's something inside of me that feels trapped.... like there is something missing piece to a puzzle."
"Oh DM........ you don't know how much I've felt that experience..... is that why you've been so low and quiet these days."
"Have I been?"
Laura shrugged her shoulders. DM lowered his eye lid and sighed. "I wish there was a way to get this all sorted out. You got an idea of who or where we can go to for this?"
"Not a clue...... but I do have my suspicions."
"I'm all ears to anything, DM. What is it?"
DM put down his drink and looked off to the side in though. He looked as though they were searching down the banks of thought. “The Colonel might know."
"THE COLONEL!"
"Not so loud, Laura."
"The Colonel is so old and confused, how will he be able to help us?"
"Maybe, but he is in fact wise in many other ways. And since he has a strong connection to the Elizabeth Agency of Secrecy School, I'm most certain he will be able to help us with this problem."
Laura put her hand on DM's, "You think it's something we're meant to not remember?"
DM shook his head, "I think I'd feel more comfortable if I got over this mystery, even if it might me a tragic past. If I don't, I might spend the rest of my life feeling completely empty."
Laura nodded and closed her eyes, "Do what you feel should be necessary."


The very next morning, as golden clouds splashed upon the aurora sky of Saturday, all three were sound asleep in their bedrooms, still weaving through the gentle dreams. But Danger Mouse's wasn't as gentle, for lo, he tossed and turned, gritting his teeth to what ever could be torturing him in his sleep.
A vision of himself being pulled into a far away land appeared to him. He couldn't resist it, but tried as much as he could. But when he found that the place appeared at peace, he relaxed and gazed out into its majesty. He looked down to see himself coming to a landing in front of an old wooden house in the woods, surrounded by nature's beauty. But before he had a chance to see what lays behind the door, he awoke.

In a gasp, he rose from his bed, sitting there for a few seconds gathering reality.

What means this dream? He thought to himself, I'm traveling to a beautiful land from London, I come to a home, but wake up every single time I try to find a chance to see what is in this house. What am I to make of this dream? Is there some specific message behind it? He couldn't take it anymore. He jumped out of bed, replaced his pajamas with his normal white suit, and ran out the door to the lift. When in the car and driving, he followed the direction he had been shown in his dream, driving to the north skies. Perhaps he might actually find the land he dreams after being guided by the memorized path.
So far everything looked familiar. The suburban life had begun to fade into the rural lands, becoming more green than gray. Farmland began to merge in further on with cattle grazing in the moors. Pretty soon, he noticed he was in Scotland, still not at the end of his journey. He saw the town of many white houses with red roofs, just like in his dream.
Now Danger Mouse knew that he just might find the very cottage that he confronted every night in his vision.
And then finally, he brought down the car into some familiar woods. He walked through the forest, glistening with warm yellow sunlight through the canopy. He heard birds singing and woodpeckers nailing into the trees. And pretty soon, when he came into the clearing, there was a house of old wood, covered in moss and age, like the one he dreamed of.
With a heavy heart, he walked forward, looking back and forth to see just what it was about this place that was so important. But the further he walked, the more he felt something strange within his heart he couldn't understand. He came to the door, and as he did, he heard a faint sound, seeming to be some sort of music box. He opened the door, with one hand, feeling the cold brass in his grip. As he entered, a cold breeze softly blew in his face. Inside, there were white sheets covering furniture all over. A terrible chill swept over him, but it wasn't from the cold air. It was just the eerie feeling that came over him, as a strange familiarity was triggered. But where has he seen this house before? He had never gone this far in his dreams. He followed the music into a small room, where he grew further unsteady, as his senses shot over his whole body. But that wasn't half as startling as what came before him in that room. There was an uncovered desk with the music box on it, and right in a chair sat another male mouse, all pale, and wearing a white garment. His back was turned, still sitting there, fingering the music box till it stopped. With a lump in his throat, and heart pounding heavily on his chest, DM walked closer, until he heard the creature speak.
"Hello there, Danger Mouse."
"Oh," DM uttered, "F-f-forgive the intrusion, but-"
"You need not worry. I expected you to come, my boy."
"You did?"
"Yes, DM.. or shall I say...." The mouse turned around the show his face,"....Dan Parsons."
The mouse's face was angelic, but appeared to have a scar on the top of his head. He had dark eyebrows, green eyes, and his hair was like DM's only a shorter length.
"What?"
"Of course you wouldn't remember even your real name. They've done so much to you there."
"I'm not so sure I know what you're getting at. Who are you?"
The mouse stood from his chair and walked to DM with compassionate eyes locking DM's single eye. The material on his loose garment swept the floor.
"I'll show you who I am."
The figure disappeared with a fade, and everything in the house suddenly appeared warm and all new. The sheets have been lifted from the furniture that was all polished and new.
The smell of cedar filtered the air inside, replacing the old wet moss smell. He heard voices and laughter from outside the window in the back yard of the house. DM rushed to the window sill and gazed out to see a child playing with his parents in the field, flying a yellow kite in the clear blue sky. He watched the young lad, galloping across the long grass, smiling and laughing.

DM's mind began to feel itself absorbing so much. The image he saw before him ran through his head and triggered so many memories he thought he never could regain. The past he never remembered past ten was so clear now. He remembered the childhood he had, he knew now that the place he is in now is his old home, and he remembers his parents.
"You remember everything now," The mouse came up behind him with a light hand on his shoulder, "My Son."

Danger Mouse whirled around and looked into his eyes. DM was crying so much, even his left eye began to tear through the patch.
"Dad!" DM exclaimed, embracing the apparition form of his father, sobbing from all the overwhelming amount of memories he gained within a minute, "I DO remember everything.
You and Mother, this house, everything!"

DM excitedly got up and ran to the door, "I remember I put a lot of my drawings on this door here," He then zipped to the windowsill, "And I put my little toy cars here on the windowsill. I put my most favorite one, the little yellow one, in the middle." The whole time, his father, Alexander, was smiling and nodding, reminiscing with him.

DM, or Dan rather, sighed as he smiled. But then it formed into a sad expression and turned to his father again.

"How could I have forgotten all this? Did I have amnesia?"

Alexander closed his eyes and shook his head in disgust, "I tell you. Your not going to like what you hear." "Please Dad," He said, walking back up to him, "Tell me. I'm listening."
"Alright. At the Elizabeth Agency of Secrecy, they take young orphaned children in for early training. At one point, they messed with your mind and give you all the knowledge possible to enhance your skills as a detective. But unfortunately, many memories are erased in the process."
The whole time Dan heard this, he felt like fainting on the floor. He leaned on a table covered in a white sheet, feeling week in his knees and stomach.
"The agency is responsible............ are you sure, Father?"
"As a resident of Paradise now, I cannot lie."
Alexander walked over to his abashed son, "Now that you know, it is you who can confront the agency and put an end to this act. No more of their agents should suffer this process anymore.

Dan nodded and stood up straight again, "Dan my boy," Alex continued, "I'm so proud of what you have become, a dignified and loyal creature of Britain. And your mother is as pleased as I am. We both still love you very much. "I want to see her too, Dad." DM said, with his hands on his shoulders, and his ears folding back.

"You will, my Son......... you will........."
DM saw his father and everything around him fade away. He then found himself back at HQ. Even his car was back inside the garage as if it hadn't left. But Dan just stood there, looking around, still tearing, and trying to decide what he was to do next. But just then, the video phone alarmed. It was the colonel..............

Danger Mouse glared and walked to the video phone, crossing his arms without a smile. Thinking nothing of being left in the dark about himself. "Ah. Danger Mouse. Good show, I have gotten reports from the States-"
"Stuff it, Chief!" Danger Mouse interrupted with a blast.
"WHAT?!!" The Colonel could not believe his ears when he heard this. The loyal agent who has served the agency for six years has put his foot down on the order, "I say, Danger Mouse......"
"I want to talk to you about something," DM huffed, "and I want it in person. Face to face. NO video phone!"

Laura and Penfold walked out of the kitchen, wondering what all the fuss was. Laura still held her cup of coffee in her right hand, and Penfold was still chewing on a cheese crumpet.
"Cor'!" Penfold exclaimed, with crumbs falling from his mouth.
"Danger Mouse. What on Earth--" Laura stopped in her tracks.
"Laura....your coming with me. You too Penfold."
"What is this all about anyway, Danger Mouse!!" The Colonel asked, still stunned to see the way DM was acting up.
"I'll tell you when we get there," DM took Laura and Penfold by the hands and led them to the round couch, "Come on, you two. When aboard the car, Laura turned her head to DM with confusion.
"DM. Please tell me what's going on! This is beginning to scare me. What made you so mad that you yelled at the colonel?"
"Yeah," Penfold added, "What ever it is, it seems pretty bad. Even if you are hot headed, your always cool with him." DM didn't say anything about Penfold's "Hot-headed" remark, but he did answer the two.
"I'll tell you this much, so far. The Agency isn't as clean as it seems. It has a long history of a dark side that needs to be stopped. And it involves us not being able to remember our pasts."
"How do you know about this, Chief?" Penfold asked.
"You won't believe me if I told you."
"Danger Mouse," Laura said softly, "I'll believe anything you tell me."

Along the way, DM had explained the amazing story of how his haunting dreams had guided him to the old home he grew up in that had been forgotten so many years ago.
And how he had met the spirit of his father whom had told him everything. Even if Penfold was quite skeptical, Laura believed every word.
"Why didn't you tell me about these things before," Laura asked, "Remember how I told you that when I started swinging the fencing sword, a lot of things came back to me, like I had some sort of experience of it before I could remember. I believe you, Chief."
"What about you Penfold?" DM questioned the small hamster.
"I don't know, Chief. Are you sure it wasn't just a dream?"
"I swear it wasn't a dream. Besides, aren't you the one who believed in the phenomenal?"
"Yeah.......... I guess....... but what does the agency have to do with this?"
"You'll see."
Danger Mouse found the entrance when part of the cement road opened a door, that tilted downwards. The car drove down, and when they who were behind the controls of the door saw the car had made it through, they promptly shut the door back up.
Before the three hopped out, one guard approached DM at the side of the car.
"Name and ID please." He said.
"Danger Mouse..... and here's my ID."
From under his seat, DM pulled out a card that had been stored in a hidden compartment. Showing it to the guard, he nodded and the three were allowed to climb out. But the three hadn't past the test yet. They had to get rid of everything that was metal on their bodies and walk through the metal detector. Penfold and DM passed, but Laura set off the alarm.
"AAAAH!! What the--," She became nervous when the guards approached her, "I don't understand. I removed that ring, my bracelet, and.... OH! haha! Oh dear....... I forgot about this." From under the color of her turtle neck, Laura took off a necklace with a heart charm securely dangling from it. It had a floral design with yet another heart etched in the center of both sides.
"If it's okay with you," Laura pleaded, "Can I please keep this on. There's no harm to come from it. It's just a mere piece of jewelry."
"Well if it is just jewelry, than why must you take it with you?" The guard asked.
"I don't know...... I'm too attached to it..... it has a value I cannot explain, or even understand...... I mean, I know it would be safe with you, but..."
"It's okay, gentlemen. Let her bring it with her." The Colonel's voice interrupted.
"Colonel," DM turned around and snarled, "You sure have a lot to explain!!"
"I don't know what rubbish your talking about, Danger Mouse." "STOP WITH THE LIES!!!" DM growled, pounding his fists on the desk.
"DM!!!" Both Laura and Penfold exclaimed.
"I know all about what you did to children. You injected that junk into their system to become advanced agents of the Queen, and you don't care weather it messes their minds!" The Colonel's eyes widened in shock.
"Yeah...... you DO know what I'm talking about now, don't you!"
"Danger Mouse, sacrifices had to be made in order for the good of the world."
"What!!!" Laura cried, trying to comprehend what she was hearing.
"SACRAFICES, eh? What are we!?! Some lab freaks you poked at in your labs!! DO YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO PLAY GOD!!! CERTAINLY NOT!!!!! We were children, Colonel! Taken away from all we loved to be your puppets! We never got to experience the childhood most have taken for granted! Well I won't let this happen anymore! I want to put a stop the oppression you've put on the children."
"Danger Mouse! I'm sorry about what had happened. Please calm down. You need not worry about the children because we've solved that problem!!"
"Calm down?! Did those donkeys tweak with your body for the sake of being stronger, smarter, and faster?! Of course not! For thirteen years in the Agency, I've never known who I was........ not even my real name. I couldn't remember my parents, or any other family members," DM straightened up from the table and his eyelid lowered," can't stand this anymore! I won't work for this joke organization that's responsible for so much damage! I don't want to live in a world of cons, lies, and deception anymore!!!"
"Don't talk like this! Your too wrapped up in shock and anger to think clearly. Listen, I'll give you the rest of the week off to cool down, just don't explode on me!"
"I got an idea..... how about a permanent vacation!"
Danger Mouse gripped his patch with his mighty grip of his right hand and ripped it off his shirt. Red thread still dangled from the sewn in holes of where it used to be. DM threw the patch on the desk.

"DANGER MOUSE!!!"
"My name is Daniel J. Parsons. Son of Alexander and Jezebel. The people who once called you Friend. I'll show myself out, sir. And I'll clean out the pillar box by morning."
"DM!!!"

Dan ran out of the HQ. Laura began to feel tears in her eyes. Rubbing them with the back of her hands, she booked after DM in a sprint, feeling the cold air breeze her tears into cold chills on her face.

"Please sir! Don't take him that serious," Penfold began, "He's just really angry right now, and he just needs some time! You won't let him leave, will you?!"
"I don't want him to leave, but I cannot force him to stay. But since he does seem to be in a disturbed mood, perhaps we'll just wait for him to return."

Outside, where the morning still was dark and lit by the cool blue sky, Danger Mouse was running down the street to return to the pillar box. Nearly out of breath, panting in utter exhaustion and clenching her teeth from the sharp pains in her side, she finally caught up with him. She darted in front of him, throwing herself against him with a grip on his collar.

"DM!!! What do you think your doing! Have you gone mad!? You'll probably never be able come back!! PLEASE DON'T GO!!" DM didn't look at her. Because his eyes were so flooded with tears, the world around him would be a complete blur.

"I'm upset too, okay," Laura persisted in her influence, "I hate this fact just as much, if not more, than you do!!! But I choose to go on, and you should too!! Quitting won't change what happened to us as kids. Besides, what would life be like without 'The World's Greatest Secret Agent'?"
"I cannot represent anything that has done so much damage to innocent children.
"I understand that DM, But I don't want you to leave," She sobbed, crying on the collar of his neck, "We need you! You need to stop thinking of yourself, and remember what you were put in this place for!! You are a representation of justice that we barely have anymore!"
"Why do you need me..... I'm just a white mouse in white spandex. There are many other agents in the field who can probably do better."
"Not just we, but especially I, DM. I need you! I don't think I can live with you being gone."
"And why is that? Is it the fact I had a wonderful home that I brought you in? Is it the fact I was the one who did all the driving, the one who leads you. You must find the courage within yourself to do what I did in the beginning. Go it alone."
"No.....Laura brought her hand up to his cheek, brushing the falling tears off his cheek, "It has nothing to do with any of that at all....... I can lead, I can drive, I can own a place of my own...... but I can't live without you......I never could explain what it was inside this lost conscience of mine, but I do know now...... that I need you..."
Laura drew her face closer. Opening his eye finally, DM rose one eyebrow, "Because..... I love you....."
With a gentle embrace, pulling him close to her, Laura pressed her lips upon DM's. Startled at first, DM's eyes widened. But he too realized his feelings for Laura and exchanged the kiss. Something inside the two of their hearts had felt the heaviness lift. At the moment, they felt their inner beings were lightened from a deep darkness. When they stopped, they just stared admirably at one another. Laura wiped her tears from her cheeks. DM closed his eye and thought over what had just happened.... content......
Back at the Main HQ, Penfold nervously walked in circles, and it bothered the Colonel.
"Please stop doing that, Ernest. It's starting to get on my nerves."
"What?"
"You pacing around like that, y'ninny!"
"Oh..... sorry."
Penfold finally gained the courage(Yes, I said courage) to talk to the Colonel.
"Please tell me what happened, Chief. I know I didn't go through what they did, loosing memory, but I wanna know."
With a heavy sigh, he hunched over his desk with his hands folded, looking at Penfold directly in the eyes behind the glasses.
"Long ago, when Dan Parsons was only but eight years old, when we had just found him, our scientists had made a breakthrough in technology. They had created this top secret formula that increases mind and body power to the maximum. Dan was the first we had tried it on, and just within a few weeks he had aced skills beyond his own classmates in the third grade. And that explains his success in receiving the golden belt in all fighting lessons. When observing this remarkable reaction to the formula, we continued to use it on other children. But we received disturbing information from one of the school councilors whom had told us that young Dan and other students had been lacking in memory of where they were before he had joined the Agency. And it wasn't too long after that when DM received his code name, it was all he knew how to have others and himself address. Why we kept the information from him, we thought it best he shouldn't remember his tragic past of losing his parents, so it wouldn't cloud his clear conscience. And I realize........ that was a wrong thing to do......"
Penfold shook his head, "Poor chief.... and Laura had it happen to her, too, huh?"
"I'm afraid so."
"At least they both have family somewhere. I only have my auntie in New York. The others were swept away in the flood." "I recall that......"

While the Colonel and Penfold busied themselves reminiscing, through the dark hallway two figures walked in that created a great warm smile on the Colonel's face. It was Laura and Danger Mouse, with a happy expression for the two. DM took the patch back from the desk and uttered, "Anyone know how two sew?" He asked, gesturing his willingness to stay.
"GOOD SHOW, DANGER MOUSE!!" The Colonel exclaimed in a loud boosting voice that rang in the sensitive ears of the mice. He sat up and gave them both a big bear hug that almost crushed them. "And thank you, Laura!! You did well, too!"
Laura mumbled, "Hehee. You have no idea." She gave DM a wink, and he smiled back.
"CHIEF!!! You came back!" Penfold ran and joined the group. Then they all broke away.
"Only a few things remain now," DM began, "By your permission, I'd like to request I find the remaining members of my family." "Me too,"Laura joined in, "We both know you were the one who brought us to this place, and you would know where we can find them."
"You have my permission. You've earned it after all this time of service."
"Thanks, Chief," DM said.

They will seek out their quest, but that's another story for another time.......... again.......staaaaaaaaaaay tuned!

5/12/02