Operation: F.A.T.E.
F – FateA – Already
T – Told
E – Eternally
What Now?
It was now six months since the day sector v discovered their fate. Hoagie, Wally, Laura, and others had gone underground. Not being able to wander around freely because they were being sought out by both the adults and the KND made Hoagie and Wally antsy. Laura and a few others tried their best to make them feel better, but there was little that they could do. Lizzie meanwhile was still unconscious and her brain waves had still not returned to normal. Hoagie couldn't figure out exactly what was done to her. Except that it was mainly affecting her brain and nervous system.
"The Tommy's here," Tommy declared and ran up to his brother who hugged him, "those KND agents keep watching me, but I always outsmart them," he declared proudly.
"Good boy Tommy," Hoagie said happily.
"Um Hoagie, would you be mad if I brought friends?" Tommy asked nervously.
"What!" Hoagie shouted, "you can't bring people here!"
"But they have nowhere to go," Tommy said.
"God Tommy I thought you understood," Hoagie said in annoyance, "if the adults or the KND find me I'm screwed, everyone here is screwed."
"I'm sorry," Tommy said tearfully.
"We'll go if we're not wanted," a deep voice said suddenly.
"Who the hell is that?" Hoagie demanded.
Out of a corner stepped an adult and two kids.
"You brought a grown-up here!" Hoagie shouted incredulously.
"I'll just go," the adult male said in defeat.
"No Mr. Goodman," the two children whined and held unto his legs.
"He'll help us with Lizzie," Tommy said suddenly.
"What?" Hoagie asked in surprise.
"Father wanted me to perform horrid brain surgery on children," Mr. Goodman said, "I refused and…" he said but stopped and almost started to cry.
"The short brown haired girl among the delightfuls is his only daughter," one of the two an eight-year old blonde girl revealed.
"I made that machine to make kids nicer," Mr. Goodman revealed, "but only extremely violent kids and it would only curb very violent behaviour, not submit them to any particular person or thing," he added.
"Well it certainly didn't make those delightfuls nice at all," Hoagie said darkly.
"That was never my intention," Mr. Goodman told him, "Father took my machine and made improvements," he said, "and you can see what it did through those poor five children," he said sadly.
"They were KND once," Hoagie said, "that's what makes their permanent entrapment as those horrid children so sad."
"It might not necessarily be permanent," Mr. Goodman said suddenly.
"Mr. Goodman's been working on something to help return the delightful's brain wave patterns to normal," Tommy said, "it would reverse most of the mind control and personality changes for a start," he added.
"But it's not guaranteed and my tests has given me dastard results," Mr. Goodman said sadly, "it might take me another ten years before I can use my brainwave de-modifier on my daughter," he said and started crying.
"But he can use it now on your friend," the last of the two a twelve year old boy said, "unfortunately that means he can never use it on his daughter," he added.
"Why?" Hoagie asked.
"Father destroyed my lab," Mr. Goodman revealed, "and the last of the potion I need to make my machine work."
"Potion?" Hoagie asked incredulously, "isn't this supposed to be science?" he asked.
"Science and Nature often cross paths young man," Mr. Goodman said seriously, "all that's left of the potion is in the machine," he said as he wiped away his tears, "and after I use it, the machine will shut down and the parts will quickly disintegrate."
"So there's nothing that can be done?" Hoagie asked.
"Right now only for your friend," Mr. Goodman said.
"But your daughter…" Hoagie started.
"Knows me somewhere deep inside her heart," Mr. Goodman said, "your friend will never get to see the sunshine again or life that involves consciousness and opening her eyes again if I don't help."
"My name's Jake," the twelve-year old brown haired boy said, "and this is Jade Megan Freeland," he introduced the blonde girl with him.
"Why say her full name?" Hoagie asked.
"Actually they're each of the names I go by," Megan revealed.
Hoagie noticed that the same girl now had a British accent.
"She has split personality disorder," Mr. Goodman revealed, "a part of the effects of the diabolical experiments carried out on her by orders of Father," he told Hoagie, "the first one who spoke was Jade, the original person in this body," he stated, "she was taken at age two to be experimented on when evidence of telepathic powers showed up and she was the daughter of a janitor at one of Father's secret labs," he explained, "Freeland the first split personality appeared two years later and is very violent and short tempered," he said, "Megan here appeared six months after Freeland and is able to do telekinesis," he continued, "she is also well cultured, behaved, and very bright for her age," he added.
"And very possessive," Megan added, "I don't see myself as apart of an entity," she told them, "I see myself as one person," she declared.
"But you share a body," Hoagie pointed out.
"That's beside the point," Megan said brashly.
"Freeland is a piece of work though," Tommy stated.
"How bad is she?" Hoagie asked.
There were three gasps.
"Who you calling a she?" a teen voice suddenly spoke from the little girl, a male teen voice.
"Y…Y…Y…You're a b…b…boy?" Hoagie stuttered.
"What about it twinkle toes?" Freeland demanded 'his' face contorted in anger and fists violently clenched.
"Nothing," Hoagie said nervously.
"So you lead this dump?" Freeland asked looking around.
"I'm in charge yeah," Hoagie said twiddling his fingers.
"Well if you need help upgrading you can ask Megan," Freeland told him, "what, I can be helpful," he said in response to the surprised faces, "but call me a girl again and you're dead," he added threateningly and pointed at Hoagie.
Hoagie laughed nervously and nodded.
"Hope you know what you're doing doc," Freeland said and suddenly disappeared.
"I'm sorry Megan just took over," Jade apologized.
"That's okay," Mr. Goodman said kindly, "can we please stay?" he asked Hoagie.
"What's up with him?" Hoagie asked nodding at Jake.
"I'm here you know," Jake said annoyed at being treated like he was absent.
"Nothing except he fought his brother when he tried to bring Jade back to that laboratory," Mr. Goodman responded, "he goes back out he's screwed," he said honestly.
"Please let them stay?" Tommy begged.
"I need to have a conference," Hoagie started.
"Forget the conference," Wally said and came into view with a few others, "anyone willing to help Lizzie, defy Father, and kick teen butt is welcomed here."
"Not all teens are bad," Freeland said suddenly.
The area went silent.
"Just don't become one," Wally decided to say, "stay on our side and we'll get along with all twelve of you if it comes down to that," he told Freeland.
Freeland chuckled.
"Guess I have to since we need a place to crash," Freeland said simply, "but I aint nobody's slave," he added immediately.
"None of us are slaves here," Laura spoke up.
"I heard that years before," Freeland said, "and it was a lie there," he added.
"Well it's not here," Hoagie declared.
"Famous last words," Freeland told him.
"Anyone tries to enslave me it will be thems'," Wally declared.
"Theirs'," Hoagie corrected him.
"Whatever," Wally muttered.
"I like that guy," Freeland said.
"You box?" Wally asked.
"Like a felon," Freeland declared proudly.
"Wanna spar?" Wally challenged.
"Don't think so," Freeland declined.
"Scared?" Wally teased.
"I'd kill you," Freeland said frankly.
There was a dead silence.
"Um Freeland can lose control in violent situations," Mr. Goodman explained, "physically violent ones," he added.
"That's why I spar by myself," Freeland told them, "or with robots," he added.
"Is this limited to…?" Hoagie started to ask.
"I don't attack unprovoked," Freeland interrupted, "besides there's Jade," he added.
Wally started laughing.
"I'll spar with you," Jade said angrily, "scared to fight a girl?" she challenged.
"No," Wally snapped.
"Then come on," Jade said and started to walk away.
"Where we going?" Wally asked.
"You know the place, you choose," Jade responded.
Hoagie watched them walk away with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach.
At the same time but a different location, Nigel and Abigail waited in a limo under teen and adult guard while their orders at Maxi Burger were being filled out on a hot afternoon. Abigail ordered a Maxi Mega Meal Special #2 (Two Large Cheese Burgers, Large Soda, Large Fries, Two slices of Apple Pie, and Chicken Nuggets) and a medium shake and an ice-cream sundae. Nigel ordered a Burger and water. Even though he was now able to drink soda while under Father's guard, he didn't want any charity from the man he still considered a monster.
"You're gonna stick with the KND 'til the end huh?" Abigail asked.
"I'm not going to become what they think I am," Nigel told her.
"So you hate me?" Abigail asked him.
"I could never do that Abby," Nigel responded.
Nigel was the only person who still called her Abby. Anyone else who tried regretted it.
"It's sweet that you still wait for her," Abigail said suddenly.
Nigel looked at Abigail closely from behind his sunglasses.
"I love her Abby," Nigel told her.
"I know," Abigail responded, "maybe she'll come back."
"She will," Nigel said firmly.
"I wish you the best of luck," Abigail declared brightly.
"Thanks," Nigel said but without warmth.
"You think I wish bad for her?" Abigail asked him outright.
Nigel was taken a back and unable to answer the question.
"If you don't trust me Ni…" Abigail started.
"Do you ever think about our future?" Nigel asked suddenly.
Now it was Abigail's turn to be taken a back.
"May I ask where this is going?" Cree interjected since she, Chad and one adult bodyguard were also in the limo sitting with them.
"There was something Abby and I saw in the future and I'm asking her about her thoughts on it," Nigel told Cree.
"Forget it," Cree said suddenly, "that future was nasty enough with you two together," she snapped.
"But…" Abigail started to protest.
A scathing look from Cree silenced her.
"What if she does like me?" Nigel challenged.
"Then she's a fool," Cree responded angrily, "you'll always put Lizzie first," she added.
That's true. Maybe I'm a fool to think any of this is really possible. Abigail thought.
"Abigail's smart," Nigel told Cree, "if I wasn't dedicated to Lizzie…." he continued but stopped, "oh here's our order," he said quickly in bid to change the subject.
Abigail just stared at Nigel in disbelief.
Did he just… Abigail wondered.
It was now 8pm in the night and at the Moon Base another disagreement erupted.
"Numbuh 362 wouldn't allow this," Numbuh 65.3 protested.
"She's dead pipsqueak," Numbuh 49.5 spat, "and if she went earlier, maybe we wouldn't be in this mess."
Numbuh 65.3 gasped.
"Say that again and I'm gone," Numbuh 65.3 threatened.
Numbuh 49.5 was about to run him. But then he realized he needed the smarts of this smart mouth operative.
"I apologize," Numbuh 49.5 apologized, "now please carry out my order, now," he told the operative.
Numbuh 65.3 walked off muttering.
"Ingrate," Numbuh 49.5 muttered angrily.
Ever since Numbuh 49.5 took leadership things were different. KND was run on a much tighter ship. Insubordination resulted in immediate decommissioning in many cases. He had just had a new operative decommissioned earlier in the morning for spilling juice on him. What he said at the KND was law. He wasn't a democrat like Numbuh 362. He made sure he was obeyed, without question.
I remember how Wally disrespected Rachel when she was having him arrested, Numbuh 49.5 recalled, that will never happen to me, he decided, I'd have him whipped for such disrespect, he thought angrily, In fact, I'm gonna get him whipped raw for how he treated me when I shouted at that worthless thing Jerry Rassic, he thought.
"Defending a villain, how dare he," Numbuh 49.5 thought angrily, "speaking of which, that little invalid is due for another visit," he remembered.
Numbuh 49.5 quickly walked to his new and expanded office. In a corner lined off by curtains was Jerry in a hospital bed.
"Hello Jerry," Numbuh 49.5 said cheerily and drew back the curtains.
"Hi," Jerry said in a fearful voice.
"So how are you?" Numbuh 49.5 asked.
"Fine," Jerry said in a small voice.
"Your voice sounds kind of funny," Numbuh 49.5 'observed', "sure you're not sick?" he pressed.
"I'm alright Master of the Kids Next Door," Jerry said in a tight voice.
I have to keep him happy, Jerry thought desperately, I don't want to end up floating dead in outer space like Heinrich.
"I see you've maintained your respect," Numbuh 49.5 said with approval, "I hope you understand how grateful you should be that I've kept you around," he said his voice hinting a dark tone.
"I'm very grateful," Jerry said nodding for emphasis, "very grateful."
"Hmmm, I'm not sure," Numbuh 49.5 said seeming deep in thought, "maybe I should test your gratitude," he said leaning in close.
"I'll do anything," Jerry said on the verge of crying.
"Tell me how you feel about Wally, really," Numbuh 49.5 ordered.
If I tell him the truth… Jerry thought fearfully.
"I…" Jerry stuttered.
"Don't lie," Numbuh 49.5 interrupted darkly.
"Please don't kill me!" Jerry begged as he broke down into tears.
"So you instigate that little relationship between you and Wally huh?" Numbuh 49.5 realized, "well I'll ensure that never happens."
Thirteenth Blow Landed
It will be New Years Day in 24 minutes. Sorry for the late update. I write all over so my work gets backed up sometimes. I hope you enjoy this chapter and please read and review. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!