Okay, people, it's time to head for our first treehouse.


Chapter 4: Fire

Closing in on Sector V Treehouse

Having received their missions, each team got in their own ships and started their journeys around the world to save the treehouses. Nigel, Rachel, and Fanny were currently on their way back to Virginia in a S.C.A.M.P.E.R.. "I wonder how many other operatives were able to avoid all this." Rachel said worriedly. "We better save them fast."

"Let's start with Sector V." Nigel suggested. "Since it has the Book of KND, it may be dangerous if we leave the demons there any longer."

"Why should we? That treehouse is hardly any good, anyway!" Fanny retorted.

"Because it's where I live. And since you're technically my servant, I order you to go along with it!"

"I don't care if you ARE the Demon Prince! I'm still at a higher rank than YA!"

"Actually, since Numbuh 1 is technically a galactic level operative, he's at a higher rank than both of us." Rachel explained with an innocent grin.

"Well, he isn't anymore! So that means that I should be ordering HIM!"

"Look, let's argue about this later. For now, let's focus on recovering my treehouse."

"Sounds good to me." Rachel agreed.

"Okay, but THIS isn't over!" Fanny shot back.

Eventually, the three took land in Sector V's open hangar, stepping out and holding weapons ready. "You know, part of me questions how 2x4 technology can help us against demons." Rachel said quietly, holding only her staff.

"Remember Dimentia?" Nigel asked.

Rachel chuckled. "That was a different case, Nigel."

"Well, if me and BALDO are part-demon, we should be just fine." Fanny figured. "Besides, these monsters have never messed with me. Ay'll make sure they get the message." (Play "Gruntilda's Lair" from Banjo-Kazooie!)

Stage 1: Sector V Treehouse

Mission: Reclaim the treehouse from Malladus's troops.

The hangar was rather quiet, but very dark. The operatives could feel nothing but fear and evil growing within this treehouse. It reminded them of when Grandfather took over; they could be ambushed by Senior Citi-zombies for all they knew. Heck, if Grandfather could turn people old, why not Malladus? The three kept their guard up and advanced toward the hangar's exit. Almost instantly, a group of red and green blobs with wide smiles and eyes—called Chuchu—dropped around them in a circle before they could leave out the exit. The blobs jumped and shoved the operatives, but Rachel proceeded to behead the slimy smileys with her Yield sign, while Nigel and Fanny shot them away with their weapons. The blobs were defeated easily, left as blotches of splatted Jell-O on the floor. Nigel dipped his finger in one of the red ones and licked off the jelly. "Yuck! It doesn't even TASTE like cherry!"

"Uuugh! You're EATING that! Disgustin' boy." Fanny said smugly.

"Eat the green stuff, it probably tastes like boogers." Nigel remarked. "You like that stuff, right?"

"Siiigh." Rachel shook in disbelief. "When the world's in danger, you can always count on those two to get along." She approached the hangar's exit and tried to pull the door open, but it was stuck. "Sigh, did Numbuh 2 have a key around here?"

"He usually leaves it in his bed." Nigel said. "I'll get it." The bald boy proceeded to climb the unstable ladder to Numbuh 2's rocket bed (seriously, doesn't he ever worry about falling from that?). As he faced upward, he noticed a small, mouse-like demon with horns—a Miniblin—peek over the bed, and was beginning to drop barrels down. Nigel had to lean the ladder toward the left and right to avoid the barrels, but do it slowly so the ladder wouldn't tip over.

Nigel managed to reach the rocket bed, taking the Miniblin by the neck and throwing him to the floor. Nigel climbed onto the bed and found the key under Numbuh 2's Yipper pillow. Afterwards, he dropped down, landing firmly on his feet, and opened the door that led into the hallway. The hall was patrolled by purple, muscular demons with pig noses and wielding spears and lanterns; called Moblins. They looked like Phineas and Herculi, as Nigel recognized, only they were much less muscular. The kids approached the Moblin, and the monsters immediately stepped forward and chucked their lanterns, setting the floor on fire. Through the flames, the Moblin jumped through and punched Nigel and Rachel away. Fanny grabbed and tugged on one's spear, but the much-buffer Moblin batted her away.

Rachel leapt forward and struck a Moblin's head with her Yield Staff from above, knocking him backwards. His spear was dropped, so Fanny ran to grab it, using it to clash with the other Moblin. The unarmed Moblin frantically ran forward for a punch, but Rachel began pelting its face with punches from her staff's glove, until its nose was crooked and he was dizzy. Nigel then ran and kicked the side of its face, knocking it out. Meanwhile, Fanny successfully knocked the spear out of the other's hand, and was proceeding to jab him with the spear. From behind, Nigel ran and kicked the Moblin, pushing him through the tip of the spear. Fanny discarded the weapon, leaving the monster stuck.

The trio entered the main room of the treehouse, seeing Bokoblin roaming about. One was digging through the refrigerator and two were watching TV. "Where do we even begin?" Rachel asked. "Are we just supposed to clear them all to recover the treehouse?"

"Gabe said that Malladus' best monsters were guarding the treehouses." Nigel said. "We must have to defeat a certain one to rid the evil from it, but I doubt it'd be any of these clowns. Actually… I have an idea where to look."

"Where?"

"The Secret Treehouse of Coolness, where my father- er, Numbuh Zero, hid the Book of KND. The demons would definitely try to get that book. I say we make our way down to my house."

"HA HA hah!" one of the Bokoblin on the couch laughed. "Oi, you should've seen the way Antberry chopped up that book! He looked so giddy doing it!"

"WHAT?!" Nigel screamed.

The demons all whipped in their direction. "'EY, IT'S THE PRINCE!" The Bokoblin abandoned what they were doing and ran in to attack. The operatives either blasted the demons or attacked directly, and Nigel was especially furious as he did so.

"YOU!" He grabbed the Bokoblin that was speaking by the neck. "What happened to the Book of KND?!"

"O-Our boss chopped it up into pages! For some reason, he couldn't slice the individual pages, so they were split up among the soldiers! I reckon they're hidden around the treehouses."

Nigel gripped his neck even tighter as his hand ignited with fire. "And where, pray tell, might I find them?"

"AAAAAAHHH!" The demon's whole body combusted. "STOP IT! AAAAHHH!"

"NIGEL!" Rachel shouted.

Nigel ceased, gaping at his hand in shock. "Did I just… do that?"

"It's the royal flame!" another demon shouted.

Nigel looked to them, grit his teeth, and instinctively threw more flames at the rest of them, eventually burning them to nothing. "I don't believe it! This fire power… it's just like Father's."

"Father is your uncle, right?" Rachel asked. "And that demon called it the royal flame. It must be your inherited power."

"As if this couldn't be any worse." Fanny retorted.

"Says who?" remarked Nigel. "Clearly, the demons don't like it. I say we make use of this power. Huh? Hey, check it out!" He picked up a fallen page from where one of the demons stood. "A page from the book! If I put this on my-"

Kids Next Door: T.R.A.C.K.E.R.

Tracks Rather Any Collectible Kids En't Relocating

"-I can probably find the other pages." Nigel placed the pages on a small scanning device, the arrows pointing downward. "I suppose we were heading that way, anyway. Let's try to look for book pages while we're fighting the demons."

"Good idea, Nigel. Nothing is more sacred than the Book of KND. Except cookie breaks." Rachel said.

The elevator was inactive, so they needed five hamsters to power the small generators. Rachel looked in the fridge and found a terrified hamster, also sneaking a bite of some cheese inside. Nigel jumped the platforms to the second level of the room, shooting down bats called Keese. A hamster was running around the ring-shaped pathway up top, a Keese chasing it, until Nigel killed the bat. Fanny opened a kitchen cabinet as a Chuchu jumped out, a hamster trapped in its goo. Fanny killed the blob and rescued the rodent. Rachel then flipped channels on the TV until a hamster appeared onscreen, and the creature broke out of it. The last hamster was hidden in a tree in the corner.

The five hamsters entered the generators and activated the elevator. The operatives rode it down to Nigel's house, but the second the door opened- "EREH?!" a Moblin gaped in surprise. Nigel instantly pelted the demon with fire, his friends letting loose on him until he was destroyed.

"Wait a second!" Nigel realized. "My parents! MOM! DAD! ARE YOU HOME?!" There was no response. "Oh, no…" He was quick to rush to his parents' bedroom, finding a Bokoblin and female Moblin making out on the bed. The demons whipped toward him in shock, but Nigel gave them no time to speak as he burned them. "My parents aren't here! The demons must've kidnapped them… or worse."

"Nigel, where's the Secret Treehouse you mentioned?" Rachel asked. "Maybe they're in there."

"Good idea, Rachel. This way." Nigel led them to his room, but the door was locked.

"Tough luck, Princey! We knew you would be comin', so we boarded up the door! You'll NEVER get in here!"

"Let me IN! !" Nigel unhesitantly blasted fire at his own door, destroying it and anything that might've been blocking it. The Bokoblin on the other side was soon met with his flames as well. "Great, because of them, I was forced to tear up my room. I'm charging Malladus after this." With that, he approached the tree bark that was in the corner of his room and knocked on it. In an instant, the secret chamber opened. They jumped down the slide and searched the dark hideout.

Still following the T.R.A.C.K.E.R., they entered the Book of KND's resting chamber. All that remained of the relic was its cover. "There's really nothing left. The closest thing to it is the cover."

"Yeah, Cole sure was afraid of that thing." (End song.)

The three searched around for the source of the voice. "Who's there?!" Nigel asked as they readied their weapons.

A demon that looked like a humanoid bug dropped from the ceiling. "The name's Antberry! And Chancellor Cole tasked ME with securing this treehouse!"

"YUCK! And I thought Potty Mouth was ugly!" Fanny exclaimed.

"Why, thank you! All of us Nighlok have that trait in common. We're known as the ugliest tribe in the Underworld! And now I'm going to show you the true power of our ugliness!" he said as he drew out his ax. "Feel the sharpness of my ax!"

Boss fight: Antberry

Antberry charged and threw his ax at them, but they split up and avoided. Nigel and Fanny then fired a G.U.M.Z.O.O.K.A. and a M.U.S.K.E.T. at him, making him shield himself. "SANZU SLIME!" he shouted as he shot his slime at Fanny, making her drop her M.U.S.K.E.T..

"Why can't I pick it up?" she shouted, trying to do so.

"Nothing's slipperier than my Sanzu Slime!"

"Gross! I'd rather be covered in toenails!"

Nigel shot flames at the demon, and as Antberry shielded himself, Rachel ran in and whacked him with her staff, making him drop it. Fanny immediately ran over and picked it up. "Hey! That's MY toy!" Antberry exclaimed as Fanny was beating him with it. Nigel helped by punching flames while Rachel beat him with her staff. After a while, Antberry jumped a few feet away and shot more slime at Nigel and Rachel, the latter dropping her weapon. "There we go! Now, any attempt to use your firebending will end up EXPLODING! That stuff is corrosive, you know!"

"Really?" Nigel cocked a brow. "Good to know!" He leapt and grabbed hold of the demon.

"What?! What do you think you're-"

"NIGEL, DON'T!" screamed Rachel.

Nigel lit his hands—he EXPLODED and blew the girls back. All that remained of the Nighlok were flames, and Nigel was terribly wounded. "NIGEL!"

"That STOOPID BOY!" Fanny screeched. "How can he be dumb enough ta actually… KILL HIMSELF?!"

"Mmmm…nnng…"

Rachel gasped. As if by a miracle, Nigel awakened. "Heh… Barely felt a thing."

"N…Nigel… you IDIOT!" Rachel punched him. "How could you THINK of doing something so reckless?! What were we going to do WITHOUT you?! ARE YOU REALLY THAT DUMB?! Don't EVER think of doing that again or I'll KILL YOU!"

"Ouch! Okay, Rachel, I understand. Agh… Let's get up to Grim. He can fix me up, and we can ask about my fire power. Get the book cover, too."

In a few seconds, the dark energy that emitted from the treehouse began to fade away. The misprinted sign that was outside fell off and vanished and the treehouse was back to normal.


I confess: the battles in this story are not exciting at first. But they do get better near the end, and this series overall gets better. Just try to endure this one. ^^;