Covert Operations - Ch. 1
Title: Covert Operations
Chapter: 1
Fandom: Phineas and Ferb, Wild Kratts
Character(s): Zach Varmitech, Aviva Corcovado
Genre: Action/adventure (sort of...we'll see how well I can pull that off), drama, with friendship and family elements
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Phineas and Ferb © Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Wild Kratts © Martin and Chris Kratt
Notes: I...don't even know with this one...
I got this idea after an offhanded comment I made about the laws of nature not applying to Wild Kratts, which somehow got me thinking about Phineas and Ferb and how the laws of nature also don't apply to that show. Then I thought about how both shows have really-cool-but-not-completely-possible inventions that are built, but I started to wonder how a crossover like this would work given that Perry the Platypus isn't...exactly a normal platypus. So as I thought about how I could make it work, the idea just kept bubbling until I just had to try it out.
And now that I'm done with the long-winded explanation, I'll get on with the story, hehe. Enjoy!
Summary: "So you're telling me that Perry the...'platypus'...is really an undercover agent working for some secret organization..." Martin turned to Aviva. "And that organization has been using me and Chris this whole time?"
Covert Operations
At first, Zach wasn't quite sure what he was looking at. He had only picked up the old copy of Totally Tools to browse through; the magazine itself was nothing special, and the featured tools were far below the standard of anything he would ever use…but he kept an eye on the publication just in case anything useful ever turned up.
Before he even had a chance to open it, though, he was already drawn to the cover. On the front of the issue he held was some weird-looking, blue, duck-billed…thing…with webbed feet and a flat beaver-like tail. And if those features on the creature weren't strange enough already, the…whatever-it-was also wore a fedora on the top of its head.
"What the…?" he muttered, staring hard at the image on the magazine and trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Then his eyes scanned the cover until he came across large words in white bold, "Perry the Platypus."
"Platypus?" As he tested the word on his tongue, he discovered that it sounded awfully familiar. Turning the word over in his head a little longer, vague recollections of Gourmand and some dish with eggs began to enter his mind. And as he thought back, he frowned; he never did get to try that dish.
He focused on the cover again, studying the cover photo. "So that's a platypus, huh?" He snorted and began to flip through the magazine's pages. "What a stupid looking animal. I wonder what it's doing on the front cover…"
He paused on a page when he caught the platypus word once more, finding an article about the strange beast. Quickly skimming through it, he then gave an indignant cry.
"Spokes-animal?" he exclaimed. "Why would anyone use some stupid animal to represent a tool company?"
The magazine pages crinkled as his grip tightened. It was bad enough that the world was already full of dumb critters - critters that could be useful to him as robots, but weren't because those stupid Wild Rats always had to get involved in his business - out in nature and all that. But how much more did he have to deal with these creatures at home? In cities and around people…standing for human things?
People used animals for things like this all the time. And he wasn't supposed to put creatures in his robots…why?
He grumbled at the injustice of it all, though it wasn't enough to convey all his thoughts on the matter. But he pushed the subject aside for now as he straightened the periodical, speeding through the article once again.
"Let's see; Perry the platypus blah blah blah…lives in Danville, don't care…two young owners, Phineas and Ferb…" He paused, reading the last line once more. "Phineas and Ferb? What kind of stupid names are those?"
He continued to glance through the editorial, but he only grasped minor details here and there. Because there was something about what he read that tugged at the back of his mind. Something in the article sounded very…familiar. There was something about it that he should remember.
His brows set in concentration, he then called for the nearest Zachbot. "Get a jet ready," he commanded, folding the magazine back to keep it open to the article. "There's some place we need to pay a little visit to…"
The Tortuga crew had grown accustomed to the silence that filled the room; each member sat at his or her own station, preoccupied with work of their own choosing as the group waited for the Kratt brothers to return from their latest creature adventure.
None of them quite expected the shrill ring of an incoming call to break the peace so suddenly. Startled by the unexpected noise, Jimmy jumped and yelped as he fell out of his chair, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Koki's and Aviva's chairs spun around to look at the pilot, briefly watching him rub his head before turning back towards the main monitor as the call persisted. The sound wasn't the same light chime signaling a call from the Kratt Bros. This tone was faster, louder…more urgent.
It was the ring they had programmed…for when they received one of those types of calls.
Rising from her chair, Aviva hurried to the main computer consol. But she didn't answer yet; as her hand hovered over the button, she glanced back at Koki, who was quickly typing commands on her own station's keyboard.
"Everything's clear," Koki announced after a moment. "But they're close. We gotta make this quick."
With an understanding nod, Aviva pressed the button to accept the call. The ring quickly cut off as the image of a middle-aged, mustached man filled the monitor.
"Greetings, Tortuga crew," the man on screen addressed.
"Major Monogram," the crew responded, each member saluting him.
"It seems we have a critical situation developing," Major Monogram continued gravely. "Sources have informed us that Zach Varmitech is on his way to Danville as we speak."
Jimmy's eyes widened. "Zach? Going to Danville?"
Koki and Aviva looked at each other in alarm; the silence between them echoed with angry words spoken long ago, reminding them of the threatening vow that was still strong in their memories, even after all this time.
"Do you think Zach…" Aviva murmured in a tight voice. "Has he finally…?"
Major Monogram shook his head. "At the moment, we're not sure. If that is the case, though, then we must find out what he's planning to do and put a stop to it."
"But how are we supposed to do that?" Koki wondered, uncertainty in her features. "I mean…" She glanced between Aviva and Jimmy before turning back to the major. "What about the Brothers Kratt? What do we tell them to get them to go to Danville?"
One side of the boss' brow rose in question. "What you tell the brothers is up to you. As always, I leave their knowledge of the agency and their missions up to your discretion. But it is your responsibility to make sure they get the job done. So whatever you decide to tell them, you must get them to Danville as quickly as possible and put a stop to Zach's plans…before the worst happens."
"Yes, sir," Aviva answered for the group. "We'll head over there as soon as we can."
The major gave a curt nod before the transmission cut off, and the screen went blank.
Things were quiet once again as Aviva shut off the monitor, the weight of their newest assignment quickly sinking in. But it only lasted for a moment before Jimmy said in a hesitant voice, "So, uh…"
The girls turned to look at him, watching as he rubbed the back of his head, a thoughtful frown on his face. "So…" he tried again, "why don't we tell the Bros about the agency?"
The girls exchanged expressions once more before looking back to Jimmy. "You know why we can't," Koki replied gently.
Jimmy's frown deepened and he shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, we've been working with them for a long time now. If we tell them everything, maybe they'll understand."
Aviva placed her hands on her hips. "You really think Martin and Chris would be okay once they learn about an agency that uses animals as secret agents?"
Jimmy flinched slightly at that. "Uh…eheh…guess not. But…" He paused, fidgeting with his cap as he struggled to get his thoughts together. "I mean, that's why we started working with them in the first place, right? To change the agency's policies?"
"Well…yeah," Aviva replied, though she appeared slightly uncomfortable. But she regained her composure as she gave a hasty retort, "But how are we supposed to tell them that? After all this time, it's not like I can just suddenly tell them the real reason I invented the Creature Power suits. Especially if I have to explain what happened with Agent -"
The electric hum of the opening doors cut off Aviva's words, interrupting her as she and the others turned to watch the Kratt brothers stumble inside. They wobbled a little on their feet as they entered, as though they barely had the energy to stand. But despite the exhaustion that weighed down their bodies, the large satisfied smiles on their faces brightened their attitudes and kept them in high spirits.
"Hey, guys," Koki greeted, their previous conversation postponed in the meantime with the brothers' presence. "How'd it go?"
"Oh man, it was awesome!" Martin exclaimed, though his weariness restrained some of his excitement.
"Yeah, it was great," Chris agreed, a little more subdued than his older brother as his upper body slumped over the center dais, letting the platform support his weight. "But it took us a lot of time just trying to find the marmots, so we didn't really get a chance to spend a lot of time with them. The fact that they're so endangered really made the whole thing difficult."
"Well, at least we found some," Martin said, hopping up on the dais and sitting next to his brother. "And with the tags we put on them, we'll be able to monitor them and see how they're doing."
Chris nodded, but a yawn disrupted any reply he had.
Jimmy's brow rose in curiosity as the group watched the Kratts. "Looks like the adventure kinda wiped you guys out."
Martin shrugged. "It's all part of being a creature adventurer," he muttered, flopping back to lie on the platform.
"Seriously, you guys," Koki said, concern working its way into her tone. "You seem pretty beat."
"Well, we've been traveling a lot lately," Chris reminded her. Though he still leaned on the dais, he straightened up as Aviva handed him a glass filled with a purple-colored smoothie, and he flashed her a small, grateful smile.
"Yeah, we have been working pretty hard," Aviva said thoughtfully. A smile slowly spread across her face as an idea formed in her mind. "Maybe it's time we take a break."
Martin, who had been a few seconds away from dozing off, didn't even open his eyes as he scoffed lightly. "A break? We don't need to do that. Let's just figure out what our next creature adventure is gonna be, and Chris and I can rest on the way there."
"C'mon, Martin," Aviva insisted. "Let's just take a little time to relax before jumping back into action. That way you guys can recharge, and then you'll really be ready for anything."
Martin frowned a little, pushing himself up in a reclining position to look at her. "I dunno…"
She folded her hands together, giving him her best puppy eyes. "Please?" she pleaded. "Just for a few days?"
Chris took a few more sips of his drink as he watched the exchange between the two of them. Then he pulled the straw out of his mouth to ask, "Did you have anything in mind, Aviva?"
She grinned as she caught Koki and Jimmy's eyes, then turned back to Chris. "Well, there is one place I'd like to visit…"
TBC
[Chapter 2]
Chapter: 1
Fandom: Phineas and Ferb, Wild Kratts
Character(s): Zach Varmitech, Aviva Corcovado
Genre: Action/adventure (sort of...we'll see how well I can pull that off), drama, with friendship and family elements
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Phineas and Ferb © Dan Povenmire and Jeff "Swampy" Marsh, Wild Kratts © Martin and Chris Kratt
Notes: I...don't even know with this one...
I got this idea after an offhanded comment I made about the laws of nature not applying to Wild Kratts, which somehow got me thinking about Phineas and Ferb and how the laws of nature also don't apply to that show. Then I thought about how both shows have really-cool-but-not-completely-possible inventions that are built, but I started to wonder how a crossover like this would work given that Perry the Platypus isn't...exactly a normal platypus. So as I thought about how I could make it work, the idea just kept bubbling until I just had to try it out.
And now that I'm done with the long-winded explanation, I'll get on with the story, hehe. Enjoy!
Summary: "So you're telling me that Perry the...'platypus'...is really an undercover agent working for some secret organization..." Martin turned to Aviva. "And that organization has been using me and Chris this whole time?"
Covert Operations
At first, Zach wasn't quite sure what he was looking at. He had only picked up the old copy of Totally Tools to browse through; the magazine itself was nothing special, and the featured tools were far below the standard of anything he would ever use…but he kept an eye on the publication just in case anything useful ever turned up.
Before he even had a chance to open it, though, he was already drawn to the cover. On the front of the issue he held was some weird-looking, blue, duck-billed…thing…with webbed feet and a flat beaver-like tail. And if those features on the creature weren't strange enough already, the…whatever-it-was also wore a fedora on the top of its head.
"What the…?" he muttered, staring hard at the image on the magazine and trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Then his eyes scanned the cover until he came across large words in white bold, "Perry the Platypus."
"Platypus?" As he tested the word on his tongue, he discovered that it sounded awfully familiar. Turning the word over in his head a little longer, vague recollections of Gourmand and some dish with eggs began to enter his mind. And as he thought back, he frowned; he never did get to try that dish.
He focused on the cover again, studying the cover photo. "So that's a platypus, huh?" He snorted and began to flip through the magazine's pages. "What a stupid looking animal. I wonder what it's doing on the front cover…"
He paused on a page when he caught the platypus word once more, finding an article about the strange beast. Quickly skimming through it, he then gave an indignant cry.
"Spokes-animal?" he exclaimed. "Why would anyone use some stupid animal to represent a tool company?"
The magazine pages crinkled as his grip tightened. It was bad enough that the world was already full of dumb critters - critters that could be useful to him as robots, but weren't because those stupid Wild Rats always had to get involved in his business - out in nature and all that. But how much more did he have to deal with these creatures at home? In cities and around people…standing for human things?
People used animals for things like this all the time. And he wasn't supposed to put creatures in his robots…why?
He grumbled at the injustice of it all, though it wasn't enough to convey all his thoughts on the matter. But he pushed the subject aside for now as he straightened the periodical, speeding through the article once again.
"Let's see; Perry the platypus blah blah blah…lives in Danville, don't care…two young owners, Phineas and Ferb…" He paused, reading the last line once more. "Phineas and Ferb? What kind of stupid names are those?"
He continued to glance through the editorial, but he only grasped minor details here and there. Because there was something about what he read that tugged at the back of his mind. Something in the article sounded very…familiar. There was something about it that he should remember.
His brows set in concentration, he then called for the nearest Zachbot. "Get a jet ready," he commanded, folding the magazine back to keep it open to the article. "There's some place we need to pay a little visit to…"
The Tortuga crew had grown accustomed to the silence that filled the room; each member sat at his or her own station, preoccupied with work of their own choosing as the group waited for the Kratt brothers to return from their latest creature adventure.
None of them quite expected the shrill ring of an incoming call to break the peace so suddenly. Startled by the unexpected noise, Jimmy jumped and yelped as he fell out of his chair, hitting the ground with a dull thud.
Koki's and Aviva's chairs spun around to look at the pilot, briefly watching him rub his head before turning back towards the main monitor as the call persisted. The sound wasn't the same light chime signaling a call from the Kratt Bros. This tone was faster, louder…more urgent.
It was the ring they had programmed…for when they received one of those types of calls.
Rising from her chair, Aviva hurried to the main computer consol. But she didn't answer yet; as her hand hovered over the button, she glanced back at Koki, who was quickly typing commands on her own station's keyboard.
"Everything's clear," Koki announced after a moment. "But they're close. We gotta make this quick."
With an understanding nod, Aviva pressed the button to accept the call. The ring quickly cut off as the image of a middle-aged, mustached man filled the monitor.
"Greetings, Tortuga crew," the man on screen addressed.
"Major Monogram," the crew responded, each member saluting him.
"It seems we have a critical situation developing," Major Monogram continued gravely. "Sources have informed us that Zach Varmitech is on his way to Danville as we speak."
Jimmy's eyes widened. "Zach? Going to Danville?"
Koki and Aviva looked at each other in alarm; the silence between them echoed with angry words spoken long ago, reminding them of the threatening vow that was still strong in their memories, even after all this time.
"Do you think Zach…" Aviva murmured in a tight voice. "Has he finally…?"
Major Monogram shook his head. "At the moment, we're not sure. If that is the case, though, then we must find out what he's planning to do and put a stop to it."
"But how are we supposed to do that?" Koki wondered, uncertainty in her features. "I mean…" She glanced between Aviva and Jimmy before turning back to the major. "What about the Brothers Kratt? What do we tell them to get them to go to Danville?"
One side of the boss' brow rose in question. "What you tell the brothers is up to you. As always, I leave their knowledge of the agency and their missions up to your discretion. But it is your responsibility to make sure they get the job done. So whatever you decide to tell them, you must get them to Danville as quickly as possible and put a stop to Zach's plans…before the worst happens."
"Yes, sir," Aviva answered for the group. "We'll head over there as soon as we can."
The major gave a curt nod before the transmission cut off, and the screen went blank.
Things were quiet once again as Aviva shut off the monitor, the weight of their newest assignment quickly sinking in. But it only lasted for a moment before Jimmy said in a hesitant voice, "So, uh…"
The girls turned to look at him, watching as he rubbed the back of his head, a thoughtful frown on his face. "So…" he tried again, "why don't we tell the Bros about the agency?"
The girls exchanged expressions once more before looking back to Jimmy. "You know why we can't," Koki replied gently.
Jimmy's frown deepened and he shrugged. "I dunno. I mean, we've been working with them for a long time now. If we tell them everything, maybe they'll understand."
Aviva placed her hands on her hips. "You really think Martin and Chris would be okay once they learn about an agency that uses animals as secret agents?"
Jimmy flinched slightly at that. "Uh…eheh…guess not. But…" He paused, fidgeting with his cap as he struggled to get his thoughts together. "I mean, that's why we started working with them in the first place, right? To change the agency's policies?"
"Well…yeah," Aviva replied, though she appeared slightly uncomfortable. But she regained her composure as she gave a hasty retort, "But how are we supposed to tell them that? After all this time, it's not like I can just suddenly tell them the real reason I invented the Creature Power suits. Especially if I have to explain what happened with Agent -"
The electric hum of the opening doors cut off Aviva's words, interrupting her as she and the others turned to watch the Kratt brothers stumble inside. They wobbled a little on their feet as they entered, as though they barely had the energy to stand. But despite the exhaustion that weighed down their bodies, the large satisfied smiles on their faces brightened their attitudes and kept them in high spirits.
"Hey, guys," Koki greeted, their previous conversation postponed in the meantime with the brothers' presence. "How'd it go?"
"Oh man, it was awesome!" Martin exclaimed, though his weariness restrained some of his excitement.
"Yeah, it was great," Chris agreed, a little more subdued than his older brother as his upper body slumped over the center dais, letting the platform support his weight. "But it took us a lot of time just trying to find the marmots, so we didn't really get a chance to spend a lot of time with them. The fact that they're so endangered really made the whole thing difficult."
"Well, at least we found some," Martin said, hopping up on the dais and sitting next to his brother. "And with the tags we put on them, we'll be able to monitor them and see how they're doing."
Chris nodded, but a yawn disrupted any reply he had.
Jimmy's brow rose in curiosity as the group watched the Kratts. "Looks like the adventure kinda wiped you guys out."
Martin shrugged. "It's all part of being a creature adventurer," he muttered, flopping back to lie on the platform.
"Seriously, you guys," Koki said, concern working its way into her tone. "You seem pretty beat."
"Well, we've been traveling a lot lately," Chris reminded her. Though he still leaned on the dais, he straightened up as Aviva handed him a glass filled with a purple-colored smoothie, and he flashed her a small, grateful smile.
"Yeah, we have been working pretty hard," Aviva said thoughtfully. A smile slowly spread across her face as an idea formed in her mind. "Maybe it's time we take a break."
Martin, who had been a few seconds away from dozing off, didn't even open his eyes as he scoffed lightly. "A break? We don't need to do that. Let's just figure out what our next creature adventure is gonna be, and Chris and I can rest on the way there."
"C'mon, Martin," Aviva insisted. "Let's just take a little time to relax before jumping back into action. That way you guys can recharge, and then you'll really be ready for anything."
Martin frowned a little, pushing himself up in a reclining position to look at her. "I dunno…"
She folded her hands together, giving him her best puppy eyes. "Please?" she pleaded. "Just for a few days?"
Chris took a few more sips of his drink as he watched the exchange between the two of them. Then he pulled the straw out of his mouth to ask, "Did you have anything in mind, Aviva?"
She grinned as she caught Koki and Jimmy's eyes, then turned back to Chris. "Well, there is one place I'd like to visit…"
TBC
[Chapter 2]