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Incoming Transmission
Negative 363, or Yevrah as some might prefer to call him, couldn't help but feel a bit unnerved. It wasn't the rough rumbling of his shuttle as it traveled the space between worlds. No, that rattling was music to his ears. It meant that his trip was going well. No, that didn't bother him.
His sister's never faltering smirk on the other hand…
The dirt blond stood with his hands squared away behind his back; his face stoic as he waited for them to arrive back home. He stood still, and so did Lehcar. That worried him. He slowly trailed over to see the blonde out of the corner of his eye; leaning against the wall of the small room. A golden bang obscured her eyes, but he could feel her ever present stare. Then that sinister smirk. It hadn't left her face since the left the Positive Realm. He didn't see what there was to be so chipper about. Her hands were securely cuffed, her 4x2 weapons had been confiscated and disabled. And once they reached the Negaverse, there would be a whole platoon of NKND soldiers to escort her to prison.
So why was she smiling?
After few more tense moments, Yevrah finally crinkled his lips as he turned his head slightly. "Why so silent sister?" He questioned despite knowing he would never get a straight answer. "You were more, shall we say vocal the last time this occurred."
The girl stayed silent before answering with a chuckle. "Maybe I've learned my lesson. Take my punishment like a good little girl."
The boy frowned as he chose to ignore that. "I highly doubt that." He turned to stare out the shuttle's window to watch the scenery fly by. The spectrum of space outside wavered in hues of watery blue and and pale lime. But even that couldn't help him shake the feeling something was wrong. Very wrong. "Have a special someone waiting on your cell-block, maybe?"
"You might say that." Lehcar teased before breaking out into a laugh. "It's really tearing you up isn't it?"
Yevrah glared at his older sibling as the shuttle came to a halt. When they had completely stopped, he walked up to the pod's door and typed in the input code. "The only thing tearing me up is that you aren't behind bars yet." The door latched off with a hiss as he began to lower down slowly. "Now come on. The sooner this is settled, the easier I can rest."
Lehcar kicked off the wall as she trailed behind Yevrah. As the door inched open, the blonde's eyes gleamed as she leaned down to whisper in her brother's ear. "You better bundle up, I expect it to be very nippy outside."
"Wha – GAH!" The boy yelped as Lehcar hiked her foot up and kicked him down the pod door stairs. Yevrah grunted and moaned as he tumbled down, and when he finally hit the ground, he was utterly shocked to find it bone chillingly cold and he sliding across it. His fingers dug into the frozen grass and snapped his head up to ask what had happened. But then he paled as he witnessed the destruction around him. "N-No…"
The whole area was in icy ruins. The security station around the pool totaled and transformed into a blistering tundra. The supports of the tower were in splinters, the hub itself falling down to be impaled upon a large ice spear that erupted from the Earth. The boy looked towards the Seltaeb's house to see that it had been destroyed. Giant looming ice spears prodded out of random places of the abode. Windows were shattered, doors creaked off their hinges, and roof tilings were hanging dimly across the remains of the caved in walls.
Yevrah couldn't comprehend it. The whole Positive Portal outpost looked as if a wild hurricane had struck. A hurricane with serious hail issues. "W-Why?" He muttered in disbelief as he started to back away. "Who would do such a – AAAHH!" He screamed in fright when he backed into something cold. Yevrah snapped around only to fall to his hind in horror as he saw what had befallen his comrades.
Frozen to the bone like crystal sculptures.
He frantically crawled away from the unmoving ice coated girl who had tried to escape. He looked around him to see everyone had shared their fate. A group of elites were frozen while aiming their rifles, trying to defend the others to no avail. Some kids had fallen to the ground before they met the same demise. Their arms were flung up in defensive positions; their faces locked in fear as they begged and pleaded before they were reduced to masses of ice. Negative 363 finally managed to stand. But still shell-shocked that all his teammates, all his friend were gone.
"Woo!" He snapped his head to Lehcar who had calmly stepped down from the pod. The blonde surveyed the area herself before she let a insane giggle spill from her lips. "Chilly tonight, dontcha think?"
"You." Yevrah hissed, his voice tinged with pure hate. His hand snapped to his blaster and he steadied right for Lehcar's head. He held no love for his spawn of a sibling before, but now after this… "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"
"Who me?" She gushed innocently as she shuffled her toes as if she were a shy schoolgirl. "I didn't do anything."
Yevrah growled as he lost the last bit of his patience. "THAT'S IT! As a Neo Kids Next Door operative, I'm going to do what should've been done a long time ago – AAH!" He stiffened as a freezing hand clenched down upon his scalp. Cold nails dug into his forehead and he could feel the sensation crawl down the length of his body. He dropped his blaster, completely paralyzed. His orbs shifted around wildly, but stopped when an older female voice droned out.
"So you wish to imitate the Kids Next Door?" A woman idly questioned as Yevrah felt himself freeze over. "Then if you wish to bare their same responsibility, then I hope you are ready to bare their same punishment." Mother coldly stated as her hand reeled back to her person. She arched a thin white brow as the frozen Yevrah tipped over, crashing into the ground below. "Your brother seems to lacking in balance, dear."
"Yeah, yeah. Tell me something I don't know." Lehcar grumbled as she struggled to free herself from her cufflinks. She blew her bangs out of her vision as she prepared to demand Mother's help. But any retort died when an icy blade entered her vision. "W-Wha?"
"Forgive me dear, but it seems my mind is slipping." Mother strictly replied as she used one hand to wave her ice blade around while the other held a compact mirror to check her complexion. Tsk, was that another blemish? She had better be getting a refund on that makeup. Her sharp eyes suddenly flicked to Lehcar who was cowering under her spear. "I don't recall giving you permission to seize control of the moonbase."
Lehcar swallowed heavily. Crud. She was worried she would be…upset about that. "B-But I thought I would go ahead a secure my payment! I didn't mean anything against you!"
"For your sake, you better hope Father is more forgiving." Mother uttered as she inched the cold blade closer. "But then there is the fact you were trying to claim your reward before you even completed your assignment."
Lehcar's eyes widened. Fearful of that blade getting any closer. "B-But I did! I've got it right here!" She quickly pleaded motioning to her pouch. She looked up hopeful, only to flinch back and clenched her lids tight with fear when she saw Mother raise her hand up. She heard the sound of the ice cutting through air and thought it was over.
CLINK!
The blonde blinked with confusion. She felt no searing pain. Nor had the profound feeling her guts were spewing forth. She then jumped with surprise when she realized that her hands were free. She gripped her wrists; rubbing the soreness out of them while sparing a glance to the broken cuffs. They laid against the frosty grass in two separate pieces. The cut was so fine it was hard to believe it had been cut at all. That could have been her! She then turned to look up towards Mother as she held her hand out expectantly. No more words were uttered as Lehcar reached into her pouch, producing the Book of KND she still had in her possession.
"Ah, excellent." Mother stoically praised as she felt the worn cover in her pale hands. Her eyes twinkled with mild amusement as she instantly began flipping through pages. Confident of what she was looking for. 'Finally. After all this time' She thought mirthfully as she tore a single page out. The woman stowed the book into her blue purse as she read over the parchment from long ago.
Lehcar felt awkward as Mother became engrossed into her readings. As if she forgot the world around her. The blonde fiddled with a stray lock of her hair and hummed a short tune to herself. But then she fidgeted when Mother's hand snapped out again.
"Go wait in the pod, deary." Mother ordered, her voice filled with devious delight that made her want to shudder. "I shall be along momentarily." The blonde obeyed, not wanting to upset the woman, and trotted up the pod's stairs as Mother whipped out a communication device. "I have it." She breathed into the device.
"That is most delightful news to hear." The smooth voice of Father chuckled out from the other end. "My efforts have been most fruitful, but I'm afraid I cannot find a trace of this Professor Kintobor person you're so gosh-darn persistent on. According to records, he doesn't even exist." The man sighed. "Are you sure we can't make do with the scientists we already have at our disposal?"
"Those scientists tried, and failed." Mother pointed out as she sauntered up the stairs, her heels clacking with every step. "I assure you the professor is still alive, so keep digging. If his skills live up to what the rumors claim to be, he shall be able to construct the device once we have the plans."
"Speaking of plans, where exactly are they located?"
Mother smirked as she glanced down to the page again. "Have your children ready. They're going to on a little excursion to their abandoned treehouse." The woman chuckled as she closed the device. Her hand typed in a set of codes and the massive pod began its trek back to the Positive world. Her sky blue orbs flickered over to a confused Lehcar, then back to the book page as she continued reading. "Oh, it shall not be long now."
Fellow Kids Next Door. After much planning and consideration, I as the Seventh Ages' first Supreme Leader have come to a decision. This time of rebuilding is a time for change. We have made much progress. We have shattered boarders by allowing girls into our ranks. We have done the impossible by constructing the cracker-jack Moonbase. So much has changed. But I fear there is one other matter I must change before my reign is over.
As you know, once an operative reaches the age of thirteen they are decommissioned. Their booger is removed, their operative status terminated, and they are returned into civilian life; restricted from our future operations. They are given the boot if you will. But I'm afraid that simply 'kicking them out' isn't enough. When the teenager leaves, they leave with all of our secrets. The risk of them becoming traitorous is far too great, and there is almost nothing we can do to prevent it.
That is, until today.
Using core technology from the weapon that defeated Pappy, one of our top scientists has devised a solution to this 'decommissioning' problem. But, the process itself is harsh, teetering on cruel. A kid is asked to give up so much upon joining us, and by asking them to give up this… It is a matter I've spent many a Saturday thinking over, and as horrible as it may sound, I fear I have no other option. I will not let us meet the same fate as the Sixth Age. So it is with that, that I give my final verdict.
I, Numbuh Zero, Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door, hereby decree that from this day forth, once an operative reaches the age of thirteen they are to undergo a new mandatory process. One of our scientists has created chambers; chambers that will drain a teenager of all his memory of the Kids Next Door. He will forget his first day at Arctic Training. He will forget the moment he was a Cadet no longer. He will forget serving with his sector. He will forget basking in candy with us. He may even forget his entire childhood itself. This process shall be known as mind wiping,
This process, shall be known as true Decommissioning.
I am saddened it has come to this, but the risk of letting our greatest secrets roam free is something I will not take. The inventor of this new process is the same who created the weapon to erase the mind my father. This inventor has already built our new Decommissioning Branch on the Moonbase. This operative is currently under the protection of Sector Z at their hidden treehouse; working on fine tuning the new Decommissioning process as we speak. If you are to hate, then do not hate this operative, hate me knowing I ordered this to be done. But know this, I will make an example. In the next three months, I will gladly step into that chamber and surrender my childhood so that other children may keep theirs. I only hope that you shall do the same when the time comes.
In closing, I am restricting permission to investigate this operative. To protect him or her from backlash, I am officially erasing all records of this kids' existence. The operative will only be known as the unknown variable of our numerical organization. Who is it you still ask? It is Blankety Blank Blank,
Codename: Numbuh X
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Transmission Corrupted
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