Title: One of Them
Rating: K+ in case
Note: In which Nigel gets powers like Father and Grandfather. Not exactly the way I wanted this, but I finally got this out liked where it went. This is also set after the supposed G:KND video that was uploaded and pitched to Cartoon Network. Nigel is older and makes an ultimate decision in this. It was supposed to be a full chaptered story but I'm working a couple of those already, so I condensed it into a one shot.
Enjoy!
He reached out into the darkness looking for a light as there was black enveloping him. It looked like a flame flickered in the distance of the black void. Determination raced through him, as he raced to it, not understanding what it could mean. As soon as he reached it, he reached out for the flame and started to play with it. As he did the flame turned different colors: blue, orange, yellow, red, and white flickered but it wasn't a hot fire it was cold. This was a bit of a calming affect due to what was going on around him. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked down in horror. He put his hands on it as it ran through him. It was warm to the touch and it felt unnerving to be on his body.
Darkness surrounded him as the inky black mess had enveloped him entirely. He was all of a sudden wishing that he would see his pale white skin. The red of his hoodie was already starting to darken at his emotions. His body and clothes seemed to have covered with the shadows from nearby aliens. It kept melding on to him like lava running its way down the side of a volcano. Nigel suddenly just started to see black and swallowed up by pain that he was unaware of what was going on around him. In fear and panic his skin started to turn black and he could see the flames. The inky blackness seemed to be dripping from him like goop, melted play doh, or something similar. He was actually glowing a faint red from the corner of his eye that he could tell outlined his frame. For some reason his mind flashed to the pictures they had displayed in the alamode, the annoyingly cute triplet's mother… That was when he finally woke up to screams.
"You're a monster."
"You turned out just like him."
"This really happened?!"
Then nothing but silence. He saw it coming from a mile away but not this reaction. Everyone had been aware of it. Somehow, someway, KND operatives knew about it. It was the big incident that nobody liked to talk about and generally never came up. Although, every night it came back in nightmares. Fighting with Father just made the nightmares worse.
Hoagie, Kuki, Wally, and Abby were just staring at him in silence. The back of Abby's blue shirt stared him, mocking him. Her shoulders shaking as her head did. Acting like she didn't know him with her head bent low. Nigel also never thought he would see the day Hoagie would cry. Hoagie and Kuki leaned against each other and cried. Whether or not they were tears of anger or sadness he couldn't really tell. Kuki was nearly a puddle on the floor being held up by Hoagie.
Then there was Wally just standing and staring at him. One hand on his stomach and the other on his mouth. He looked like he was going to get sick. He was just repulsed at the sight of his friend, well rather, former friend. Wally, the one that looked up to him so much.
From there Nigel turned to look into a mirror. It seemed to hang there in darkness. Every inch of his body covered in an inky black mess. A silhouette suit that covered every curve of his body from a scab on his left knee to the fold of his sweater. His frame burning and leaping with different shades of red and orange flames. The pain never came as it surrounded him.
Next to him only made Nigel's stomach lurch and made him feel ashamed at the same time. Father, or rather Uncle Ben, laughed and laughed at him. He seemed so proud of this happening to him. Uncle Ben's words just taunting him about the suit.
"You know we could rule as uncle and nephew."
"Perfect Monty has a kid like the rest of the family."
"That's the Uno blood for you it's in your veins, nephew. Someone in every generation has them. "
Then he sat up, reminding himself that this was just a nightmare. A horrible, horrible, nightmare that to his realization became a reality. His blue eyes wandered around the room finding himself in the hospital wing. To his left a table with chocolate and a plush toy to keep him company. On his right in a bed next to him, a fellow operative.
The boy, a GKND operative from the planet Uptar, lay in bed asleep. Blood oozed from underneath his bandages. Just looking at him made Nigel queasy and remember yesterday's mission.
Nigel remembered making operatives fly across the base. He remembered the mixture of being overwhelmed, frightened, home sickness, and how dangerous it all was. The enemy surrounding them and all those emotions coming out. All the shadows swirled toward him. Before he knew it, flames licked across him, as he watched in amazement and surprise. Everyone else started to look at him with just as much astonishment. He didn't know that he could do this. With one swipe of his hand surrounding operatives flew into walls. Including those on his team.
Just before collapsing, he felt the pain leave. This couldn't have been happening to him of all people. He didn't know that his body was capable of this thing. He didn't know what he could do with it. All he figured was that Father and Grandfather knew more about it than he ever could. With one last look around the room, he ate the piece of chocolate and grabbed the doll before exiting.
As he ran toward the bridge he could feel the tears coming. Nigel could remember every minute of his last mission. Right to the moment that he had passed out from heat and exhaustion. The last thing he remembered was fire burning everything in its path. He shuddered as he sat down contemplating on what to do next. The last couple of years in the G:KND have been nothing short of memorable. Sure there was that time he had tried to blow up Earth but even that ended well.
This, he knew, couldn't end half as well. He had injured his teammates and got powers. Dark powers that just might take over him and he would become just as bad as the. He, unfortunately, had a long line of evil history that ran through his blood. Nigel knew about it but never the possibility of it happening to him. He was, no is, a great operative and he knew that too. There were his moments that he wasn't so proud of. Kidnapping those babies, not listening to his teammates, and never bringing home the cake in one piece was the first thing that popped in his mind. Nigel knew of his flaws at least some of them. He is slightly bossy (okay really bossy), whiny, impatient, and somewhat had a bad temper. There was the fact that he could see himself growing up to be a little like his uncle or grandfather. He wasn't stupid, he could see the similarities.
The worst was that he felt that he was growing up. It is the one thing that pained him the most.
On the other hand, growing up seemed to suit him. He didn't exactly get his hair back, but he was taller standing an even six foot. He wasn't nothing but muscle but he wasn't all flab either. His vision still needed to be corrected for one thing. Nigel looked around at the void of space as he reflected on himself.
What was something that he could do with himself? He was 17 on Earth and almost no use to the GKND anymore. He dwelled on what life would be like on Earth. His friends would be starting college. His parents probably missed him so much. His father's words filtered across his mind for what must have been the millionth time this month. "I need to complete the most important mission of my life by being a good father to my son."
He kept thinking about it and wondering if his parents made the right decision by letting him go. Nigel never admitted it to his teammates, but he really missed them. He missed all of them back on earth.
"Nigel?" asked a voice from behind him. It was 74.239 and Infinity from behind him. They were going to talk to him about what happened on Uptar.
"I know what I'm going to do," he said suddenly. "I've decided to get decommissioned. I'm not going to remember my travels and I'm not going to have these powers. I miss my parents and my friends. I'd like to go home."
It didn't hurt as much saying it out loud. He had talked about it with Chad before he decided to go back. After what they had done and tried to do to Earth, Chad went back. Now it must have been his turn. They had told him that his parents moved back to England and they were willing to drop him off.
"We'll be there by tomorrow," said 74.239 sadly. Nigel wasn't going to admit it out loud, but he was going to miss his freckled faced friend.
"What are you going to do about your powers?" asked Infinity curious. Nigel just shrugged, because he figured if he was decommissioned they would be gone. Both just looked at him as Nigel picked himself up and left them standing there. Nigel wanted to leave them wondering and he wondered about himself.