Zoo HQ

Fourteen hundred hours, July third.

It was a sweltering day in San Diego with plenty of anticipating children waiting to see their favorite zoo animals. Every animal in his right mind wanted to stay out of the heat, but with it being the day before the fourth of July, everyone was doing their best to impress before their holiday break. Elephants were making rainbows with their water sprays, while monkeys were playing with patriotic colored fruits and veggies, and even the parrots were giving a very cheerful, "Happy Holidays", to anyone who came by. Nobody wanted to have the children leaving without a smile on their faces. Soon an unexpected ringing was coming from the baobab tree with Suzie the lemur running as fast as she could to answer it.

Suzie: Zoo HQ, animal or human your emergency is our business, Suzie speaking.

Unknown Animal: Hello, my name is Babu and my friends and I are from the Southwick's Zoo in New England and we are in a really freaky situation that requires immediate assistance from Zoo HQ.

Suzie: Okay, what is the situation like?

Babu: I'll tell you what. All 10 of us marmosets in our enclosures have somehow become patriot-ized in red, white, and blue. No one knows how it happened, including all who had their colors changed and the zoo employees. Some are currently being held inside an animal hospital down the road from our zoo and everyone is concerned that we will be experimented on. Please send help quickly before we all go insane over here.

Suzie: Alright, please calm down. Can you give us more details as to your location and how many of you have had your fur coats colorization change?

Babu: All I know is that we are in the Southwick's Zoo and a place called the Happy Paws Animal Hospital is where five of us have been taken to, now please hurry before we get dissected.

Suzie: Okay, hang on. We will get agents over there as fast as we can. HQ will also send someone over to your zoo to find out what caused your confusing coloration's. Just sit tight and stay calm.

Suzie ends the call and starts relaying orders: Calling all investigation personal for New England, calling all investigation personal for New England. We have an emergency case of colorization gone patriotic, and its not just from the decorations. Five marmosets from the Southwick's Zoo are currently being held in the Happy Paws Animal Hospital because of their colorful condition and they require immediate assistance. All New England personnel please report to your stations for new orders.

Soon Zoo HQ is abuzz with activity and all personnel that cover New England scramble into the debriefing room. Investigator Alpheus (a wolf) soon arrives to debrief on the plans for this case.

Investigator Alpheus: Okay chaps, here's the scoop. We have five miniature primates who have somehow come down with a patriotic colored fur fritz and we must discover the cause and prevent our little companions from meeting the scalpel. Now, there will be two teams of two assigned for different mission objectives. Team Alpha will be in charge of finding our patriotic captives and discovering just how much they know about their current situation. Team Beta will be in charge of infiltrating the Southwick's Zoo and discovering the cause of the colorized madness. Any questions? None, good.

Investigator Alpheus: Now for those who are assigned to these two teams. Team Alpha will be comprised of agent Whitecap the bald eagle and agent Bushwack the grey squirrel. Team Beta will be comprised of agent Beagley the beagle and agent Ozzy the ocelot. The rest of you will be in charge of supplies, navigation, and communication. With your assignments given, move out.

All the animals soon make a bee-line to their lockers to get suited up for the mission ahead. Once everyone has acquired their specific gear, all head to their respective transportation drones. While waiting to launch...

Bushwack: Hey Whitecap, do you think we will have any trouble getting into the animal hospital? I mean, your a bird and I'm a squirrel so I think it will be a little difficult to infiltrate.

Whitecap: Don't worry, I'll be there to support you and if worst comes to worst, I can just make an entrance with my talons (opens up talons for Bushwack to see).

Bushwack: Um, okay. Whatever you say (Bushwack backing away slowly).

Ozzy: Just relax Bushwack, you just need to get in, find the captives, and figure out what they know. Your lucky you have such a small scale area to cover.

Beagley: She is right Bushwack. The Southwick's Zoo is over two hundred acres and you have just a little forty acre plot to check over. With all due respect, I would have changed jobs with you in a heartbeat. Running around for so long does a number on my paws and my ears get cold easily.

Ozzy: Don't be such a baby Beagley and man up. Once this is all over, you can enjoy a nice relaxing nap on your plush bed by the ticket booth with your owner. Honestly, its a surprise that you even managed to become an agent since your considered a pet and not an exotic animal.

Beagley: Well, I didn't have much of a choice since you guys captured me in order to prevent any of your secret supply cashes from being found by people, since I had accidentally broken into one of them by accident and nearly blew your cover.

Ozzy: Well, just be glad you weren't tied up and left on the streets for a dog catcher. It would have been our other option if you hadn't decided to join Zoo HQ.

Beagley: Ugh, don't even remind me. I get shivers ever time I think about that quick decision (Beagley shivering).

Whitecap: Alright you two, focus. We have a job to do and the last thing we want to have happen is for the drones built in chameleon camouflage to deactivate and give away our position during entry, so stay alert.

Ozzy and Beagley (in unison): Alright.

Soon the drones are charged up and begin ascending into the air, all the while the chameleon camouflage becomes active. The elephants up above take their positions while the hatch opens, and soon the agents are flying at breakneck speed off to their destination: New England.

July 4th, Seventeen hundred hours and thirty five minutes:

The agents arrive and the halfway point between the Happy Paws Animal Hospital and the Southwick's Zoo. Both teams climb off and start to head out to their mission destinations.

Whitecap: We will signal you on our radios if we find anything, so keep your ears open.

Ozzy and Beagley: Roger (in unison).

July 4th, Eighteen Hundred Hours and two minutes:

Team Alpha reaches the animal hospital first, since agent Whitecap carried agent Bushwack the entire way to save time.

Whitecap: Just so you know, (speaking to Bushwack in his talons), if I was still wild you would be a very satisfying meal for me right now considering how much you have grown.

Bushwack: I know I'm fat, and I can't help it. The mixed nuts buffet back at headquarters keeps calling to me and I never seem to get enough, even when I bring some back home.

Whitecap: Quiet, we are making our descent (Whitecap soars down towards the animal hospital).

Upon reaching their object, both agents begin looking for an easy access point with Whitecap searching high and Bushwack searching low. Soon agent Bushwack finds a door ajar and both agents quickly enter the premises, with a little help from their gadget, the Reverse Clamp.

Whitecap: (after entering the premises) Agent Whitecap to communications team, we're in. No sign of anyone currently within the building as of yet. Will proceed with caution.

Communications Team: Affirmative.

Whitecap: Alright Bushwack, we need to do this quickly. We can't risk getting spotted here, so I want you to quickly scour the bottom floor while I survey the higher floors. Sound like a plan?

Bushwack: Alright, just keep your radio on in case I find something. This place gives me the creeps and I don't like it.

Both head off in their respective directions and begin searching the premises.

July 4th, Eighteen Hundred Hours and twenty one minutes:

Meanwhile, Team Beta reaches the Southwick's Zoo entrance and infiltrate with ease, since the front gate was open. After weaving in and around parked cars everywhere, the two agents find a path around the humans watching guard over the entrance and make their way through the park.

Ozzy: Agent Ozzy to the communications team, we are inside the Southwick's Zoo. We will relay back any info we acquire that is of immediate importance. So far, nothing out of the ordinary.

Communications Team: Copy that, stay safe.

Ozzy: Alright Beagley, lets get to work. We have to stay in-between the habitats in order to avoid detection since this place is so large and humans are crawling around everywhere.

Beagley: You don't have to tell me twice. By the way, do you smell that?

Ozzy: What, the powerful aroma of people cooking food from their vendors? Or is it the rancid odor of African zoo animal dropping wafting in from around the park? Ugh, I think that rhino over there just left a juicy one.

Beagley: No, its something else. (sniffing) It is kinda sweet but it has the pungent smell of some kind of chemical mixture that is starting to make my nostrils burn.

Ozzy: Hmm, that is really strange. In such a large zoo with several wide open enclosures, you would think that the employee's would avoid using any kind of chemical compounds unless used for sick animals. Strange indeed. Beagley, can you try and figure out where that smell is coming from?

Beagley: I can try but if my nose starts to hurt like crazy I may start yowling.

Ozzy: When that happens, just use your gas mask so we don't attract any unwanted attention. Remember, we are on a mission and must remain hidden.

Beagley: Right. Sorry. Lets just hope my nose doesn't break before we find the origin of this strange smell.

Soon Team Beta is off through the zoo on the trail of that mysteries odor.

July 4th, Eighteen Hundren Hours and thirty six minutes:

Meanwhile, Team Alpha had just begun their search when a problem occurred.

Bushwack: (in a ventilation shaft) Whitecap, come in.

Whitecap: What is it Bushwack?

Bushwack: I found where they are keeping the marmosets that somehow got patriotic colors all over them.

Whitecap: That's great.

Bushwack: But we have a slight problem (trailing off voice).

Whitecap: What's the problem (worried face)?

Bushwack: The problem is that there are a total of three humans in the room where they are located, all dressed in lab coats. They are also currently observing the five marmosets in their cages and are both writing down and mentioning some very disturbing observations.

Whitecap: Define disturbing observations (Whitecap frowns).

Bushwack: It would seem that these three humans that are currently at this hospital also work over at the Southwick's Zoo, since they are all wearing zoo uniforms underneath their lab coats and weirdly they have ultraviolet flashlights in hand. Also, they mentioned something about a diet based fur changing regimen in order to bring out more elaborate and colorful results. So I believe these humans have been somehow causing the fur colors of these little marmosets to change by giving them some sort of fur altering food concoction. This in turn has changed the marmosets natural fur coloring to match a specifically desired fur coloration that is not natural, hence our current marmoset predicament and...Whoa, talk about a glow-up. Kinda reminds me of the glow-fish you would see in pet stores against a black wall.

Whitecap: That is quite the information you have gathered Bushwack, and also quite disturbing. I could not imagine having my colors change in such a way, otherwise I wouldn't be called a bald eagle anymore. I would be a flash eagle (worried tone).

Bushwack: I hear ya, but now what? We can't do anything or get any closer with these humans here.

Whitecap: Just be patient. We will think of something. (begins relaying Bushwacks findings to the communications team)

Communications Team: Nice work Team Alpha. Keep trying to gain information. We will relay this info back to HQ and catch up Team Beta on your findings. Over and out.

July 4th, Nineteen Hundred Hours and seven minutes:

Back over at the Southwick's Zoo, Team Beta is getting ever closer to the mysterious smells location. Soon the communications team calls and catches Team Beta up on Team Alphas findings.

Ozzy: Well, that would make a lot of sense. We have a weird smell here that is unfamiliar and a group of people that works both here and at the animal hospital brings up a plethora of questions. Not to mention colors not normally found on these animals must be for some sort of illegal operation or experiment, but why change fur colors. Hmm. Come on Beagley, we better find this smells origins before something even weirder happens.

Beagley: Alright, just let me put my gas mask on. The smell is starting to become unbearable and I think my vision is starting to become distorted.

Ozzy: Oh, man up Beagley. You big baby.

Soon Team Beta makes it to where the weird smell is coming from; an old abandoned observation station once used for tourists to watch animals from afar.

Ozzy: Come on Beagley, its time to unveil this mysterious odor.

Beagley: I'll keep this veil on my face, thank you very much. Just being here is starting to give me the willies.

Pushing open the door of the observation station, Team Beta stumble upon a lab of some sort with several kinds of chemicals lining the walls and some form of submersible vats that are used for holding animal food.

Ozzy: Wow, I don't know what these guys are doing with all these glowing chemicals but it certainly ain't for something to improve one's overall health.

Beagley: What are you talking about? All those chemicals on the wall look as clear as water to me.

Ozzy: What?! How can that be? I see more that fifty different color shades in here. Some of which seem to be glowing. Are you saying you can't see that?

Beagley: No. All I see is clear liquids in each of those bottles.

Ozzy: Try using your Optical Adjustment Device. That should help us find out why I can see them but you can't.

Beagley: (Putting on and adjusting the Optical Device). Lets see. Nothing on infrared or gamma, or....Wow! That is some bright stuff! Seems to be some kind of Ultraviolet concentrate and man is that an ugly shade of purple.

Ozzy: Huh, these chemicals must be only visible to those who can see ultraviolet light or by using an ultraviolet flashlight. And if that is the case, then that means whatever those people did to those five marmosets has made it so no one can see these invisible colors. But for what reason? I have no idea.

Beagley: Maybe for some kind of stunt or a dance party. I could really get down to these lights at a disco party. No, wait! This could be some kind of way to scare someone.

Ozzy: (looking puzzled) How do you mean?

Beagley: You know, like a prank of sorts. Like if you go and smear glow in the dark paint all over someones walls in the form of a monster and they don't see anything unless its lights out and then that said person gets the scare of their life. It could be something like that.

Ozzy: Possibly, but we won't know unless we can identify their end goal through hard evidence, like a schedule with a deadline or maybe some kind of illegal paperwork. Start searching around and see if there is anything that stands out to you.

After rummaging through some drawers and filing cabinets, Beagley finds something unusual.

Beagley: Hey, what's this all about?

Ozzy: What is it (hopping down from a shelf)?

Beagley: Some newspaper article with a picture of a glowing boy running around that made headlines.

Ozzy: Let me see that. (whips out a human language translator) Hmm, it says that "a young boys science fair project was thought to have been a theoretical flop until the boy drank his experiment and that evening started glowing like a Christmas tree. Many were amazed but most laughed at his project because of its lack of implications. Soon the boy ran off ranting angry threats to all those who mocked him". Huh, seems like someone is trying to get revenge on his judgmental audience from all those years ago, but it doesn't say in the paper who it was. Lets contact the communications team and figure out what we should do with all this evidence.

A few seconds later, the communications team has received the news of the evidence Team Beta discovered, and soon they are calling in a recovery unit to collect the evidence so no more animals get an unusual hair color trend going. Quickly Team Beta decides to head over to where Team Alpha is and assist them with helping their marmoset captives.

July 4th, Nineteen Hundred Hours and fifty five minutes:

Back at the animal hospital, the two hidden animal agents, Whitecap and Bushwack, have just reviewed what Team Beta has discovered and are trying to figure out their next move, but....

Bushwack: Ugh, there isn't anything we can do here. The humans are here and the marmosets are miles from their zoo home, not to mention the aforementioned ultraviolet light fur display. Any wild animal looking for a snack will see them in a heartbeat if we try to rush them back to the zoo and the humans will get suspicious of what happened. And if (smack)...Hey!

Whitecap: Get a hold of yourself Bushwack, I know it looks hard but we can't lose hope. There has to be some way we can get these little monkeys back to normal and figure out how to stop whatever scheme is playing out here, we just need to figure it out.

Bushwack: I'm sorry, I just get very stressed when I don't get food in my belly after a certain amount of time.

Whitecap: Wait a minute, that's it!

Bushwack: What's 'it'?

Whitecap: You said you get stressed if you don't eat anything after some time has passed, right?

Bushwack: Yeah, so?

Whitecap: So, if we can just talk to the marmosets and get a plan in motion for them to fake being stressed out by this fur changing food they've been eating, we might be able to get the humans to give up whatever crazy scheme they have cooked up.

Bushwack: Amazing plan, genius. Just one problem: how to we talk to them with humans in the same room?

Ozzy: Let me take care of that.

Whitecap and Bushwack: Ozzy!

Whitecap: Wait, where's Beakley?

Ozzy: Oh, just gasping for air near the exit since he couldn't keep up. He will keep us informed in case any more people show up or leave the premises.

Whitecap: Okay.

Bushwack: But how are you going to get close enough to even talk to those little monkeys?

Ozzy: Simple, we will give these humans a taste of their own medicine, but with an added twist.

Ozzy starts explaining her plan to the others.

Bushwack: What! You want to cut all power to the building and then give them a haunting scene with the marmosets acting really crazy so they will stop this madness and leave!? Sounds like absolute crazy talk.

Ozzy: Pretty much.

Whitecap: Alright, it seems doable and it fits in with what we were talking about earlier. But how do we cut the power? These facilities often have backup generators in case of a disaster, so how do you plan to keep them off.

Ozzy: Simple, take out the backup generators connections to the main building first, then go for the main grid. But we will have to time things right or we will be exposed to the point that all of us could become these mad doctors next victims of that food. Got it, Mr. Plumps?

Bushwack: Hey, don't make fun of the belly. Its a squirrel thing. All squirrels have a little plumpness to them (jiggling the belly).

Whitecap: Okay, if were all agreed on what needs to be done then we can get started. I'll handle the main power grid.

Ozzy: I'll handle the backup generators. That just leaves you little guy to make sure you get in there and that the marmosets follow the plan. Got it?

Bushwack: Alright, whatever will get us back to that mixed nut buffet at headquarters faster.

Whitecap: Then, lets begin.

July 4th, Twenty hundred hours and eight minutes:

Ozzy quickly runs out the exit and gives Beagley the rundown before rushing off to the backup generators. Whitecap heads down the corridor to where the breaker room is and gets into position, all the while Bushwack is pulling out screws that are holding the ventilation grating in place. Once finished...

Bushwack: Alright, I'm ready here guys. Just give the word.

Whitecap: Ozzy, its showtime.

Ozzy: Copy that.

Ozzy quickly unplugs the connect to the backup generators and heads back inside.

Ozzy: Okay Whitecap, set the stage.

Whitecap: With pleasure (grinning ear to ear turns off the power).

All the lights go dark and the cries of the three zoo people can be heard all the way down the halls. Quickly Bushwack makes his move going down the wall of the hospital walls and climbs up behind the cage of the marmoset cage. Bushwack startles the marmosets a bit but soon they regain their composure once they start hearing the agents plan. Soon Bushwack moves off and after giving a few squeaks, the marmosets start going absolutely crazy. All three men shine their ultraviolet flashlights at the cage and see a freak-out of vibrantly glowing mini monkey madness with teeth flaring and crazy color flashes going berserk which soon sends all three packing out the doors, screaming at the tops of their lungs. Once Beakley found that the three people had left the building and were far out of sight, Beakley signaled the others that it was clear. Back inside...

The marmosets (after being freed): Thank you so much for your help.

Whitecap: It was no problem, just doing our duty as a part of Zoo HQ.

The marmosets: But, now what?

Whitecap: We'll take you back to the zoo with caution using our transport drone. Also, we will give out an anonymous tip to the local authorities that someone has been experimenting with animals using unauthorized bioluminescence. We can also take a picture of your five glowing in the dark as proof of their deeds so they won't be able to get off very easily.

The marmosets: Sounds good. Now can we get back to the zoo, we had a perfectly good fruit salad we never got to even dig into and we are all starving.

Bushwack: I'm with you there. Lets hurry this up.

Whitecap: Ugh (groaning at Bushwack)

Ozzy: Maybe you should consider a diet Bushwack, otherwise Beakley might think you look like a nice round tennis ball that needs to be chewed.

Bushwack: Nonsense, I'm plenty fit as it is and I'm sure Beakley wouldn't mistake me for a chew toy.

Beakley: (chuckles) I wouldn't be so sure of that.

July 4th, Twenty one hundred hours and two minutes:

Soon all the marmosets and both Zoo HQ teams are heading out in the transport drones back to the Southwick Zoo. Once the marmosets have said their final goodbyes, both Zoo HQ teams begin the long flight home all the while watching the fireworks blooming in the sky.

Once back at HQ a few days later...

Investigator Alpheus: Well done agents. I'm glad to see you all looking rested after your most recent assignment. The authorities soon found and arrested who the mastermind of this whole color fiasco was after the tip you sent got through. Turns out that man who got laughed at as a boy was among the three you scared the pants off of and wanted to make animals shine like he did for national holiday events. Poor sap.

Ozzy: How are the marmosets doing?

Investigator Alpheus: Oh, their just dandy. All were transferred over to a different animal hospital where they were able to reverse the coloration of their fur coats back to normal and should get back to thrilling their ever loving fans. Now I want all you to get back to entertaining the masses and make sure you are ready in case another emergency flies our way.

Both Teams (in unison): Roger that.

On the way out of Investigator Alpheus's office....

Whitecap: Hey Bushwack, I see you've been in the mixed nuts buffet again (looking at his extended stomach).

Bushwack: What, a squirrel needs to be well fed to keep himself going strong and fast.

Ozzy: Yeah, but the only way your going to be moving fast is on a downhill slope because your rounder than apple at this point and probably taste just as sweet too with all those nuts you've been eating.

Bushwack: (gulps) Okay, maybe I'll lay off the nuts for a while. Just stop looking at me like that, its making me feel like I'm a fresh piece of bacon.

Beakley: Did someone say bacon?

Bushwack: Oh no. No more talk about food please, I might just hurl. Burp.

Whitecap: Just get back to training and you'll be fit in no time Bushwack. Until next time, see ya.

And so another day ends with peace being restored to another zoo and happy smiles are once again in sight. No one knows of their society, but they are always there when we need them and are at the ready for when ever trouble comes to call...

Ring, Ring....Ring, Ring....