7
NCPA
At sunrise, Nikki, Ailey, and Rupie arrived at the Neutropolis Airport. When they got there, they were only slightly surprised that Skulblakia had conquered Chao World. It was all Scamper's fault for surrendering like a derp.
While on the plane, Nikki, Ailey, and Rupie came up with a plan to evade dark chao trouble. First, Nikki painted himself black and his arms red. Ailey and Rupie found two sets of handcuffs, so they put them on. Nikki then tied the two handcuffed chao together, and pulled them on a rope like dogs. They were even forced to walk on all-fours, in spite of the handcuffs. Nikki put on his most dark chao-like face, which was pretty crappy, and exited the plane. When he was walking down the ramp, a dark run type stopped him.
"What's your business?" asked the run type.
"I have these two prisoners from Emerald Hill Island." Replied Nikki
"What crime did they commit?" asked the run type.
"I found them talking trash about Emperor Ozimbus," replied Nikki
"Where are you taking them?" asked the run type.
"To the Neutropolis Prison Hall," replied Nikki.
"Ok, you can pass," replied the run type.
Nikki, showing no emotion, continued through the airport until he exited. He searched for a nearby lake, which was conveniently right outside the front door of the airport, and jumped in to wash off the paint. When he got out, he freed Ailey and Rupie from the rope and handcuffs.
"Great imitation of a dark chao Nikki!" complimented Rupie.
"Yeah, that was pretty good!" added Ailey.
"Back when I was in school, I did a play, and my friend Caruso and I were the villains - dark chao," said Nikki.
"Oh I see what you did there!" A Skulblakian soldier who had been watching them the whole time replied. He began taking out a radio to call reinforcements.
"You didn't see anything!" Nikki shot him in the face and turned back to Ailey and Rupie. "Ok, what did King Scamper tell us we needed to do when we got here?" asked Rupie.
"We are supposed to find General Nimbus, and I know exactly where he is," replied Nikki.
"Where?" asked Ailey and Rupie simultaneously.
"He's at the NCPA military station several miles north of here," replied Nikki.
"How do you know the Skulblakians didn't get him?"
"Skulblakians can't even touch Nimbus. He's way too awesome."
"Are you two related?" Ailey asked with wide eyes.
"Yes. In spirit." Nikki pounded his chest with one fist.
"Wooooaahhh!" Ailey and Rupie's eyes glowed.
"Come along now, let's get to business!" Nikki walked in a random direction.
"Wow, it sure is a good thing you know your way around Chao World!" exclaimed Rupie.
"Well I wouldn't be here if you didn't know your way around Emerald Hill Island," Nikki commented.
The three friends began their journey north towards the NCPA military station. The station itself was a perfectly round battle station in the ocean made entirely out of the toughest steel in all Chao World, which was actually rather weak. It was the most northern point of Chao World, and was connected to the mainland by a half-mile long suspension bridge, which was heavily guarded by NCPA guards, soldiers, and tanks.
About an hour later, Nikki, Ailey, and Rupie were several feet away from the bridge that connected the military station to Chao World. The base itself looked like a gigantic metal fortress with small runways and naval ship parking around it. It was hard to tell the station was circular. It appeared as though Skulblakia hadn't travelled this far north yet.
There were two neutral power types with blue police hats and rifles guarding the entrance to the bridge. Further down, there were more guards and a tank guarding the station's entrance.
Nikki walked up to one of the guards and said, "Hey! Buddy! How about letting us pass?"
"The guard, who's eyes were crossed and tongue sticking out, said, "Duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu… nine pluth nine ith ninety-nine! Huh-her!
"What the…" said Nikki, confused.
The other guard turned and said, "Sorry, young travelers. He's the stupid one. If you have any questions, just ask me."
"Ok, then" said Nikki. "Could you be a friendly guard and let us pass please?"
"If I was a friendly guard I wouldn't be a guard at all. I'd lose my job." The guard stared blankly at the three chao.
"Please?" Rupie looked at him with a puppy-eyed expression.
"Why do you want to pass?" asked the guard.
"We need to see general Nimbus" replied Ailey.
"Huh-her! Jenrul Nimbith Huh-huh-her!" said the stupid guard.
"Why do you need to see General Nimbus?" asked the guard.
"We need to talk to him about…" Nikki looked around to see if anyone was listening. "…about the Skulblakian dark chao" finished Nikki.
"Huh-her! That-th why dark chaoth are thilly creechurth! Huh-ha-her!" said the stupid guard.
"Ok, you can pass, and here is a notice saying I let you pass," said the guard.
"What's it for?" asked Rupie.
"To help you pass the other guards up ahead," replied the guard.
"Ok, thanks!" said Nikki.
"Oh-Kay! thankth!" mimicked the stupid guard.
Nikki shot the stupid guard in the face and then the three friends began crossing the bridge. Five minutes later, they were at the entrance of the military station. Four guards and a tank stood in their way.
A guard asked, "Are you intruders or do you have a special reason to be here?"
"We're intruders!" Rupie screamed.
Ailey punched her.
"We have this," replied Nikki.
The guard took the passport and said, "You can pass."
"Thank you!" yelled Rupie.
The three chao then went around the tank and guards and found themselves in front of a huge fifteen-foot steel double-door. Nikki knocked on the door.
A voice behind the door asked, "Who is it?"
"I'm Nikki the Chao, and these are my friends Ailey and Rupie" replied Nikki.
"What do you want?" asked the voice.
"Nikki replied, "We need to see General Nimbus."
"Why?"
"We need to talk to him about…" Nikki looked around to see if anyone was listening. "…about the Skulblakian dark chao" finished Nikki.
"No," the voice said flatly.
"Please?" Rupie looked at a camera on the side of the door with a puppy-eyed expression.
"…Alright alright, you've convinced me. Come in," said the voice.
A few seconds later, the gigantic double door slowly opened, and Nikki, Ailey, and Rupie walked inside. The main hall of the military base was a huge room with two stories. At the far end was a huge 8ft squared TV with different views of security cameras around the base. Don't ask how it was able to work what with the comm. satellites being broken. There were hundreds of NCPA soldiers and workers walking to and fro from the dozens of doors on both floors of the room.
Nikki looked around and asked, "Who was at the door who just spoke to us?"
Ailey and Rupie shrugged.
"I'm over here," the door voice said.
Nikki and Rupie looked in the direction of the voice. Standing about five feet from them was a neutral run type. Nikki thought he resembled one of the Wacky Wavers, except this chao was blue, had five spikes in the back of the head instead of three, and it was slightly bigger. Additionally, it appeared to sparkle when the incandescent lights of the military station glanced off at a certain angle. He looked like a very powerful chao.
"Who are you?" asked Ailey.
The blue run type smiled and said in a calm sagely voice, "Why, I'm General Nimbus".
Wow! General Nimbus! Now all we have to do is tell him about Emerald Hill Island and we can get rid of Skulblakia! Nikki thought.
"It's nice to meet you General Nimbus!" said Rupie, and Nikki together.
Ailey fan-squealed.
"You don't have to call me General, Nimbus is fine."
"Ok, Nimbus!" said Nikki.
"Now, what is it that you wanted to see me about?" asked Nimbus.
"It's something we shouldn't talk about where others can hear," replied Nikki.
"That serious, hm? Ok, then. Follow me," said Nimbus.
Nimbus led Nikki, Ailey, and Rupie into a small sound-proof chamber. Nimbus sat down in a chair.
He then asked, "So, what is so important?"
Nikki replied, "We need to tell you something about Skulblakia."
"Really? That's it?" Nimbus looked disappointed.
"Yup," Nikki nodded.
"Skulblakia's all over the news… paper. It's hardly a secret now, I don't see why you went through all this trouble to have a private conversation with me."
"Well, I just wanted to spend time with you is all," Nikki said softly.
"Aw… that's so sweet…" Nimbus sparkled. "But no. I'm a business chao, and business chao do business only. Besides, Skulblakia is doomed. I'm sure King Scamper at Emerald Hill Island is going to declare war at any day now. It's practically impossible for a dark chao nation to overcome a nation of hero chao that never fight!"
Nikki looked at Nimbus with a sad frown on his face and said,
"Actually, Skulblakia did overcome a nation of hero chao."
Nimbus, with a comical look on his face, said, "Totally saw that coming. Ha."
"King Scamper sent us to ask you for help" said Ailey.
Nimbus sat still for a moment thinking. Then he said, "Well, I guess I'll have to train you."
"For what?" asked Rupie.
Nimbus then smiled slyly and said, "To help my army and I defeat Skulblakia!"
"I don't need training!" Nikki asserted. "Did you see me fly that plane? It's easy. Anyone can do it."
"You're not going to fly a plane," Nimbus retorted. "We'll have you doing something far more dangerous, since you're so awesome."
"Woah. Like what?"
"I'm not telling you."
"Why not?"
"Because you're stupid."
"…Ah."
