GAH! Sorry, sorry, sorry, reviewers!
I meant for this to be up so much sooner! I have literally had 3 free days in the past 2 months when I wasn't at work, and I misplaced this file for a short while…
So, my apologies to everyone. I wasn't trying to punish anyone by withholding this chapter! I just got insanely busy out of the blue! I can assure you that new chapters will come much faster now that I'm not so busy…I've already got a huge jump start on chapter 9…
Hikariclowreed gets extra credit for naming operative Numbuh 83 correctly! Kudos! And the boy's name was Lee, in case you're still wondering. Thanks for reviewing! And I totally wanted to kill Harvey too!
Astro-McPhearson has made my head explode from over-blushing! STAY WITH ME, ASTRO! DON'T DIE ON ME, DAMN YOU! THE CHAPTER IS HERE! BREATHE, ASTRO! BREATHE! XD! Thanks for the reviews, and I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! I hope I continue to please!
Thanks, LuffyMarra for your review! I'm glad you enjoyed the scene between Kevin and Gwen, and I do hope to get around to the search for Ben sometime in the next few chapters lol! Eventually, it will come!
Thank you, CodeLyokoIsTheBest, for taking the time out of a busy school schedule (I feel your pain, friend!) to review! Numbuh 4 is one of my favorite characters too!
MusicStar21, your update has arrived!
Kat and Nini, thanks so much for your kind words! I'm proud to be not only drug free (reviews are my anti-drug lol), but OC-free as well! Lol! I feel the exact same way about OC's…they just subtract from a good storyline…
Treuan Xela, oh no…I'm quite dead…I'm posting from BEYOND THE GRAVE! (dramatic thunder and lightning) MWA HAHAHAAA! Lol! Naw, I'm just dead tired from a looong 2 months of hard work is all lol! Thanks for the review!
SplitDemonIdentity, I truly appreciated your classy critique! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the ride on the proverbial emotional rollercoaster…buckle in, cause this chapter promises to be another doozie! I almost cried myself writing it…Thanks for the review.
Nicar…well…a long pause, but not a stop, I assure you! Have you read the character profiles under "game info" on the Fusionfall sight? It's some interesting stuff, let me tell you! Thanks for the review!
Anonymous: I'm glad my notes were useful to you! It makes me glad that I took the time to add them! Actually, As cool as she is, XJ-9 is a NickToons character…sorry...If she were a Cartoon Network character, I'd have her (and Invader Zim!) in this fic in a heartbeat; however, I just have way too many characters to work with as it is…Hope you'll still enjoy this new chapter, and thanks for the reviews!
Gat'toron, don't fall off that bed now…by the way….could I borrow one of your sheets? You were right…I'm swimming in fan-drool….eeeeew….lol! Thanks for the review, and enjoy the new chapter!
Protomanfz, you get extra credit for single-handedly paying the entire ransom yourself for this chapter! Here you go, buddy! Sorry it took so long! Enjoy!
Second daughter of Eve- tallied up and put toward the effort! Here's your prize for contributing, and thanks for the review! (P.s. Don't worry…I just turned 18, and I too STILL have it bad for a good cartoon! Emphasis on GOOD…) We've both made the admission, now the healing can begin lol!
Jeff, thanks, pal! Enjoy the new chapter!
Eyelovefantasy- I figured a few years of war would tone her down and wise her up a bit…otherwise, she'd have been a very difficult character to work with, in relation to the storyline…Glad it works for you! So glad you're enjoying the story! Thanks for the review, and I hope you enjoy the new chapter as well!
-MOVING ON-
FILE 8: Panic in the Skies
After Nigel had taken control of Search and Rescue, Dexter and Mandark just sort of confined themselves to the back of the room; within view should something arise, but out of the way.
Dexter rested his elbow on the armrest of his chair and perched his chin atop his palm, deep in thought. Mandark was leaning casually against Dexter's wheelchair, watching every movement in the room with sharp, analytic eyes.
"Hmm…" Dexter muttered to himself, his expression serious.
"You got something to share?" Mandark asked, keeping his tone quiet so they wouldn't be overheard.
"Maybe…I've just been pondering some possible explanations for why we lost contact with Blossom, Buttercup, and Region C…" Dexter said.
"Theories?" Mandark asked. Dexter shrugged.
"Not exactly…nothing concrete; but a few ideas have crossed my mind…" Dexter said.
"Let's hear 'em, then." Mandark said.
"Well…as everyone knows, the day the Kids Next Door lost contact with their MoonBase, they also lost all other communications not stationed on Earth…Max said that the same was true for all Plumber communications…ever since that day, all communications broadcasting to and from the Earth have been cut off…" Dexter began. Mandark nodded, motioning for Dexter to continue.
"That included all communications routed through satellites positioned in orbit around the earth…" Dexter said.
"Which is why the only means of interplanetary communication during this war has been accomplished via means of building and broadcasting from radio towers." Mandark said. Dexter nodded.
"Precisely." Dexter said. "As we both know, this limits our communications abilities to a certain altitude…"
"Ah…I think I know what you're getting at here…" Mandark said. "Blossom and Buttercup were airborne when we lost contact with them…you think they ascended out of our transmission range."
Dexter nodded.
"Yes…as to why they would even need to ascend so far up into the atmosphere, it is not unlikely, I believe, that it is centric of whatever it is Buttercup saw." Dexter said. Mandark nodded.
"Sounds like a pretty reasonable explanation…she does seem like the type who'd probably give chase…" Mandark said. "Do you think Blossom saw the same thing, saw Buttercup chasing it, and joined the chase?"
"That's where things start getting iffy…" Dexter said. "The girls are fast…there's no doubt about that…however…we lost contact with both girls within 60 seconds of one another…"
"For our theory to remain sound…to have traversed the distance between regions q and c…whatever Buttercup saw would have to be incredibly fast…and I don't think even the Powerpuff Girls are capable of such speed…"
"I agree…not to mention something like that probably would have drawn attention…at that kind of speed, we would have had a flood of reports from regions q to c about the resulting sonic boom…" Mandark said.
"Yes, that too." Dexter said.
"So, you think maybe we're looking at two separate entities?" Mandark said.
"Three, if whatever Blossom saw is indeed an 'entity', and if you also count the UFO spotted over the compound." Dexter said. Mandark's eyes widened suddenly. He cursed softly.
"Separate, but not unrelated." Mandark grumbled grimly. Dexter looked grave.
"Odds are, yes. Three airborne sightings all within a few minutes of each other…I doubt it's coincidence." Dexter said.
"Dexter, Fuse doesn't have craft like the one Buttercup described…" Mandark hissed. Dexter nodded. Mandark paled slightly.
"…This could be a whole new invasion…" Mandark whispered.
"I highly doubt that Fuse would call for backup…in fact, it's highly unlikely that he has any backup to call, since he tends to eradicate and absorb all planets and life forms he encounters into Planet Fuse." Dexter said. Mandark picked up on the implication immediately.
"Oh god…" Mandark whispered, shocked. "This can't be happening…"
"We defeat the strongest invasive force in our galaxy…only to have scavengers come up behind it and take its place…" Mandark breathed. "Admittedly, it's brilliant…with Planet Fuse neutralized, we've let our guard down…we're exhausted from our war with them…another invasion now would…it…we don't stand a chance…"
Dexter lifted his hand to rest it on Mandark's arm. Dexter continued to stare dead ahead, watching the activity in the room with a calm and serious expression.
"Calm yourself, Mandark." Dexter began. "We don't know anything for sure. It's only speculation."
"No, it's imminent impending doom!" Mandark hissed under his breath.
"Keep in mind, Mandark; we don't know what Blossom saw, and we haven't gotten an actual description of the UFO spotted above the compound. These could be unrelated." Dexter said.
"But like you said, the odds that three sightings within 10 minutes of each other are unrelated is very unlikely." Mandark retorted.
"Also consider this: So far, we have yet to confirm that any of these three incidents have clearly implicated hostility." Dexter said. "Since earth communications are and will remain dependent on inferior radio tower technology until we can put new satellites into orbit, they may be incapable of broadcasting and/or receiving our transmissions."
Mandark raised an eyebrow skeptically at Dexter. Dexter's expression saddened. He lifted his hand away from Mandark's and clasped his hands in his lap forlornly.
"Please, Mandark…regardless of which is true…please…let us try to keep the faith of a glass half full…" Dexter said softly. Mandark's expression softened. He knew how Dexter was feeling…he felt the same way…even with his darkened outlook on the world, Mandark was also so tired of assuming the worst.
He relaxed his posture, propping his head on his hand like Dexter with a sigh.
"Well…scientifically speaking…taking into consideration the current data available to us…I suppose it's just as likely that these three incidents could just be beings from other planets who are here to help…" Mandark shrugged. He shifted his gaze to look at Dexter from the corner of his eye.
"Given the choice between them, I hope it's the latter." Mandark grumbled. Dexter cracked a small smile.
"Me too." Dexter chuckled softly.
~!~!~!~
It seemed so unreal…like a half hearted attempt to remember a dark dream…
Everything was a haze of flashing lights, gunfire, and shouting as he was dragged off by figures that had seemingly materialized from the shadows.
In fact, he was seriously doubting that any of this was real at all, until he suddenly found himself being tossed into a small side entrance door into the compound. The bright white lights of the hallway blinded him momentarily and he stumbled and fell onto the white speckled tile.
The force of his fall jarred him roughly. The pain of his elbows taking the brunt of his fall snapped him back to his senses.
He quickly stood, his eyes darting frantically for signs of his friend.
He was promptly knocked back flat on his butt when the door burst open and several people dressed in black dashed in.
"GAH! Uhn! Who are you?! What's going on?! Where are you taking me?! EDDY!"
He knew that voice!
"DOUBLE D!" He shouted, starting to scramble to his feet. He again found himself being jerked upright as two of the black clad people preceded to practically drag him down the hall after the others.
"EDDY?!" Double D cried frantically. He too was being dragged off by the black clad figures, and one of them was holding Courage as well.
Eddy struggled to get his footing as he was dragged along. Finally, he was able to plant his feet solidly. He slammed his feet down hard, effectively halting his captors and making them stumble.
"LET HIM GO!" he roared. With a strength he never knew he possessed, he threw his captors into one another. As the two crashed together, they released Eddy. Eddy jumped over them and barreled toward the figures holding Double D.
Suddenly, one of the figures threw his arms up in surrender.
"Wait! You don't understand!" He cried. He grabbed Eddy's arms as Eddy lunged at him and swiftly immobilized Eddy in a headlock.
"We're the Kids Next Door Stealth Unit. We're here for your protection!" He explained.
"Oh!" Double D exclaimed softly, ceasing his struggling. Eddy relaxed slightly and the boy released him.
"Stealth Unit? Why are we being guarded? And what's going on?" Double D asked.
Overhead, a dull roar rumbled over the compound and quickly grew in volume.
"EVERYONE DOWN!" The boy shouted, pushing Eddy to the floor. The others did the same to Double D. The floor shook as something zoomed low and fast over the compound above them.
"Sorry to be so brash, but there's no time to explain any further. Please just come with us. We'll keep you safe." The boy said, tugging on Eddy's arm to try to get him to follow. Eddy nodded bewilderedly and allowed himself to be led off by the squad.
~!~!~!~
Mojo rapped his fingers in annoyance on the dash of his steering column as he brooded angrily on the manifestation of frustration that was standing behind him.
Finally, Mojo slammed his fist down on the dash and swiveled in his chair to face him.
"Now, you human! You will listen to me as I speak on a matter most important that you must pay attention to so that I may make you to fully understand it!" Mojo barked. Kevin raised an eyebrow at him.
"…o-kay…." Kevin said slowly.
"The only reason that you have made it onto my ship without being taken away by the security set in place to prevent troublesome fools from boarding my ship and disturbing me as they should not do is that I, the brilliant and powerful Mooojo Jojo, am on a top secret mission so classified that not even security units could be deployed to make secure my ship and deal with pests such as yourself!" Mojo babbled. Kevin, his eyebrow climbing higher, remained with his arms crossed, nodding slowly.
"So I am forced against my will to do that which I wish I didn't have to tolerate by putting up with you invading my ship forcefully and without my permission, thereby forcing me to take you with me!" Mojo continued. He crossed his arms gravely and gave Kevin a stony stare.
"However, now that you are here against my will on my ship and I no longer have need to fret over raising a ruckus and attracting the attention of those who I wish not to be attentive to me at this time, you are on Mojo's turf now, kid!" Mojo sneered, pointing to himself.
"I, Mooojo Jojo, own this ship, therefore, I, Mooojo Jojo, make the rules, which you will now proceed to follow at my command, or suffer the consequences of your disregard to the orders which I will give to you!" Mojo said. For a long moment, Kevin just stared at him.
"…okay…let me get this straight…you're on a top secret mission and had to let me aboard so you wouldn't bring attention to yourself by calling in a guard unit to remove me; and now you're telling me to follow your commands?" Kevin asked. Mojo grunted in frustration and balled his fists.
"YES, stupid human boy! This is precisely the words which left my mouth and fell upon your inferior ears when I spoke them just moments ago!" Mojo growled.
"…uh…yeah….right…" Kevin said slowly.
"So, you're not part of the search and rescue effort?" Kevin asked.
"Yes and no…" Mojo said, turning back to the steering column of the ship. "My top secret mission which has been bestowed upon me in secrecy IS the seeking out and locating of a single particular individual, which is the technical definition of the phrase 'search and rescue'; however, I do this top secretly; unbeknownst to and independently of the rest of the main search and rescue force."
"Oh…who is it you're supposed to find?" Kevin asked.
"The information you ask me to reveal with your question cannot be relayed to you, as it is top secret, and as the one who is chosen to carry out this top secret mission, to reveal its details to you would breech the secrecy of the top secret mission." Mojo said. Mojo sighed.
"If you had just waited, you could have jumped aboard a mainstream search and rescue fleet ship when they returned to base and prepared for the second wave of the search." Mojo said.
"No I couldn't." Kevin said. "I'd have gotten caught and locked in a hospital room."
Mojo whirled around to face him.
"Do you mean to say with your statement that you are being searched for in the compound?" Mojo asked.
"Sort of…I kinda ditched the medlab and plowed through some medlab staff to get here…" Kevin shrugged. For a long moment, Mojo stared incredulously at the dark haired teen. Mojo's expression softened into one of sympathy.
"All of that in order to search for your missing friend…" Mojo said. Kevin swallowed thickly and nodded, trying hard not to get choked up.
"…I promised Gwen I wouldn't come back without him and a dozen yellow roses." Kevin said. Mojo's expression fell. He sighed softly.
"I'm sorry, son…but the nature of my mission allows me to neither land and allow you to carry out your search on your own nor does it permit me to alter my own course to search for your friend with you on board…you know too much about my mission for me to allow you passage off of my ship until you are cleared by one of the higher ups in the compound, and my mission is far too vital for me to deviate from my own search." Mojo said solemnly.
"What if you find whoever it is you're looking for?! You can at least do a quick sweep to look for Ben, can't you?!" Kevin asked.
"I cannot." Mojo said sternly. He rubbed his temples. "The subject of my search, whether injured or not…dead or alive…must be immediately returned to the compound upon discovery."
Mojo sighed and shook his head sadly before casting his sympathetic gaze toward Kevin.
"I am sorry, my boy…truly I am…I wish I could help you, but you have gotten yourself involved in a top secret mission and are now a liability possibly to the safety of the entire planet…I'm afraid your meddling in my top secret affairs has you trapped along for the ride, whether you like it or not."
"Mojo…please…" Kevin pleaded. "There must be a way…I have to find him!"
Mojo stared unwaveringly at Kevin and shook his head solemnly.
"Please…do not give me a reason to have to restrain or harm you…for if you do not comply with my orders, instructions given to me dictate that I must kill you in the name of planetary security." Mojo said solemnly before turning back to the console.
Kevin wavered backward a few steps and fell unceremoniously into a chair. He remained staring straight ahead for a long moment, pale and wide eyed, before his upper body slumped, he rested his elbows on his knees, and buried his face into his hands.
"I'm such a useless idiot!" He breathed to himself.
In the pilot's seat Mojo cast a sympathetic glance at the raven haired teen before solemnly resuming his work.
~!~!~!~
"GO! GO! GO!" Foul Larry shouted, ushering the children to run on ahead of him.
Mushi chanced a glance over her shoulder to make sure Foul Larry was still following them when she suddenly felt the ground shift violently from beneath her feet.
She shrieked as she toppled hard into the dirt. Shaken and a bit disoriented, she tried to scramble back to her feet dizzily. Her first attempt failed and she ended up tipping back over onto the ground.
She shook her head sharply and gasped for breath, trying to clear her wobbly double vision. It seemed to be working. Everything was coming back into focus as she sat up.
"MUSHI!" Tommy cried, having turned back to help her.
"MUSHI! GET OUT OF THERE, NOW! RUN!" Tommy shrieked desperately.
She gave a loud cry of alarm as she realized that the earth around her was riddled with deep cracks. She knew what would come next…
She scrambled clumsily to her feet and took off running, trying to get away from the cracked ground, but she wasn't fast enough.
She screamed as the very earth dropped out from beneath her feet and she began to plummet downwards into the gaping chasm that now lay beneath her. Her scream was cut short when she was winded by a sudden jerk of her body and a flash of green and orange before her eyes.
Suddenly, she was soaring sideways, then straight upwards, where she cleared the edge of the chasm and tumbled back onto solid ground! She lay on her stomach, once again too bewildered and winded to do anything other than cough and gasp for breath.
"MUSHI!" Tommy yelled, only a few yards away. She could see Harvey and Joey coming up fast behind him with their weapons drawn.
"BEHIND YOU, 963!" Harvey roared, raising his weapon to aim at her as he ran. Mushi felt a dark shadow fall over her, but before she could turn to investigate the cause, Tommy, rather than stopping as he reached her, leapt right over Mushi and brandished his weapon to the sky.
"YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING HER!" Tommy bellowed before firing several shots. Mushi shrieked as a horrible screech pierced the air and Tommy was suddenly knocked sideways to the ground, skidding several feet to lie in a motionless heap in the dirt.
"TOMMY!" Mushi cried. The screech sounded again and Mushi looked up to find herself faced with massive fusion monster reared up for a devastating strike…
Mushi yelped and barely managed to roll out of the way of the strike as the creature pounded down into the ground. Mushi rolled again, rolling to her feet and making a dash toward Tommy's still form.
Foul Larry was nowhere in sight, and with her out of the way, Harvey opened fire on the monster. Mushi could hear its' roars and Harvey's gunfire hot on her heels as she ran.
She dropped to her knees beside Tommy. He was face down on the ground. She grabbed his thick arm and attempted to pull him up, but he was dead weight working against her struggles.
"Tommy, PLEASE! Wake up! Wake up!" Mushi sobbed, struggling to loop his arm around her shoulders. His head lulled forward with a soft, low groan.
Her head whipped around to get a location on the monster chasing her, and she let out a shriek. The creature fell dead to the ground just beside her.
Shaking, she adjusted her grip on Tommy and stumbled backward a few steps. There was a short silence before a loud roar shook the ground, and in a flash of sickly green, Mushi found herself and Tommy hurtling backwards, skidding in the dirt.
Tommy let out a low groan and he raised his hand to his head.
"Tommy!" Mushi gasped, all fear of danger vanishing from her mind in favor of her friend. Mushi quickly slid her arm under his shoulders to support him, letting his upper body rest in her lap.
A pair of terrifying red eyes were fixated on them. The creature charged again toward them, its victims helpless to defend themselves…
Mushi was immediately reminded of the attack that had hurled them to the ground in the first place. She whimpered and ducked down over Tommy, holding him tightly in anticipation of the creature's immanent impact….
A loud battle cry sounded above even the thunder of the charging beast as a blur of royal blue and orange crashed into the monster's side, causing it to roll over and thrash its' way back upright.
"GET AWAY FROM MY FRIENDS!" Joey roared as he charged the beast, weaponless, once again.
"JOEY!" Tommy cried, managing to sit up. Joey yelped as the beast effortly sent him crashing to the ground. Joey rolled out of the way of the beast's rearing attack and was swiftly back on his feet.
"I GOT THIS GRAVEWORM!" Joey yelled to them. Mushi let out a terrified shriek as Joey narrowly escaped decapitation from the graveworm's next strike. He executed a nimble backflip over the creature's extended limb before turning back to them.
"REGROUP WITH NUMBUH 363! HURRY!" Joey finished before jumping to ricochet off of a protruding hunk of rock to hurl himself into the creature's side again.
Harvey rushed right past the two younger operatives, headed toward Joey to help him.
"FALL BACK TOWARD THE SCAMPER, YOU TWO!" Harvey ordered over his shoulder before cocking his weapon and taking aim at the monster.
Mushi helped Tommy to his feet, supporting him by letting him lean on her shoulder. The two retreated back as quickly as they could to about 100 feet from the fight before turning to look to their comrades.
They watched as Joey jumped to avoid the graveworm's strike, only to be caught dead on by a second strike before his feet could even touch the ground. With a loud yelp, he was sent hurtling right into Harvey. The two boys crashed to the ground hard.
The graveworm was upon them. It reared up for one of its signature deathblows, but Harvey managed to roll over on top of Joey and pull them both out of the way. Joey was still struggling to get back up when Harvey sprung back to his feet and opened fire on the graveworm.
Joey was still on his knees. Harvey continued to fire on the creature, meanwhile grabbing Joey's arm and pulling him up roughly. Harvey walked backwards steadily as he fired, doing his best to help the staggering blonde get some distance between himself and the graveworm.
"Mushi!" Tommy panted. He held his weapon out to her and flopped gracelessly to the ground. Mushi nodded and took Tommy's weapon, then turned back toward the battle.
Joey finally seemed to get his footing.
"CRAP! All this blaster is doing is irritating it!" Harvey growled.
"Skin's too strong up top…" Joey panted. "You gotta hit the soft underbelly."
"oh great! How are we supposed to…" Harvey began. Joey jerked away from him and struck a powerful fighting stance.
"Just get ready…" Joey said before charging the graveworm.
"NO! YOU CAN'T TAKE ANOTHER HIT LIKE THAT!" Harvey cried in alarm, but his words were of no use. Joey threw himself into the beast's side with all his might, making the beast bellow with rage. The beast whipped around, throwing Joey brutally into a massive slab of metal debris, before rearing up.
"NOW, HARVEY!" Mushi yelled, skidding to a halt beside Harvey and firing her weapon at the graveworm's exposed vulnerable point.
Harvey forced his concern for Joey out of his mind and raised his weapon. With a few well placed shots, Mushi and Harvey blasted the graveworm swiftly in two. The beast toppled to the ground with a wounded yowl, where it convulsed and died within seconds.
"Joey!" Mushi cried, dropping her weapon in her dash toward the little blonde.
Joey's back was propped up against the metal wreckage he'd been hurled into. His head drooped weakly and his chest heaved with every labored breath. Harvey and Mushi were at his side shortly.
Harvey grasped his uninjured shoulder anxiously and Mushi laid her hand over Joey's. Joey coughed weakly and raised his head.
"JOEY! Joey, you'd better not be dead, man!" Tommy growled between his teeth as he limped over to the blonde's side.
"N-n…n-not today…" Joey choked between gasps. "Gi-give me a hand, will yuh?"
Mushi and Harvey each looped one of his arms around their shoulders and carefully lifted him to his feet. He couldn't bite back the sharp cry of pain that the motion caused him, and for a moment, his body sagged limply against theirs.
"GOD Joey…rushing a GRAVEWORM without a WEAPON…I swear, if this doesn't kill you, I WILL!" Harvey hissed anxiously. A strangled chuckle escaped Joey.
"Get in line, Harvey…" Mushi grumbled tearfully.
"Ha-harvey called it first…rather…quick and painless…fr-from him th-than…slow n' brutal…from Mushi…" Joey chuckled breathlessly, trailing off into a harsh fit of coughs.
"Don't talk, man…save your strength." Tommy said.
"He's hurt pretty bad…we gotta get him to the Medlab stat…" Harvey muttered, scanning the terrain. "Where's Foul Larry?"
"Oh no…" Tommy whispered fearfully. "He fell…I saw him fall into the crevice that the graveworms made when they made their way up to the surface…"
"He saved me…" Mushi realized.
"Uhn…we gotta find 'em 'for more graveworms do…" Joey whispered.
~!~!~!~!~!~
Her expression was solemn as she made her way back over to the couch with a Styrofoam cup in hand. She sat down next to her quietly weeping teammate and offered her the cup.
"Here, Numbuh 3. Drink this. It'll make you feel better." She crooned gently. Kuki looked up at her and hiccupped pitifully. She timidly reached out with shaking hands and plucked the cup from her teammate's hand.
"Thank you." She sniffled softly. For a long moment, she just stared forlornly into the cup.
"Go on." Abby urged. "Drink."
"'S Numbuh 5's famous hot coco; made it special with extra whipped cream and marshmallows just for you." Abby said. Kuki sat in silence, trying to choke back a sob.
"I'm sorry…" Kuki gasped, her shoulder's trembling. "I just…"
"It's okay, baby." Abby soothed, laying a hand on Kuki's shoulder.
"Numbuh 5 probably gonna need to make a lot more where that came from…" Abby sighed sadly,
leaning back into the couch cushions and casting her gaze to the ceiling. They sat in relative silence for a minute, the only sounds being Kuki's poorly contained whimpers and sniffles.
Abby reached over and plucked a box off tissues off of the side table, offering them to Kuki. Kuki took them with a small nod of gratitude. Abby rested her hand on Kuki's back and waited until she was done before addressing her again.
"How did the boys take it?" Abby asked softly. Kuki shook her head.
"When I got back, I reported straight to Father…I'm sure he told Numbuh 1…I haven't seen him yet, so I don't know how he's taking it, and I haven't seen Hogie yet either…I'm pretty sure he doesn't know about it yet." Kuki said. She sniffled. "Even if I had run into him, I couldn't have told him…"
"Not just because of orders, is it?" Abby more stated than asked. Kuki shook her head.
"It's true that I wasn't even supposed to tell you about this yet…but I…I just…" Kuki sobbed softly.
"It's okay. I know. You just needed a friend to talk to." Abby soothed. "Ain't nothing wrong with that, baby."
Kuki nodded.
"I mean…I know you loved him just as much as the rest of us…it's just…I don't know why…I-I thought…I don't know…it's like it'd be easier to tell you…" Kuki stammered. Abby nodded.
"That I'd probably take it a little better." Abby finished. Kuki nodded.
"You're so strong, Abby…even though I know this hurts you just as much…you're always just so strong…" Kuki whispered.
"I know what you mean, Kooks. It's okay. You can fall back on me, girl. As long as you need me, you can count on me to be strong fo ya." Abby said, looping her arm soothingly around her teammate's shoulders. Kuki sniffed and looked up at Abby with watery eyes.
"Thank you, Abby…b-but…you know…We can be strong for you sometimes too…" Kuki stammered. "I-I mean…you just found out that your parent's are…and Wally…I…can't imagine…I…I feel so selfish for being like this when you…"
Kuki stopped and took a deep breath, looking right into Abby's eyes. "…you don't have to always be the strong one…"
Abby smiled.
"I know that's right, girl." Abby said, surprisingly calm. "Don't you worry about me. I'm gonna be okay."
"I know my friends. I know my limits. I know who to go to when I need strength." Abby said thoughtfully.
"Numbuh 1?" Kuki asked. Abby chuckled.
"Actually…usually, yeah." Abby shrugged.
"And he comes to you too usually." Kuki said. Abby shrugged and gave a curt nod.
"Yeah. We got each other's backs. Nigel and me…we practically family, you know." Abby said. "Thinkin' on it, we got us a beautiful friendship."
"You two make a great team." Kuki said. Abby smiled and nodded.
"That we do." Abby said. Her smile faded slowly.
"So Hoagie doesn't know yet…" Abby asked softly. Again, Kuki shook her head, and a fresh wave of tears flooded her eyes.
"Orders or no…I don't think I could have told him even if I had run into him…" Kuki said, her voice breaking. "I couldn't do that to him…I don't know how I could possibly do it…they…they were best friends…it…it's just too cruel…"
Abby bit her lip and rubbed Kuki's back soothingly.
"I know…don't you worry…you been through enough, Kooks. I know how to handle Hoagie. When the time's right, I'll break the news to him." Abby said. There was a long silence between them.
"Wh-what about Joey?" Kuki whispered hesitantly. Abby physically winced. Tears stung at her eyes.
"H-he…did you ever hear him mention anything…in case something like this happened to him? If he had a plan for Joey?" Abby asked, her voice strained. Kuki shook her head.
"Not that I heard…" She said. "I do know that he doesn't have any other family…but…I know a lot of troops have had wills made out just in case something happened…I don't know if he ever made one out…"
She paused for a moment, deep in thought, before sighing tearfully.
"If he did have a will, I'm sure he'd have kept it in his desk drawer back in his quarters in the Blackhead Mountain Compound for us to find when his quarters were emptied…but that won't do us any good since the Magic Tree of Nowhere was set on fire during the battle and the whole compound went with it…" Kuki said.
Abby nodded stiffly, trying not to cry.
"Well, we'll get together and discuss it as a team. Maybe he said something about this to Hoagie or Nigel…" Abby said. Kuki sniffed.
"I hope so." She whispered. "But…"
"But what if he didn't?" Kuki asked hesitantly. "What's going to happen to Joey then?"
"Then the team's going to get together and we will work something out." Abby vowed. "We will take care of Joey."
Suddenly, the two girls noticed a distant rumbling that was getting closer and louder fast. Within seconds, the whole room was shaking and something roared by low overhead.
"What was THAT?!" Kuki cried. Abby stood up quickly.
"I'd know that engine roar anywhere…that's the HF-666!" Abby hissed.
"The HellFire-666? The jet that Hoagie, Mandark, and Mojo were designing?!" Kuki gasped. "Are you sure!?"
"Whenever Hoagie has any spare time, he's in his garage working on that engine…and my free time is always with him…it's the same distinctive sound." Abby said.
"But that's a fighter jet! A dangerous fighter jet! Dexter said it's a death trap with a turbo drive and that no one should operate that thing unless…" Kuki began.
"Unless it's an emergency." Abby said. She turned to Kuki. "We're under attack."
Within seconds, the two girls were out the door and running through the labyrinth of halls that made up the living quarters. Two corners away, their rush toward Central Command was abruptly halted when they crashed into a team of operatives who were also in a great hurry.
"UMPH!" Abby exclaimed as she fell winded to the ground. Kuki let out a little squeal as she hit the floor beside her.
"KND stealth unit! Priority mission! Clear the….oh…poop…" one of the operatives mumbled once he got a good look at the two girls he had bumped into. Abby stared at the group in disbelief as she got to her feet.
"Oh…uh…Stealth Leader Numbuh 5, ma'am…" An operative stammered. The rest of the group got to their feet and quickly stood at attention in perfect formation in front of Abby.
"Numbuh 5?" Double D asked, confused by the abrupt stop to the equally abrupt whirlwind of motion.
"Double D? Eddy? Courage? Hey…isn't this one of your special squads, Numbuh 5?" Kuki asked as she got to her feet. "What's going on here?"
"Yeah, Numbuh 860…What is going on here?" Abby asked, her tone low and dangerous.
The young redheaded operative figited, his gaze darting around nervously.
"Uh…what do you mean by that, Numbuh 5, Ma'am?" He asked.
"I mean, Shawnnie, why is this unit assembled and rushing around with Double D, Eddy, and Courage in such a hurry?" Abby asked, putting her hands on her hips.
"U-um…we were…uh…all spending some quality time together to get to know each other as a team and…uh…er…we were…racing Double D, Eddy, and Courage to the mess hall; loser buys winners ice cream?" The boy stammered.
"Boy, don't you lie to me! You may be the stealth squad, but you can't hide from me! I trained this team, I brought it together, and I run the stealth tactics faction of the global KND!" Abby warned. "Now you better tell me the truth right now! Who recruited this squad and what is your objective?"
"Um…well…the Soopreme Commander did, Numbuh 5, Ma'am." 860 said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"Numbuh 1?" Abby asked. 860 nodded enthusiastically. Abby raised an eyebrow at him skeptically. She quickly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt to whisper in his ear.
"Your current target of interest who you are supposed to be keeping a eye on…he commissioned you for a mission." Abby said lowly and skeptically. "Did he find out you were following him?"
"No ma'am…I don't think so…he didn't act like he knew…I think he just called on us because we were the only unit that didn't go into battle yesterday, so he thought we'd be the best choice to utilize on such short notice…" 860 whispered. "I would have turned down the mission if I could have, but he's the Soopreme Commander, and if he didn't already know we were tailing him, turning down a mission from him without a good reason would have been a dead giveaway!"
"So basically, he's completely unprotected right now?" Abby hissed.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am…I-I didn't know what else to do!" 860 whimpered.
Abby nodded hesitantly and released him, taking a step back.
"Why would he commission one of my squads and not inform me?" Abby wondered aloud.
"I couldn't tell you, Ma'am…we're as confused as you are, to be honest." 860 shrugged nervously.
"What is your objective?" Abby asked.
"Protection detail, ma'am. To follow Double D without his notice and to be prepared to defend him at all costs on Courage's call." 860 said.
"Follow me? Secretly? How long have you…defend me at all costs? From what? Who would possibly benefit from attacking me? I'm a citizen! Why am I of such interest to the Soopreme Commander? And Courage's call? What is going on here?!" Double D asked, shaken.
"860?" Abby asked expectantly. The boy threw his hands up in surrender.
"I don't know! I don't know! The Soopreme Commander went to the MedLab to see Mandy…and you know we can't hide in such high traffic-small quarters areas as the MedLab, so we had to wait for him outside it…he came out, issued a summon for us, met us in front of the Ops Center, and gave us the orders!" 860 cried. "We don't know why he bypassed you in the chain of command or anything…we figured it had to be important for him to do that…He gave us Double D's name and the orders, no other who's, what's, or why's! That's all! Nothing else! Honest! I swear!"
"He went to see Mandy…? In the Med Lab?" Double D said hesitantly. Suddenly, all the color drained from his face. "…oh….oh God…please no…she…she can't be dead…"
Everyone stared at him.
"…No…Mandy's not dead…" 860 said slowly. "She was injured somehow…but she's in stable condition…expected to recover…"
"How'd she get hurt? I didn't see her on the battlefield." Abby said. 860 shrugged. Abby's eyes locked on Double D. She strode over to him, inching closer and closer until she had him backed up against the wall. She rested her palm on the wall, inches from his ear.
"So, Double D…" She began casually.
"Yes, Miss Numbuh 5?" Double D asked, doing a pretty good job of looking calm.
"So, this protection order on you…obviously, it's linked directly to Mandy…." Abby continued. Double D shrugged.
"Tell me, Double D…why would you, someone who calls himself an unimportant citizen, need protection as a result of Mandy's hypothetical death?" Abby asked coolly. Double D kept a completely calm demeanour.
"…Classified." He responded stoically. Everyone stared at him.
Courage let out a long whine.
"Ooooh, this is not good!" Courage whimpered.
"Numbuh 3…don't let the dog out of your sight." Abby commanded. Kuki nodded and stepped up to stand in front of Courage with her arms crossed.
"This boy and the dog…they ain't no damned citizens!" Abby said lowly, her sharp eyes returning to Double D, who remained completely expressionless.
"Double D?!" Eddy asked anxiously.
"I'm sorry, Eddy." Double D said softly.
"Um…orders, Ma'am?" 860 asked.
"That fool boy there got nothin' to do with all this…but he's comin' along anyway…" Abby said.
"Why!? You just said it yourself and it's true! Eddy has nothing to do with any of this!" Double D hissed.
"If we haul you off and leave him, he'll cause a ruckus…and I'm sure that's exactly what you want…" Abby said, roughly spinning Double D around and holding his arms behind his back.
"Hey! What the hell are you doing, you crazy broad? What kind of person roughs up a blind kid?!" Eddy barked, striding toward Abby. He was quickly stopped as two stealth squad members stepped up beside him and took a firm hold on either of his shoulders.
"Shut up and walk quietly like a good boy and I won't have to ponder on feeling less guilty roughing up a kid who's just short and loudmouthed." Abby growled.
"Courage, Eddy, do what she says. Everything's going to be okay." Double D said. Abby strengthened her grip on him painfully and pulled him close to speak into his ear.
"You best do the same, kid; cause if any of you try anything funny, I swear…I will shoot to kill…" Abby said. Eddy and Courage gasped while Double D remained stoic. "You have been warned."
"Don't get your panties in a bunch, sister." Double D said boldly, shocking everyone. "I'll come quietly."
"You best keep that saucy mouth in check or you'll be coming unconsciously…" Abby warned. She gave him a little shove forward. "Walk."
Kuki bent over and hesitantly scooped Courage up, half expecting him to bite her, but he gave no resistance.
"Where are you taking us?" Eddy asked hesitantly as the two stealth unit operatives pressed him forward.
"Somewhere where we can continue this little chat all private-like and uninterrupted." Abby said eerily.
~!~!~!~
"Take it easy, 4.1…lean on us…we'll have you back to base soon…" Harvey said, motioning for Mushi to help him support Joey.
"I'll scout ahead for Foul Larry." Tommy said.
"Good idea." Harvey agreed. "Be careful."
They had to walk slowly, and even then, it was obvious that Joey was in a lot of pain. Tommy scrambled to the edge of the chasm to peer down to the bottom.
"I see him!" Tommy called to the others. He turned back to the chasm.
"Foul Larry! Foul Larry! Can you hear me!?" Tommy called anxiously. A low groan echoed out from the gaping chasm. Down on its floor, Foul Larry was regaining consciousness.
"Foul Larry! Hey! Are you hurt? Can you get up?" Tommy called.
"I'm a lil' banged up, T-man…but I'z alright…" Larry called back as he struggled to his feet.
"I can stand up, but I'm not so sure about gettin' up outta dis here hole…" Foul Larry said. "Everybody up there alright? Those Gravewoms gone?"
"We took care of the Graveworms…Joey's hurt bad, though!" Tommy replied.
"Let's take a look here…" Harvey said, looking over the edge of the crevice while supporting Joey between himself and Mushi.
"Aw, dang, lil soulja boy!" Larry hissed upon seeing the injured blonde.
They all jumped when a distant bellow rang through the air.
"More Graveworms…we…gotta get…get him out…before they get to us…" Joey said weakly. He swayed dangerously and suddenly slumped forward limply between his teammates.
"Joey? Joey!?" Mushi cried. Harvey hissed a curse under his breath and gently lowered the blonde to the ground.
"He's unconscious…" Harvey muttered. "Crap! This is fusion toxicity syndrome!"
"But it hasn't even been 20 minutes! Dexter said he'd be safe for an hour before he'd be in danger without the antifuse vaccination!" Mushi cried.
"He did, but I imagine that the time frame he gave us is an estimate based on the statistic of the average sized operative…Joey is half the size of the average operative and just go through fighting twice as hard…" Harvey said.
"…giving him a quarter of the average time…" Tommy finished.
"We gotta hustle, team! We gotta get Foul Larry out of there and get 4.1 to the MedLab now!" Harvey barked.
"No! Y'all kids get moving back to base right now!" Foul Larry ordered.
"We can't just leave you here!" Mushi cried.
"You can and you will, China Doll. More Graveworms is on the way right now…they be here before y'all can get me outta here. You gotta run now, get back to the SCAMPER before they catch up wit chu! Carryin' Lil Soulja Boy gonna slow you down as it is! I'll hold off them monsters 'till you get up off the ground!" Larry urged.
"But…" Tommy began.
"Don't argue with me, T-man! I am an imaginary friend, and I know what's best when it come to children!" Larry said sternly.
"Go! I be alright! I can take them graveworms solo! Get Lil Soulja Boy back to base and just tell Ops what's goin' down! They'll have another team out here to get me before you can say "Magic Johnson"!" Foul Larry assured them. "I be alright! I meet up witchu in the mess hall in an hour to sign Lil Soulja Boy's get well card! I promise on my honor as an imaginary friend!"
"I hate to say it, but he's right, team…" Harvey said, hefting up Joey's limp body to carry him piggyback.
"Thank you, Foul Larry. Please be careful." Harvey said.
"I will. Don'tchu be worryin' bout ol' Foul Larry, now. He take care uh hisself!" Larry boasted.
"I'm holding you to your promise, Foul Larry!" Mushi called.
"Okay, China Doll. I'll be sure not to disappoint!" Foul Larry responded. "Now y'all get moving before we all gotta take a trip to the vet to get wormed! Go! Go!"
With that, Harvey, Tommy, and Mushi turned and took off back toward the SCAMPER as fast as they could.
~!~!~!~
His hands gripped the controls so tightly that his knuckles turned white under the thick brown leather gloves. He was tense-completely focused on piloting the dangerous craft.
The HF-666…HF stood for HellFire, and the 666…well, the machine was just that badass that it needed the embellishment of the numerical representation for hell to complete it.
The HellFire-666…the machine was a result of the work of one evil boy genius, one evil monkey genius, and the genius of a creative-minded boy flight enthusiast. Reflecting its creators, the machine itself was ingenious in its propulsion, design, and weaponry. It was incredibly complex to operate and highly sensitive. Only the sharpest of aviators could even hope to roll it out of the hanger onto the runway without blowing themselves to kingdom come.
It was built for speed. The frame was very light, and therefore, fragile. A single hit would instantly shatter the entire craft; and that change in pressure and that velocity meant instant death for the pilot, which is why no one bothered to keep a parachute on board the craft. A parachute was nothing but a pointless burden to keep in the craft if you were sure to be dead before you found yourself freefalling.
Instead, to pilot the HF-666 required a full space suit complete with oxygen feed, because as soon as you nudged the throttle, that craft screamed. Most pilots would pass out at only half the G's pulled by the machine in its ideal flight speed, but Hoagie P. Gilligan was not most pilots. Numbuh 2, one of the most famous pilots in the KND, could handle it.
It was a sheer thrill to him to climb up into that cockpit. Dexter had been livid when he discovered the machine. He would have had it destroyed had its creators not managed to convince him that its speed and agility could come in handy in the war effort. The machine was safe from being disassembled under Dexter's one condition that it only be used in an emergency.
Yes, Hoagie really really really wanted to fly the HF-666, but no matter how great his desire to do so, it didn't have any part in his ruling of an 'emergency'.
He was actually starting to think that maybe he'd jumped the gun on his call…after all, he was tired and still a bit jumpy from the battle the night before.
When Nigel had announced the end of the war, Hoagie's war-frayed mind hadn't completely embraced the announcement. He trusted Nigel without a doubt…it was just this feeling he had…
It didn't feel like the danger was gone, so Hoagie was still on edge, rearing and ready to go when the UFO report came in. After so many years of battle and suddenly seeing everyone around him let his guard down, the report just really scared Hoagie, and he went straight into red-alert-must-vaporize-nuke-terminate-the-enemy-now-once-and-for-all desperation mode.
He just wanted this war to end; and now that he was in the cockpit of what Dexter deemed to be "the death trap with turbo drive only to be used in emergencies", Hoagie was beginning to have second thoughts on his criteria for defining an "emergency". In fact, what he was doing now fell more into the in-between areas of the categories of "death wish" and "attempted suicide".
Then again…during the entire span of the war, they'd never had any UFO situations…at least those entailing actual aircraft…Fuse didn't use aircraft, only creatures; and all of the aircraft on the planet were united against Fuse…
From what Hoagie gathered from the stealth unit's report, the UFO seemed to be targeting a specific individual…the identity of the individual was unspecified, but the person had to be someone important to have a UFO after them…and if it was someone important in danger, Hoagie was probably friends with whoever the target was…
…That was one thing that didn't fly with Hoagie P. Gilligan.
Just the thought of one of his friends…Nigel or Kuki or…god forbid…Abby in danger was enough to jolt that shaky, sickly feeling of desperation back through his bloodstream.
Even if it wasn't someone he knew who was being targeted, Hoagie told himself, if the target was captured or killed, someone somewhere was losing a friend, brother, sister, son, daughter, cousin…you get the idea; and he didn't want anyone to feel that pain so long as he could help it. It was enough to keep his confidence going.
…That, and it wasn't like he could lead his platoon back into the hanger just so that he could switch aircraft during a possible aerial attack. Not the smartest move…
Yes, Hoagie P. Gilligan was afraid. The feeling was nothing new to him. Hoagie's teammates in Sector V knew all about Hoagie's shaky self-confidence. They knew that, despite the goofy front he put up, Hoagie kept a load of worries at the back of his mind.
When he was around his teammates, he drew strength from them…and was strong for them; but dire situations aside, Hoagie was a sensitive-hearted guy.
Hoagie was a handiman. He built and repaired just for the joy of it. He was glad to help anyone fix anything, just for the challenge of the job and the reward of the happiness it brought to the person who needed his help. He could never bring himself to turn down a job; no matter how daunting it seemed. He had to at least try…but in the end, there was rarely a repair that his cleverness and ingenuity couldn't find a fix for - even if it did often take him a few tries before he got it right – but that never deterred him.
Every job was a challenge to him, and when he didn't get it perfectly the first time, he would keep at it until he got it. He preferred to figure things out on his own, but if he ever found himself truly stumped, he still didn't give up. He was stubborn. He refused to let anyone else take over a job that he agreed to take care of. He'd take a break and try consulting a book, just for a hint; and if he still found himself stuck, he'd try to find someone knowledgeable on his task for advice…he tried to save consulting the resident geniuses such as Dexter, Mojo, Utonium, and Mandark, however, as a last resort.
He learned a lot that way and grew into quite the accomplished handiman….however…there was one task that no book…no amount of experience…not even all the resident geniuses together could ever solve…
For all his knowledge and resources, Hoagie was ashamed of himself for being completely useless in the most vital repair of the most vital component known to human kind…
…Hoagie P. Gilligan could not fix a broken heart.
When something can't be fixed, Hoagie decided, the only solution was not to let it break; and it was with this objective burning in his mind that he took to the skies over the compound.
Hoagie had always loved to fly…but in the past year or so, the magic had begun to wear thin. He had always thought the world to be so beautiful from up in the sky, but now, looking down on the world below only brought a cold, sinking feeling to the boy's heart.
From up in the air, the true extent of Fuze's reign of destruction hit full force. Down below, there were no longer beautiful sparkling blue waters or rolling hills of pastel flowers…everything as far as the eye could see was the misty, murky, acrid, sickly green disease of Fuze choking the life out of his once beautiful home.
Hoagie shook his head, tearing his eyes away from the dismal sight below him.
"Eyes on the prize, Gilligan…" He whispered to himself. "We can fix this…just need to focus…"
He flipped a few switches above him and tapped his communicator.
"Numbuh 2 to ground…Launch successful. I'm in the air over the west wing of the compound…lay it on me, fellas…what am I looking for and where can I find it?" Hoagie asked. Nigel's voice replied.
"Stand by, Numbuh 2…We're waiting for the Stealth Unit to give us more details…for now, increase your altitude by another 50 feet and keep your eyes peeled…we have incoming transports on their way home from search and rescue…they aren't equipped for aerial battle, so they're sitting ducks if our UFO decides to go after them…" Nigel said.
"10-4, Numbuh 1…" Hoagie responded. Hoagie increased his altitude, casually glancing back to confirm that the rest of the fighter pilot squad was following him; and that's when something caught his eye.
"Numbuh 2 to ground…I think I've spotted something…" Hoagie said. "Something fast…"
~!~!~!~
Mushi sobbed heavily, stroking the back of Joey's hand gingerly. He lay limp and pale across the seat of the SCAMPER with Mushi kneeling parallel to his waist, and Harvey kneeling at his head.
"Can't this bucket of bolts go any faster, Numbuh T?!" Harvey barked.
"I've got the peddle to the metal, sir!" Tommy cried, already overwhelmed with anxiety to the point of trembling.
"What's our ETA?" Mushi asked. If he were in less pain and not about to have a panic attack, Tommy would have laughed at the phrase that was the military equivalent of "are we there yet?", but under the current circumstances…
"We'll get there when we get there, woman!" Tommy snapped.
"What was that, tubby?!" Mushi growled. Tommy scowled to himself.
"I can see the base ahead…we'll be landing in 5 minutes, so seats in the upright position, bags stowed under the seat in front of you, table trays locked into positions, and…" Tommy was cut off by Harvey.
"Save your stupid jokes for later, Numbuh T! I am in no mood!" Harvey growled. Tommy grumbled to himself under his breath and decided to try his communicator again.
"Region C Search and Rescue to Base! For the love of corn, PLEASE! SOMEONE respond!" Tommy groaned.
~!~!~!~
"What is it, Numbuh 2?" Nigel asked eagerly, gripping the headset hard in his anxiety. Suddenly, there was a loud cry behind him as the same operative who had given him the status report earlier jumped up out of her chair.
"Region C!? Tommy! Yes! Finally!" She cheered. She was shaking, and her eyes were tearing up with sheer relief.
"You got through to Region C?!" Nigel asked. A wave of relief washed over him momentarily, knowing that Hoagie's little brother was alive; but almost instantly, he was reminded that Hoagie himself was still in a possibly dangerous situation.
"Get a status report from Region C." Nigel said. "Find out what happened, and make sure everyone is alive, well, and accounted for!"
"Yes sir!" The operative said.
~!~!~!~
Tommy's heart pounded and his hands shook as a wave of relief washed over him.
"Tommy…er…I mean…Numbuh T! This is So- er…I mean Numbuh 83! Good to hear from you! What is your current situation?" A female voice responded.
"Sonya! Man is your voice music to my ears!" Tommy laughed. "Listen…we're on the way back to base…ETA is 3 minutes, and we need medics ASAP. Numbuh 4.1 is down…he's suffering Fusion Toxicity Syndrome and is badly injured...Numbub 363 and Numbuh 963 are a bit scuffed up…possible minor injuries…and I think I could use a medic myself…"
"Oh dear…I'll make sure they're waiting for you when you land…What happened, Tommy?" Numbuh 83 asked.
"We were ambushed by Graveworms…Listen…Foul Larry fell into a crack that the Graveworms created…he's trapped down there…he told us to leave him behind so we could get Joey to a medic in time and send for help for him…" Tommy said. "You gotta send someone fast…there were more Graveworms on the way when we left…I don't know how bad Larry was hurt when he fell; so I don't know how long he'll last down there fighting on his own!"
There was silence over the communicator.
"Sonya? Numbuh 83, did you hear me?" Tommy asked.
"I-I…I'm sorry, Tommy…I can't send anyone out right now…and you need to get here, land, and get inside as soon as possible..." Numbuh 83 stammered.
"What?! Why?!" Tommy asked. He jumped as a familiar aircraft screamed past at an incredible speed overhead.
"…That's my brother's squad…" Tommy murmured. His eyes widened. "Sonya! Is that my brother?! Is he piloting the HellFire-666?!"
"What's going on?!" Tommy cried. "He's only supposed to use that in an emergency! I thought the war was over!"
"Are we under attack?!" Tommy gasped. There was a long silence. Mushi and Harvey stared at him.
"Um…that's why I can't send anyone out…all departing flights have been suspended until an unknown aerial threat is neutralized…" Numbuh 83 said. "Please, Tommy…just be careful, keep your eyes peeled, and get on the ground and into the compound as fast as you can…"
Tommy's eyes followed his brother's craft for a few more seconds before he bit his lip.
"I'm beginning my descent…requesting clearance for landing in landing bay 9…" Tommy said.
"Clearance granted. You're clear to land. Medics will be there any second." Numbuh 83 said. "Glad to have you back, Tommy."
~!~!~!~
Hoagie's eyes widened as suddenly, the blur his eyes were following took a sharp turn and hurtled straight at him…
He jerked the controls of the HF-666, pulling the craft into a wild barrel roll to the left. It was like viewing the world from inside a washing machine with a turbo drive on the spin cycle during an earthquake. He was being violently tossed about as the out-of-control jet began a deadly spiraling plummet downward. A deafening roar rattled his him even further.
If he didn't regain control of the craft quickly, he had reason to worry even before he was close to hitting the ground that the violent pivoting would snap the wings off of the jet; and just as worrisome, snap Hoagie's neck as well. Ground, wings, or neck; no matter which gave, it meant the end for Hoagie P. Gilligan.
The g-forces acting on Hoagie's body were so strong…most anyone else would have blacked out by now…Hoagie was starting to see the blackness slowly creeping up from the edges of his vision…the g-forces were so great that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't even lift his hands…they were glued to his sides by the intense force…
Red lights and warning beacons flashed and beeped all around him. The force of the falling craft was so great that he was now struggling just to breathe…
~!~!~!~
The landing wasn't one of Tommy's best…a bit bumpy, but taking into consideration how stressed out he was, it could have been a lot worse. Just a few scuffs. No real harm done to the SCAMPER.
As soon as they were on the ground, Tommy jumped up and opened the door for Mushi and Harvey, who carefully picked Joey up and carried him from the craft as swiftly as possible. Within seconds of their feet touching solid ground, the medics arrived, and Harvey and Mushi gently laid Joey on a waiting stretcher.
Mushi gave Joey's hand a final, quick squeeze before she stepped back to give the medics some room.
One of them approached her, but she waved him off. As he backed away from her, she suddenly changed her mind and grabbed onto his elbow. She tugged on his arm and pointed over at Tommy before dashing over to Tommy's side. She took his arm and guided it around her shoulders, supporting Tommy's weight.
She sniffled softly, but turned her face to him with a small smile. Tommy unexpectedly felt his heart skip a beat and his breath caught in his throat for a moment…it was weird…but…she was kinda pretty when she cried…
"You okay, Tommy?" She asked. Tommy snapped out of his stupor, blushing slightly. He cast his eyes to the ground, embarrassed….hoping that she hadn't noticed him staring at her like a total dork…
"I think I'll survive…" He said sheepishly, chancing a glance at her face. He felt his cheeks grow warm once more as their eyes met. "…Thanks to you…"
Mushi bashfully batted her eyelashes and giggled, blushing slightly. She hoped he hadn't noticed her staring at him like a total dork…but wow…she never thought she'd think anything like this about someone like Tommy, but…somehow…for some reason…when he was dirty, tired, and roughed up like that, he was kinda handsome…and she never noticed before how charming his smile was…
She had to look away before he noticed her blushing.
"I should be thanking you…you saved me first…" She said sheepishly. She shyly met his eyes again. "That was really brave, what you did, Tommy…"
He blushed deeply and chuckled, breaking eye contact with her sheepishly. She giggled and looked away. After a long moment, Tommy glanced back at her. When she started to turn her head back toward him, he quickly looked back at the ground.
She hesitated for a moment before leaning toward him. Tommy felt something warm on his cheek and froze, his eyes wide. Mushi's lips lingered on his cheek for a long moment before she pulled back quickly, blushing and batting her eyes.
"So, thank you, Tommy…" She said sheepishly. Tommy stared at her, wide eyed and opened mouth.
Did that just happen?
His face went fire engine red.
"…Any time, Mushi…." He breathed dreamily, and that's when the medics wheeled another stretcher over to him and helped him onto it.
He sighed blissfully, fingers touching his cheek where Mushi had graced him with his first kiss and staring dreamily up at the sky…
Traditionally, a first kiss is synonymous with unforgettable fireworks exploding in the sky all around…
…and Tommy would never forget the fiery, loud, explosive display he saw that day as he stared up at the sky
…but for all the wrong reasons.
~!~!~!~
"Numbuh 1, sir! Region C has landed safely. Medics are on scene, and a rescue team is on standby, ready to deploy as soon as the flight restriction is lifted." Numbuh 85 said.
"Excellent work, Sonya. Now-GAH!" Nigel let out a loud yelp and tore his headset off as a deafening boom rattled his eardrums from Numbuh 2's end of the line. Once he got over the initial shock, his eyes widened and he grabbed the headset desperately.
"HOAGIE?! What happened?! Are you okay?!" Nigel cried.
~!~!~!~
Staring up dreamily at the heavens, Tommy spotted his brother's jet out of the corner of his eye…
There was a sudden, loud "CRRRACK" that made everybody jump…and several loud bangs followed.
Tommy watched in utter disbelief as his brother's craft shattered into two pieces and burst into flame.
The craft spun nose-to-tail like a frizz bee for a moment before turning to an unpredictable tumbling to the earth.
Mushi's eyes darted around, looking for the source of the sound. Her eyes fell on Tommy before she could locate the source…and she did a double take back to him.
All the color had drained from his face. His eyes were wide, and his expression was one of utter terror as he stared up at the sky.
Mushi looked to the area where he seemed to be looking to try to decipher what was causing him such distress…she caught a glimpse of a ball of fire before her attention snapped back to Tommy when he sat bolt upright on his stretcher and let out an agonizing scream of anguish.
"HOAGIE! NO!"
~!~!~!~
His right wing was gone. The engines failed. There was no way even HE could pull out of such a violent tumble…even if he DID have both wings and functional engines…
…this was it….game over….
The one good thing about the pattern of the tumble was that it would slow his fall down long enough for him to voice a last request….
"NIGEL!" Hoagie cried, his eyes filling with tears as he fought to stay conscious, just long enough for his last request to be heard.
~!~!~!~
The transmission was coming in with a lot of interference, but Hoagie's words were still loud and clear.
"It's over for me, pal!" Hoagie gasped. That was when Nigel caught sight of Hoagie's craft out the window. All the color drained from Nigel's face. For a brief moment, his knees buckled, but he managed to catch himself before he fell to the floor. He felt sick…
"HOAGIE?! NO!" Nigel cried.
Dexter and Mandark looked to Hoagie's craft out the window, to one another, then back at Nigel; their hearts sinking in their chests at the horror unfolding right before their very eyes…knowing how it would end…knowing that there was absolutely nothing that they could do…no way to escape it…
~!~!~!~
Hoagie took in a gasp of air, blinking rapidly to clear the tears stinging at his eyes.
"It's been a real honor knowing you, buddy! I couldn't ask for better friends than you, and Wally, and Kuki, and Abby!" Hoagie gasped. With his waning strength, he barely managed to wiggle his hand into his side pocket. With his fingertips, he managed to feel out and capture the edge of his most prized possession, and tug it out of his pocket just far enough…
He stared down at it with a teary-eyed smile…it was his most precious possession, and he kept it with him at all times. In his darkest times, it gave him a reason to smile, and a reason to keep on fighting.
It was a reminder of better times…of some of his fondest memories. A photograph; taken before the war, when the tree house was still planted in the ground…back when he, Nigel, Wally, Kuki, and Abby were always together, and had plenty to smile about…
If it weren't for the photo, Hoagie didn't think he would ever remember a time when all five of them were together, and all five of them had genuine smiles of joy on their faces…war had long since faded those happy memories; but the photograph in his hand remained crisp and clear….as proof that such times ever existed.
If he was going to die, he wanted the last thing he saw in this world to be something beautiful…and he could think of nothing more beautiful than the priceless moment, forever frozen in time…so valuable, yet so simple that he could keep it tucked in his pocket…
… his dearest friends, all together, not a care in the world, beaming with joy on a perfect summer evening at dusk, just before the Independence Day fireworks lit up the sky…
~!~!~!~
He could hear his teammate gasping for breath, but could do nothing to help him. Tears stung at Nigel's eyes. It took all of his effort not to break down in hysterics right then and there.
He had to keep it together…
He swallowed hard and took a shaky breath.
"Hoagie! Don't give up! You…you can handle this! You're the best pilot I know!" Nigel said, his voice cracking.
~!~!~!~
Hoagie bit back a sob at the poorly masked pain in his friend's tone.
"Not even I can get out of this one, Nigel…" He said sadly. He drew a shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry…"
~!~!~!~
"I'm so sorry…" Hoagie whispered.
Nigel felt like his own heart was tearing itself apart beneath his ribs.
It hurt so much, yet he wouldn't die…
…pity…because he wished he would keel over dead right then and there, and be spared having to stand by helplessly with a front row seat to his friend's death.
~!~!~!~
Hoagie bit his lip.
"I failed again…and this time, I can't try again next time…" Hoagie said, his voice full of despair.
~!~!~!~
Nigel pulled his sleeve up to his face to muffle his sob.
"I don't have much time…so here's my last request…" Hoagie said…with…acceptance?
This was really happening…there was nothing Nigel could do…absolutely nothing…
"No…no…" Nigel whispered. "Please…no…"
"Nigel, you've got to end this war for good…" Hoagie said sternly.
"I can't!" Nigel gasped.
"Bullshit! Yes you can! You're Nigel Uno, Kids Next Door Soopreme Commander Numbuh freaking ONE!" Hoagie cried. "You never give up and you always pull it off in the end!"
"That's only because I had you, Abby, Kuki, and Wally helping me! I'm nothing without the team!" Nigel said.
~!~!~!~
Hoagie couldn't help but laugh.
"You're way too modest, Nig…cut the crap, won't you? I ain't got the time to argue with you! When push comes to shove, I know and you know that you'll find a way…" Hoagie said.
~!~!~!~
Nigel was dumbfounded of the way Hoagie had just vastly undervalued himself…
"Now promise me, Nigel! Promise me you won't give up! Promise me you'll win!" Hoagie said. Nigel couldn't speak.
"DAMMIT, Nigel! I'm running out of time! PROMISE ME!" Hoagie roared.
"I PROMISE!" Nigel choked.
~!~!~!~
"That's more like it!" Hoagie smirked, feeling a weight off his chest as a tear rolled down his cheek.
" Now…promise me that you'll tell Kuki that when you guys find Wally once the war is over, I'll be up in heaven watching, so I want her to give him a great big kiss right on the lips so I can see the look on his face when he goes red as a fire truck…" Hoagie chuckled tearfully.
~!~!~!~
Nigel's throat tightened further…
Wally was already dead…he couldn't Hoagie…not like this…
He couldn't help but chuckle bitter-sweetly…Hoagie would find out soon enough, and would find himself in the position of having to give Wally that kiss himself…what Nigel wouldn't give to see Hoagie's face when THAT went down…
Nigel choked back another sob, muffled into his sleeve.
"Tell him I missed him and that I'm sorry I wasn't there for him when he got back." Hoagie said, his voice sinking back into despair.
Nigel wanted to scream…
In less than 24 hours, he'd found out he'd never see his mother or his father ever again…his family was gone…even his cousins were gone…so was one of his closest friends…
Now he was losing another of his best friends to a war he thought was finally over.
~!~!~!~
Hoagie sniffled before continuing.
"Tell Abby I'm still not sure if I ever really deserved an amazing girl like her, but I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have had her…"
Hoagie sniffed again, breaking into a watery smile as he focused on Abby's smiling face…no one but he and Abby knew…but the photograph in his hand had been taken mere moments after their first kiss…
A throb of remorse tore at his heart. He couldn't even remember the last time he had kissed Abby…what he wouldn't give in that moment for just one last kiss to remember her by…
Hoagie shook his head sharply. He had much more left to say, and little time to say it…
"Keep an eye on my little brother for me…tell him I'm proud of him…and tell him and my mom that I love them, and that I'm sorry for leaving them like this…" Hoagie said with a sob. "I'm gonna miss you guys…"
"Hoagie PLEASE! Don't you leave me too!" Nigel cried desperately.
Hoagie struggled to manage a feeble breath.
"It's okay, Nigel…I got no regrets, now…" He said weakly. A sudden calm came over him and his body relaxed. The darkness was rapidly consuming his vision, so he closed his eyes. The panic and roar of the spiraling craft dimmed to a dull hum. "I gave my best effort to protect my home…I never grew up and never will…even now that I'm 14…I am still…and always will be…proud to be…Kids Next Door…to the very end…"
A small smile came to his face.
"Goodbye, Soopreme Commander. Take care of yourself. God's Speed." Hoagie said softly. He cracked his eyes open to look down at the photo one last time, running his thumb over the image as it blurred into darkness; and with the last of his strength, he whispered: "Numbuh 2, out…"
~TO BE CONTINUED…~
Only MUCH SOONER this time. I've already got about half of the next chapter written.
Reviews will only make it go faster! I'm on a roll this week! Keep 'em coming, people, and I'll do the same!
FusionFall ain't mine, and GOODNIGHT! I've missed you reviewer-people~! Unless you're coming after my blood for the late update…*flees the country*
