Chapter 2: A New Era

...Connection Established...

2 years before incident

"Hey Numbuh 362, have you seriously ever thought about you know, taking a break?!"

Rachel ignored Patton's comment as they walked down the packed corridors of the Moon Base halls. Things now a days were normal, and oddly enough, the blonde commander was glad of it. However, in the wake of the destruction caused by a previous war, the Kids Next Door emerged as a world superpower. It's main territories expanded across North America, and it's might was felt throughout the world. Rachel, the Supreme Leader, was now also deemed the most powerful person on the planet. From making diplomatic arrangements with new powers that had sprung up after the war, to sending soldiers to aid in humanitarian efforts, she managed it all.

It was truly was a new era, in more ways than one. Only a few weeks after Nigel's departure, a strange new virus appeared out of thin air. Instead of killing humans, it did something quite different, some may argue even quite beneficial. When infected, the virus seemed to halt or even reverse the aging effects of the host. No one knew how this virus came to be, but some speculated that it may have come from outer space, sent by someone or something directly to Earth. As a result, aging seemed to cease after age 18 was reached. Why age 18? Nobody knew. And since this unusual outbreak was relatively new, no one knew if it contained any possible consequences. But as of now, there appeared to be none.

She rushed through the hallways, finally arriving at the Moon Base command post, Patton trailing close behind. Geeze, he thought, this girl desperately needs to take a vacation.

"Did you hear me Numbuh 362?!" Patton waved as she walked up the stars to sit on her chair that over looked the entire deck.

Seriously, she was tired of everyone constantly nagging her to take a break. It had been only a four months since Nigel left, and ever since then she had done nothing but work, work, work. It was her way of coping with the pain, her way of keeping herself busy from thinking about Nigel. Rachel glared at the black haired boy, "I heard you the first time Numbuh 60, now seriously can you just leave me alone? I have some important things to do." Reluctantly the boy backed off and saluted, "Whatever you say Supreme Leader."

Rachel watched him walk down the stairs onto the first floor of the deck. Finally, she thought, some alone time. She sighed and pulled out a folder she was holding onto this whole time. She settled it on her desk, careful that none of the operatives behind her doing paperwork were peaking. The picture of a bald young boy wearing a red sweater and shades emerged from the folder. His smile, filled with confidence and a sense of duty; a trait that was so rare in the organization these days. On his picture was stamped 'MISSING'. No one could find him, hell the KND even launched a month long search to the find the boy, but they found nothing. It was like he disappeared from the face of the planet. But Rachel knew where he went. She could still remember the day he left, the day they said their final good byes... it was a day she'd never forget.

"STOOOOPID BOY!" the voice deafened all the operatives in the room, including Rachel. Oh for heaven sake, why is Fanny yelling this time. She stomped her way down to the first level of the command post, demanding an explanation from her red-headed friend.

Fanny looked like she was full of rage, enough to make most of the children take a step back. Too them, it looked she was ready to tear apart the boy before her, who looked back just as defiantly. But Rachel knew better, besides she was the Supreme Leader. "Ok Fanny, what the hell happened this time?"

Fanny diverted her vision to Rachel, "Well this stupid boy, did something stupid," Rachel looked at her strangely, "and that was...?"

Fanny turned to grab an ice cream cone from the control panel, "He got me strawberry when I specifically wanted cherry!" You've got to be freaking kidding me, Rachel said in her head, all this yelling and commotion over a stupid mistake regarding an ice cream flavor?! Now she was really ticked off.

"Are you KIDDING ME NUMBUH 86?!" Fanny stepped back, she'd never seen her Supreme Leader so angry. "Seriously Fanny, can you manage ONE DAY, one day without yelling at half the command post? Geeze, and too make matters worse, you yell at them for the stupidest things! You know what, I might just replace you, I can't stand your nonsense anymore!" Fanny began to tear up, Rachel had gotten mad at her before, but never at such a scale. The Scottish girl deflated and turned her back towards her blonde friend.

Realizing the harshness of her words, Rachel walked up to her friend and placed her hand on the red-headed girl's shoulder. "Hey look, I'm sorry I didn't mean all of that." Fanny sniffed, "I know, but I'm the one who should be sorry. I know it's hard being the Supreme Leader, and my stoopid behavior just makes it worse for ya." That was partly true, but not the whole reason why she was so stressed. "It's ok Fanny, look I'll go get someone else to get you some more ice cream... wait a second, what are you doing eating on the job anyway?!" Fanny smiled sheepishly, "Well if you look at the time, I got to um... decommission someone." she slowly shuffled away, until she was finally out of view from Rachel's stern stare. Ugh, whatever, she'd let this go, they were just kids after all.

Rachel walked up back to the 2nd floor of the deck, sitting back comfortably in her cushioned chair.

She looked up through the thick glass ceiling, focusing her eyes on the peaceful stars. She sat in thought, wondering what her bald headed friend was doing at this very moment.


"Beautiful isn't it?" A girl says in the distance. The bald boy quickly turns to spot the owner of the voice, "Oh, it's you."

He was gazing back up at the millions of stars that littered the sky, narrowing his vision towards a star where he thought Earth may be. The girl approached him from behind and rested her arms on the guardrails. She quietly scooted next to him and smiled. The girl was about the same age as him, around her early teens. Like him, she was also chosen to join the GKND, but a bit earlier than him.

He stared blankly at the emptiness of space, knowing that somewhere out there was his home, a home he was millions of miles away from. Whether he knew it or not, he began to wonder if his Earthly companion was having the same thoughts as him. "Hey Naomi, when you... you know left Earth, was it hard for you to say good-bye?" He looked at her through his shades that were presented to him as a gift from the GKND. Sure it was more fancy and high tech, but he sorely missed his old pair, the ones he gave to Abby just before he left.

She thought about her answer for a minute, "Yeah... saying goodbye was the hardest part, especially when you don't know when or if you would ever come back." Her voice was soft and gentle, almost reminding him of someone he left back home. Naomi glimpsed at the boy next to her, "I left someone who I cared for very much, but now I don't know if he's even alive." she paused for a minute, "Especially after you told me of this horrible war between the Kids Next Door and Father, I really don't know anymore." The brunette remained silent, looking down at the dozen of GKND operatives walking around on the deck below. Nigel briefly glanced at her, taking in all of her features.

Naomi or Numbuh 410, was one of Nigel's first friends since he was enlisted by the GKND, and ever since they've become quite close. She was a very pretty girl, and had a very defined physique for a girl her age. Her skin was fairly light, and her eyes emitted a familiar brown color. She wore a black sweater and black pants, almost resembling that of Numbuh 362 in her spying days.

Overall, the girl before him was dazzling, both inside and out, and he wondered who the lucky guy back on Earth was. The way she held herself reminded him of someone... someone who was still waiting for him to return. Nigel, however, wasn't interested in the brunette girl, and she wasn't into him either, both of them too committed to their significant other back on Earth.

It dawned upon him, he'd only been gone a few months but already he was already feeling homesick, "You think we'll ever go back home?" Nigel questioned. Naomi glared back at him, fashioning an adorable smile. "Maybe Nigel, only time will tell. Say, didn't you say something about you being with a girl named 'Rachel?'

He looked back at her with a questionable gaze, "Um... yeah, why?"

She giggled to herself, man this guy really sucks at keeping a conversation going! "Just asking, besides, I heard that talking about our loved ones while we're away helps us feel closer to them, you know?" He stiffened even more, slowly rotating his head away from her. "I guess..."

Coming to the realization that she may have made things awkward, she got closer to him and gently placed her hand on his shoulder, "Hey, I didn't mean to come off like that, I'm just saying that maybe you should talk to someone about her. Keeping your feelings bottled inside isn't healthy after all." Her pretty voice ringed throughout his ears, and the way she touched him on his shoulder made him relax. He knew she wasn't doing this to try to sway him from his devotion to Rachel, but he felt guilty that he enjoyed her company more than he should have. Ever since he'd been away from Rachel, Naomi was the only girl to comfort him, to give him support. Crazy or not, sometimes he could swear that she was Rachel.

He gradually loosened his body, maybe he should just talk to this girl about Rachel. After all, keeping thoughts of his blonde companion all inside his mind wasn't helping him in the slightest bit.

"Well Rachel she..." Nigel rambled on about the girl. Realizing that finally he was opening up, the brunette got closer, her attention completely diverted to him.

The large space cruiser they were stationed upon slowly made it's way around the empty vacuum of space, headed back to base.


Perhaps she should take a vacation, but she couldn't especially when everyone else around her were so incapable of running the Kids Next Door while she left. Even though she didn't notice, everyone else did. Recently, she had become more irritable and short-tempered, and some speculated that it had to do something with Nigel's sudden disappearance. Others had a much more simpler explanation, since she was close to becoming a teen... well, must be that time of the month.

She did not however, lose the respect of her fellow operatives. All of them still remember clearly how she managed to pull the Kids Next Door together even in the most desperate of times, despite facing almost certain defeat. She was considered a hero, and even an idol to some. But she could care less about all of that. Rachel believed herself as simply doing her job. Too her, it was her duty as Supreme Leader.

She walked around the Moon Base command post under the large screens that littered the room. Transmissions from different Sectors were being established left and right, all of them making requests, reporting in important intelligence, and so on.

Rachel came upon Numbuh 86, who was busy shouting at just about, well everyone who wasn't a girl. "Hey can you ring up Sector V?" Fanny stopped what she was doing, "Um, forgive me sir but why? Things have been peaceful in that area." Rachel sighed, "Just do it", Fanny nodded, "Bring up Sector V" she ordered the screen.

The transmission opened up with Numbuh 5 reporting in. "This is Numbuh 5, Leader of Sector V Supreme Leader sir!" Rachel saluted back, "At ease Numbuh 5, how's your Sector been doing."

"Good, just hasn't been the same since... you know" Rachel nodded, understanding what the dark-skinned girl was talking about.

"Yeah... well has Father been following the terms of the peace treaty?" Rachel awaited for her answer, hoping that the supervillain wasn't up to anything... again. Abby paused and checked data on the tree house computer. "Yep, nothing unusual coming from the Delightful Mansion, anything else?" She dug through her memory to see if she had wanted to ask Numbuh 5 anything else, but that appeared to be it. "Nope, resume back to normal duties, Numbuh 362 out."

"Hey Rachel." Abby said before signing out. "What is it Numbuh 5?" the blonde girl responded back, shocked that someone called her by her name rather then her operative number. No one ever called her that, unless they were extremely close or had a personal message to tell her.

"You should take it easy, I'm sure that's what he would've wanted." Rachel sighed, "Is that all Numbuh 5?" Abby nodded, "Yeah." Rachel hastily saluted and the new leader of Sector V did the same in return, ending the transmission.

Rachel stumbled back up to her office, checking in for any important mail or voice mails. She checked through all of them, nothing unusual like always. A far cry from the task she had to deal with not too long ago. If trying to keep the whole KND united against Father wasn't easy, dealing with a shadow organization bent on taking over the whole entire world by indoctrinating the human race just made it even more difficult. An to top it all of, she was also tasked to help reconstruct the war torn areas effected by the war. But now a days things were, oddly enough, much more peaceful. With the Kids Next Door now a superpower wielding more authority than ever, disputes with foreign powers became much more manageable to deal with.

The KND had a a twenty four hour watch on things back on Earth, with a navy patrolling it's oceans constantly, an orbital fleet that could deploy anywhere in the world almost instantly, and bases(or sectors) littered on every corner of the world. Also, it was the only entity to possess satellite weaponry powerful enough to annihilate an entire city.

To Rachel, it had seem that things had finally turned for the better, with the Kids Next Door now taking the role as a peace keeping force on Earth, and this 'mysterious' virus keeping everyone young.

Little did she know that this small moment in time would be short-lived.

...Transmission Interrupted...