MY BEST FRIEND IS A SECRET AGENT, Book 1: How Chip Became CHIP and Foiled the...

Chapter 17: "An Unexpected Offer"

Thanks to the fritzing Freaky Fuzzies, C.H.I.P. and I were out!

But we knew Seth Mindwarp would be back soon, so we had to act fast. First, we had to get back to his office to shut down the Freaky Fuzzy network. Then we had to save my dad!

C.H.I.P. and I started running, but we had no idea where we were in the building. I still didn't have my phone, so I couldn't see the floor plan to know which way to go. But we found an elevator and decided that maybe Seth's office was on the top floor.

But when the elevator door closed, we realized two Freaky Fuzzies had followed us in! And they were staring at us and trying to hypnotize us again – we couldn't look away!

Finally, C.H.I.P. did what secret agents do – he took action. Still a cat burglar, he opened the ceiling hatch of the elevator and climbed out into the elevator shaft! I thought that was so cool!... until I realized he wanted me to follow him. But I couldn't follow him! The elevator was still moving! He was the secret agent, not me! I was never supposed to be inside the building in the first place!

Suddenly – WHOOP! – C.H.I.P. yanked me up into the elevator shaft.

I looked up – we were almost at the top... and almost about to be crushed! But then C.H.I.P. jumped up and forced the elevator doors to the top floor open and pulled me in after him.

We made it just in time! Phew! Then C.H.I.P. jammed the elevator door so the Fuzzies couldn't get out of the elevator and follow us.

We'd guessed right – we had found Seth's office. And luckily there were no Freaky Fuzzies there since they were all still with Seth.

C.H.I.P. and I immediately got to work at Seth's huge computer console. Realizing cat burglars knew nothing about computers, C.H.I.P. quickly changed himself into the electronics guy who'd defused The Big Cheese's bomb.

But when we looked up at all the monitors, we almost froze. The Freaky Fuzzies weren't in everybody's houses anymore, they were all on the streets... and they were coming for us! And right behind them were all their kid owners, still hypnotized, moving in on Mindwarp Industries to stop us fast!

C.H.I.P. and I rushed to reprogram the computer to shut everything down... but then C.H.I.P. started to freak out! He suddenly morphed into the skater dude who was chasing after The Big Cheese! Then he became the chemist! And then the wrestler! What was going on?!

Finally, C.H.I.P. became the electronics guy again so at least I could get him back to working on the computer. But we had to act fast in case he freaked out again!

Suddenly – WHAM! – someone kicked the door open. We spun around, ready to take on Seth and the Fuzzies... but it was Gert von Brugen! "AHA!!!" she cried as she held up my phone. "I knew you were working with Seth Mindwarp!"

"Gert von Brugen??" My voice cracked from the stress. "What are you doing here?? And how did you get in here anyway?!"

It was then that she spotted C.H.I.P., and that's when her mind really got whirring. "Wait a minute... you're working with the hero guy? I knew it! He's really a superandroid created by Seth Mindwarp! He's like a huge Freaky Fuzzy!"

This idea really made me sick, and all I wanted to do was tell her how wrong she was – but we had the world to save.

Then I realized why C.H.I.P. was morphing all over the place - because Gert von Brugen was fooling with my phone! I told her to give it back and let me go on shutting down the Freaky Fuzzy network.

But it was too late. Seth Mindwarp and his Fuzzies finally showed up.

In no time, C.H.I.P. and I were surrounded.

But then Gert stepped right in front of Seth with a big cocky grin on her face. He couldn't believe she was here either, and he ordered her to leave. But she said, "You shouldn't work with Nort. He doesn't know anything. You should work with me!" Gert was right – Seth should hire her. She was just as evil as he was!

But Seth didn't think so. He ordered his Fuzzies to drag Gert off to a laser jail cell.

When Gert was finally out of the room, Seth turned back to me and C.H.I.P. I knew it was all over. We had blown it. Vortville... and soon the world... would be completely enslaved by the Freaky Fuzzies.

But then Seth said something I totally didn't expect. "Nort, I want you to come and work for me." Huh?? "We're alike, you and I. We're both ahead of our time, and nobody understands us. My father didn't understand me any more than yours understands you."

Seth pushed a button and Dad came up on a monitor, stuck in his laser jail cell.

"Look at him. No imagination. For him, might is right, and that's all there is to it. But you and I... we can change the world for the better!"

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. For once in my life, a father-figure-type guy actually understood me. Also, I imagined what I could do with my C.H.I.P. technology with Mindwarp Industries behind me.

But there was one problem: Seth Mindwarp was evil! Why did he have to be evil?! Why couldn't he be a brilliant tech guy who was out to do good? Maybe he had been good at one time. I mean, he invented a whole bunch of furry little toys. But then he had to go and turn them into brain-eating zombies.

Think of what he'd do with C.H.I.P.!

It was then that I realized that, even though my dad totally didn't get me and did everything in a kind of stupid way, at least he believed in doing things for the right reasons.

He didn't get me, and I didn't get him, but he was a good man, and he was still my dad.