Champ didn’t respond. He was tearing off the plastic cover and pulling out a can between his teeth.

  “Are you all right, Champ?” asked Biskit. “What are you doing?”

  Champ flicked open the ring pull with his teeth and tipped his head back to guzzle down the contents.

  “Er, Champ?” said Biskit.

  “No,” said Champ,

  “What?”

  “I’m not Champ,” said Champ. “You knew it really. I don’t smell like Champ, I don’t behave like Champ and your old goody-two-shoes partner would never break the rules by returning to his home planet.”

  “You’re one of them.” Biskit’s astonishment gave way to anger. He had known something was wrong. He should have trusted his instincts. But he had wanted to believe that his partner was back.

  Champ let out an enormous burp that had a sickly sweet smell of fresh apples. His skin rippled and his furry coat slid away to reveal a spiky blue alien.

  “The name is Twist Caboodle,” he said.

  The alien lurched forwards and grabbed Biskit’s collar. Biskit fought to get free. He would have succeeded had Twist not let out another transforming burp that turned him into an enormous spider with a lion’s mane. He fired out sticky webbing that wrapped itself tightly around Biskit.

  “Sorry, Biskit,” said Twist. “You may be a big deal in this town but you’re no match for one of the greatest intergalactic robbers the universe has ever known.”

  “I don’t understand. You were the one who came to find me!” said Biskit.

  Twist downed another can then let out a burp that smelled of cranberry and gone-off milk, which returned him to his natural spiky blue self.

  “You want me to fill you in, do you?” said Twist. “Oh, all right. Stick escaped the prison cell before me. I knew he’d come to Earth but I needed a way of tracking him down. So when I got out I borrowed the identity of the SUPA agent who arrested us. I hid onboard his partner’s ship and came to find you. Then all I had to do was lend you the SUPA Super Smeller to find Stick.”

  Twist knocked the gadget off Biskit’s nose. Biskit tried to stop him but he was bound too tightly.

  “I knew you’d find him if your sense of smell was as good as Champ said. And my plan worked perfectly,” said Twist. He dropped the SUPA Super Smeller and stamped on it, sending sparks flying and destroying the device in an instant.

  “But how did you even know about me?” asked Biskit.

  “My brother and I spent a long time on Champ’s ship after he caught us. Our scent may not have rubbed off on him but he had quite an effect on us. Your old partner talks about you and your pathetic little planet all the time.”

  “Why are you here if you think it’s pathetic?” demanded Biskit.

  “Why do thieves go anywhere?” said Twist. “To steal things.”

  The lorry door opened and Commander F was thrown inside. The bunny slammed into a crate of fizzy drinks, causing one to fall and land on Biskit’s head.

  “Ow,” yelped Biskit.

  “What’s going on?” demanded Commander F. “Biskit, what’s happening?”

  “Get out, sir,” said Biskit.

  Commander F turned round but the door slammed shut.

  Twist let out another burp and transformed into a large purple three-headed slug. He coughed up a mouthful of disgusting yellow goo, which landed on Commander F and quickly solidified, pinning him to the bottom of the lorry.

  “That’s Solidified Slug Slime from the Sargoonian Sand Slug of the Sulwork Solar System,” said Twist.

  “The Atomic Burp Brothers, I presume,” snarled Commander F.

  Twist burped himself back to his natural form. “Indeed. We’ve returned.”

  The crates of cans rattled as the lorry began to move. Another one dropped on Biskit’s head. “Ow. What do you mean returned?”

  “They came here before,” said Commander F. “It was before your time. Old Mo was on that job. Now, there was a good agent. Quick, smart, not tied up in the back of a lorry.”

  Biskit ignored Commander F’s dig at him.

  “Yes, I recognized him when I saw him at the kennels,” said Twist. “It’s a good thing he’s lost his sense of smell. He was the one who sniffed us out the last time.”

  “What were you stealing then?” asked Biskit.

  “Forget-Me-Plop,” said Commander F. “That’s what they were after then and that’s what they’re after now. I imagine the ability to make people forget is pretty useful stuff for a couple of common thieves.”

  “You’ll find out how common we are when we get what we want.” Twist bowed down and pushed a spiky finger into Commander F’s chin.

  Biskit tried to wriggle free of the sticky webbing that bound his limbs together. On the other side of the lorry, Commander F was getting nowhere with the solid slug slime. Twist turned a stalk eye to look at Biskit and said, “You can struggle all you like. We once used that webbing to tie up the whole staff of the Pan Dimensional Gold Vaults of Trumple-Donling.”

  “Release me at once, you overgrown blue cactus,” yelled Commander F.

  “If you don’t like me like this, maybe I should change.” Twist gulped down a can and with a BUUuuuuUUUURRP! turned into an exact copy of Commander F.

  “Who’s that supposed to be?” demanded Commander F.

  “Er…” Biskit hesitated. “It’s you, sir.”

  “Me? Look at the size of him. He’s much too big,” said Commander F.

  Twist laughed. “Yes, you’ve put on a few pounds since we last met.”

  “You’ll be sorry, you sniffling shapeshifter,” said Commander F. “You won’t get away with this. You’ll be locked up again soon enough.”

  “Locked up? The Caboodle Brothers never remain behind bars for long. That’s the thing about Atomic Burps, we’re better out than in.”

  Mitzy stopped suddenly at the side of the road. A car beeped as it zoomed past, blocking her way and allowing the fizzy drinks lorry to escape. She knew Biskit would have made it across the road. He would never have let fear for his own life get in the way of pursuing a threat. She had failed to save Commander F.

  “Ah, Agent Mitzy, excellent news, everything’s up and working again now,” squeaked a voice behind her.

  Mitzy turned around to find a seagull standing on a postbox. Example One’s voice was coming through a speaker attached to the bird’s leg.

  “Example One,” said Mitzy. “Am I glad to hear your voice!”

  “I don’t know. Are you glad?” asked Example One.

  The seagull pecked the top of the postbox.

  “It’s the Atomic Burps,” exclaimed Mitzy. “They’ve taken Commander F.”

  “The Atomic Burps have returned?” said Example One. “Oh dear, I imagine they were a bit upset after the last time they came here.”

  “Why? What happened?” asked Mitzy.

  “It was Agent Mo’s idea. Now, there was an agent with brains. We allowed the Burps to make off with a barrel-load of what they thought was Forget-Me-Plop. Except it wasn’t that at all. They left with five gallons of bird droppings.”

  Mitzy knew Biskit would have laughed at this but he wasn’t there and she was in no mood for bird-poo jokes.

  “We need to find out where they’re going,” she said urgently.

  “I know exactly where they’ll be going. They’ll be heading here. They’re after our supplies again,” said Example One.

  “OK, I’m on my way,” said Mitzy. “Don’t let anyone in.”

  “Yes, good idea,” said Example One.

  The seagull flew off and Mitzy was about to spring into action when a door slid open in the postbox and Zed appeared. “Need a lift?” he said, slinking out of his spaceship.

  “How did you get there?” asked Mitzy. “And how did you find me?”

  “I’m monitoring your whole network,” said Zed. “You’re not that hard to find.”

  “Why did it take so long to get the system back online?” asked Mitzy.

  “Someone messed with my control panel,” said Zed.

  “Champ,” said Mitzy. “I’ll bet it was Champ. He’s working with them.”

  “He is them … or rather one of them,” said Zed. “He’s got your partner. Come on. I’ll show you how the big cats do business.”

  He swished his tail around as he strolled back into the ship. Mitzy followed him in and tried not to look too impressed with the gleaming interior. Zed jumped up on the counter and hit a few buttons. The door closed and the ship made a whirring, spinning sound.

  “It looks like it’s down to the cats to save the dogs as usual,” said Zed.

  “How long will it take to get there?” asked Mitzy.

  “We’re already here,” replied Zed.

  Zed pushed a button and the door slid open. They were no longer outside Commander F’s house but had arrived by the Pet Defenders’ secret lab. Mitzy stepped out and turned around to see that the spaceship was now disguised as a yellow skip.

  “This ship is amazing!” she asked. “How does it work?”

  “Very well, thank you,” replied Zed. “Take cover… They’re coming.”

  Mitzy and Zed dived under an abandoned car as the fizzy drinks lorry turned off the road and came to a standstill. The green spiky driver jumped out, and limped around to the back of the lorry. He opened the door and reappeared clutching a large angry white rabbit, wriggling and trying to get free.

  “He’s got Commander F,” said Mitzy.

  “Wait,” said Zed. “We don’t know if that’s the commander or Twist in disguise. The one carrying him is definitely Stick. I recognize the limp.”

  “But what if it is the real commander?” asked Mitzy.

  “I’m not rushing into anything,” said Zed. “I need to see what they want.”

  “No,” said Mitzy. “We need to defend our planet. If you won’t get him, I will.” She curled her tail round Zed’s, took aim with his tail gun then stuck her nose under his chin and nudged the blue button on his collar.

  The laser beam fired out and struck Stick, instantly freezing him. The rabbit jumped out of his arms and ran towards the lab. Mitzy looked up at the seagulls standing on the building and hovering above. She knew Example One would be watching the whole thing on the cameras.

  “Open up and let me in,” barked the rabbit. “Can’t you see I’m under attack?”

  Mitzy darted out into the open. “Commander F. It’s me, Mitzy.”

  The rabbit looked at her for a moment then banged on the door again. “The Atomic Burp is disguised as Agent Mitzy. Launch a Forget-Me-Plop attack immediately.”

  “Oh, great work,” said Zed, emerging from under the lorry. “Sorry, Mitzy, this is nothing personal but I have a job to do.”

  He pointed his tail gun at her and pushed the blue button. The light at the end flashed. Mitzy had no time to lose. She spun around, flicking her tail so that it wrapped round his. Before Zed knew what was happening, Mitzy had shifted his aim so that the blue beam missed her by a whisker and hit the black cat instead.

  Zed froze.

  “It’s always personal,” said Mitzy. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have a job to do, too.”

  Commander F was rarely the happiest bunny in the world, but Biskit had never seen him as furious as when he was struggling to free himself from the yellow slime.

  “Agent Biskit,” growled the commander, “you walking bag of fleas, I’m holding you responsible for this. You’re supposed to be one of my top agents and yet here we are tied up in the back of a lorry, while an alien disguised as me is walking into our secret lab and causing who-knows-what sort of havoc? Never mind suspension, when I get out of this, I’m going to ex—”

  “Exclaim your extreme gratitude?” Biskit offered. He was standing in front of the furious rabbit, no longer bound by the webbing.

  “You’re free!” said Commander F.

  “Of course. Give me long enough and I can bite through anything. Would you like me to help free you or was there something you were going to say?”

  “Harrumph,” muttered Commander F.

  Biskit sank his teeth into the crusted slime covering.

  “Ow. Watch where you’re putting those canines.”

  With his back to the door, Biskit didn’t notice it get nudged open until he heard Mitzy’s voice say, “You two look cosy.”

  He turned around to see his partner standing in the doorway. “Mitzy,” he said.

  Commander F shook himself free from the slime shell. “Oh, nice try,” he said. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

  “What?” said Mitzy.

  “You’re one of them!” He pounced forwards with his paws outstretched, slamming into Mitzy and sending both of them flying out of the back of the lorry. Mitzy tried to escape but Commander F landed on her with a FLUH-DUMP!

  “Ow,” she cried, reluctant to fight back against her boss.

  He pushed a paw into her cheek and in a low, threatening growl said, “Which one are you? Stick or Twist?”

  “Er, sir,” said Biskit, hopping out of the lorry.

  “What is it?” snapped Commander F. “I’m doing your job for you here. Now, help me tie up this crook.”

  “As entertaining as this is,” said Biskit, “that’s not the Atomic Burp.”

  “Says who?”

  “My nose, sir,” said Biskit. “That’s Mitzy.”

  “Are you sure?” said Commander F.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh.” He climbed off Mitzy and she stood up straight.

  “Don’t go demanding an apology,” said Commander F.

  “It doesn’t matter, sir,” said Mitzy. “Come on.”

  Biskit, Mitzy and Commander F ran around the side of the lorry where they could see the lab door. There was no sign of either of the Caboodle Brothers but Zed was still standing frozen to the spot.

  “Who’s that?” asked Commander F.

  “SUPA agent Zed. Where’s everyone else?” asked Mitzy.

  “Er, I think they may be taking cover,” said Biskit. “Look.”

  A squadron of seagulls swooped down towards them.

  “Under the lorry,” yelled Mitzy.

  “I will not hide from my own gulls,” replied Commander F.

  “Yes, but they’re following the orders of a different you,” said Biskit.

  Biskit and Mitzy dived under the lorry but Commander F stood waving his paws furiously at the birds.

  “A different me?” he yelled. “Nonsense. I’m Commander F and my seagulls would never launch an attack on m—”

  The seagulls dropped their loads of Forget- Me-Plop, showering the rabbit with white gunk and instantly wiping all thoughts from Commander F’s mind. “Er, what was I saying?”

  “Who cares?” Twist Caboodle stepped out of the lab. “I ordered the attack. I was you then, whereas now I am me.”

  “Who are you?” demanded Commander F. “Now I think about it, who am I?”

  “You are unimportant,” said Stick, joining his brother.

  Both were in their natural form.

  “Unlike your friend here.” Twist raised his hand, revealing that he had Example One clutched tightly in his fist.

  “Let me go, you villain,” said Example One.

  “Why would I do that?” asked Twist. “You’re the reason my brother and I came back to this silly planet. You tricked us last time with that fake Forget-Me-Plop. Next time we need it, you will make it exactly as we want it.”

  “And not just that,” said Stick. “You will work for us, making inventions that will stop us ever being caught again.”

  “I’ll never help you crooks,” said Example One.

  “Of course you will,” said Stick. “You’ll have no other choice.”

  Biskit and Mitzy stepped out from the lorry, avoiding the puddles of Forget-Me-Plop and keeping a careful eye on the seagulls that were perched on the rooftop, awaiting instructions.

  “This is the end for you,” said Mitzy. “Put down the mouse and raise your hands.”

  Twist and Stick laughed.

  “One more step and I’ll crush him,” said Twist.

  Stick grinned. “Yes, we’re calling the shots now. You’re going to tell us what Zed’s ship is disguised as, then you’re going to watch us fly away. You’ll do this because you know that if you try to stop us, you can kiss goodbye to your mouse friend.”

  Twist tightened his grip on Example One.

  “Ow, stop squeezing me!” said the pink mouse. “You’ve snapped my stylus.”

  “Stop,” said Mitzy. “It’s the skip. The ship is the skip.”

  “Thank you,” said Stick. “Now, be good little pets and sit.”

  “Yes. Stay,” said Twist.

  Mitzy and Biskit watched helplessly as the Caboodle Brothers reached Zed’s ship. Stick downed a can, burped and transformed into Zed. While the real Zed remained rooted to the spot, covered in Forget-Me-Plop, his doppelganger pressed a paw to the skip and a door slid open

  “See you around, Pet Defenders.” Stick limped inside.

  “I’m afraid we’ve won this time,” said Twist.

  “Oh, this is not good,” said Example One. “Not good at—”

  His final words were lost behind the hiss of the sliding door. Biskit and Mitzy darted forwards but it was too late. After a moment of whirring and shimmering, the skip vanished.

  “Where’s it gone?” asked Biskit.

  “It could be anywhere,” said Mitzy. “We’ve lost them. We’ve lost Example One. We’ve failed.”

  If there had been any human witnesses there that day, they would have been faced with the unusual scene of a confused rabbit covered in goo, a frozen black cat with a flashing collar and a dog running round in circles, barking at a tabby cat.

  “We need to go after them,” said Biskit.

  “Where?” said Mitzy. “They’re in a ship capable of slipping through the molecules of the universe. We have no way of following them, no way of catching them and no way of saving Example One. We’re out of options.”

 

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