The soft mechanical sound of a monitor powering up permeated the silence, and the two figures in the room both cleared their throats nervously.

"Strike two." The voice lanced their ears and worked its way to their spines, causing them to cringe visibly. "You know what happens when you reach three."

"Well, ah . . . I kin explain, sirs." Steelbeak gulped. "See, de past two attempts would have been successful, but, ah, dey were 'indered by circumstances beyond our control."

As if to emphasize her partner's point, Gabriel bent down in her chair and rubbed gently at her sore ankle. "Yes, sirs." She concurred. "If we could find a way to corner Darkwing Duck by himself, we'd be successful."

All three members of High Command regarded each other wordlessly and nodded. "Well until you find that way, there is a more pressing mission at hand."

The two F.O.W.L. agents looked at each other with a mix of confusion and relief.

"Whatever you assign us to, sirs --" Gabriel began.

"Look outside. Tell us what you see."

Steelbeak walked over to the office's large floor-to-ceiling window and looked down into the streets of St. Canard. "People . . . freezin' deir tailfedders off?"

"Beside that!" The shadowy figure on the far right snapped.

"Well, ah --"

"Christmas decorations!" Gabriel squeaked happily, pointing to a telephone crew using its bucket truck to string up lights and hang wreaths on lamp posts.

"Yes, Gabriella. Christmas decorations. The holidays are upon us -- the perfect opportunity to snag F.O.W.L. some additional funds."

Steelbeak couldn't withhold a snicker. "I don' exactly go fer standin' outside in de freezin' cold wit' a red bucket ringin' a bell all day long, sir."

Gabriel elbowed him roughly, but Steelbeak noticed she was choking back a chuckle at his comment. "My partner is a blockhead, sirs. What do you need us to do?"

"Blockhead?!" Steelbeak blurted. Gabriel merely smiled serenely at him.

The figure on the left spoke. "Research and Development has acquired a subliminal mind control microchip that fits into any small electrical toy or device. Our plan is for these chips to be planted in children's gifts. Their young, easily manipulated minds will absorb the messages, and they will coerce their parents into capitulating large sums of currency to F.O.W.L.."

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