Chapter summary: In the wake of a potential disaster, Abby gives up everything to find her old teammates...some of whom aren't exactly how she remembers.

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Code: [RESTRICTED]

Operation: S.E.C.T.O.R.-V. (PART ONE)

Secret

Evacuation

Certifies

Team's

Old

Recruits

Voluntarily

Written by OfficiallyWrong with properties owned by

Cartoon Network and Tom Warburton

Episode 2

March 31st, 2015

"There is no Kids Next Door," Maurice said, his voice trying its best to stay smooth. Abby just stared at him. She didn't know how to respond to such news. No Kids Next Door? That couldn't be possible.

She sat up in her bedsheets, her jaw tensing. "What do you mean there's no Kids Next Door?" She started to panic, her breath growing shorter. "Of course there's a Kid's Next Door."

Maurice turned away. "Abby, please calm down."

"T-that don't make no sense! No Kids Next Door? What the hell is that even supposed to mean? They didn't just disappear!" She panted, her body starting to drip with sweat.

"Every sector is down," Maurice explained. "We've tried to contact all operatives, but there has been no response. And the ones we did get ahold of..." his voice trailed off. "They don't remember."

"What?" Abby's jaw dropped. "H-how? How did this happen?"

It was Vicki's turn. She walked up to the bed, placing a tablet down on Abby's lap. "Earlier this morning, scientists reported a giant monolith approaching the Earth's atmosphere. It hacked into every monitor on the planet, taking over its frequency. They've sent us a message."

Abby squinted. "They?" Vicki pointed to the screen, sliding it open. When Abby pressed the play button, she felt as though she would fall through her bed onto the floor. A bald teenager stood on screen, his eyes covered with thin lazar glasses and wearing a red and white space suit. Abby could feel her feet tingling as she muttered. "Nigel."

"Attention people of Earth," he said, his accent hadn't changed at all in the seven years he had been away. "The aging virus on your planet is beginning to spread to other planets. We cannot allow you to travel throughout the galaxy and contaminate the rest of the universe. Therefore, the planet Earth has been quarantined until further notice. You are no longer permitted to travel outside of your own atmosphere. If you do, there will be consequences. For the sake of the galaxy, this must be so."

Abby sat up and listened. She had known that the virus was spreading, but she didn't realize how bad they had it. She started to speak, but Maurice stopped her.

"There's more," he said.

"Also," Nigel continued. "To our fellow Kids Next Door operatives: we at the Galactic Kids Next Door apologize for our inability to help your planet. However, it cannot be helped at this point. I regret to inform you that the Earth unit of the Kids Next Door has been disbanded. All remaining operatives are set for immediate decommissioning. As your Earth representative for the Galactic Kids Next Door, I have decided this the best course of action. Goodbye, and good luck," he said as a single tear graced his cheek. He saluted to the camera. "Galactic Kids Next Door Rules!"

The video went dark then, leaving Abby in utter shock. Vicki took the tablet from her, Abby not being able to move an inch. "They've no doubt used the code module to do a mass-decommissioning of the entire planet. Kids no longer remember the Kids Next Door."

Maurice interjected. "The G:KND doesn't have operatives' DNA that were removed from the module. The TND is still operational. Though, we're much smaller in number, as you know."

"It's my guess that the Adults will use this opportunity to take the advantage," Vicki explained. "Which is why we have to get off the planet before the G:KND formulate a plan to erase our memories as well. We're sending a team to Mars to regroup and we would like you to come along. It's a risk, but the planet is close enough where we could make it without issue."

"At this point, we need all the help we can get," Maurice said. He looked at Abby, who was still in a daze. "But we have to leave now!"

But Abby couldn't bring herself to move. Nigel had decommissioned the entire planet, knowing full well of the consequences. Earth, his home planet, was no longer important enough to keep around. No, that wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Her lips parted, her eyebrows lifted to the top of her forehead. "Nigel Uno..." she whispered. Her eyebrows suddenly creased as a deep rage welled up inside her. "What have you done?"

"Get dressed!" Maurice shouted, not having heard her. "I'll wait for you outside."

Once she was left alone, Abby threw on the simplest outfit she could manage, along with her red hat and her usual gold hoops and rushed out the door. Maurice was there, waiting. She frowned at him, a sudden dread filling her. Abby's entire body grew stiff as a board. She ran past Maurice, nearly pushing him over in her haste. Maurice closed his eyes, exhaling deeply. He knew where she was going.

"Abby..." He turned around, watching her scurry down the stairs and out the door. "Abigail!" he screamed. "Do not look for Sector V!"

Abby didn't say hello to her parents that morning. She didn't bother to eat breakfast. She didn't even shout 'Goodbye' as she sprinted out the front door. Her bike sat in the garage, where she left it. She hopped on, revving up the motor. It was imperative that she make it to school as early as possible. She hadn't heard what Maurice was saying before she ran out of his range, but she knew exactly what it was. He told her to leave without her team, without Sector V. Abby grimaced. He was an idiot. Without them, the TND would never stop Nigel.

She peddled as fast as she could, making it to the campus in record time. As she pulled up to the front, she glanced back behind her, her chest constricting from the endurance. She leapt out, not even bothering to put on a bike lock. Her best bet was to check all of the teen's usual hangout spots, which meant the most obvious choice would be...She scanned the front of the building, her eyes moving toward the concrete steps. Nodding determinately, she raced over to them, going deep within the bowels of the school's social class.

This was what they at McClintock called the Underbelly, a group consisting of four primary social groups: Goths, Punks, Emo, and (although they were dwindling) Metal-heads. These were the words the rest of the TEENZ and other popular kids used to describe these groups. In reality, they didn't have much to do with each other except for the fact that they all smoked under the steps before class. But the TEENZ never cared. To them, they were just freaks.

Nobody looked at her awkwardly as she walked by. They were all too busy focusing on their own conversations to notice. Finally, she spotted a boy about to light up a joint. He was of medium height with fluffy blond hair that ratted in front of his face.

She couldn't help herself. "Wally!" She called, her voice losing its usual cool. This got some attention, but not a stunning amount. Perhaps the music everyone was blasting in their headphones was drowning out her voice. She moved through the crowd, stepping over kids sitting on the floor and making plans to set up a drug deal later in the day. Wally looked up at her as he noticed she was approaching him. "Wally..." she said again, relieved.

"Yeah?" he said with a biting attitude.

Abby realized now might not be the best time to lay it on thick. She shook her head. "Wallabee Beetles?" she asked.

"Yeah?"

She stuck out her hand. "Abigail Lincoln." Wally took the hand and shook it reluctantly. "Listen, I need to talk to ya."

"Okay..."

Abby looked around. "N-not here." She turned around and started to head for the light. "Follow me."

Wally groaned, picking up his backpack and snuffing out the joint. He squinted as he walked into the light, acting like a vampire at daybreak. She tugged lightly on his arm as she took him behind the school.

"Whoa!" He said, stopping in his tracks. "Where are we going?"

Abby didn't look back. "We've gotta find a place where they won't hear us. Abby's not supposed to be doin' this..."

Wally's brows flattened. "Doin' what?" He rolled his eyes. "If this is some sorta love confession, I got a girlfriend so..."

"It ain't nothin' like that." Abby turned around, noticing that they were finally alone. "I need your help."

"Okay, uh, I don't really sell anymore. Want me to hook you up? I know a guy..." Wally asked, leaning against the wall of the school.

Abby's face flattened. "No."

"Okay, then. What?"

Abby sighed. She wasn't sure how to go about doing this, but she didn't have a choice. She looked into his eyes, his innocent eyes that had no idea what was to come, or even what had been. "Somethin' bad's about to happen," she explained.

He narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"I don't know," she whispered, honestly. She snapped her head up, grabbing him by the sleeve. "But there ain't much time. We've gotta find the others and-"

"Whoa! Whoa! What others? What's gonna happen?" he spat, yanking himself away. "You're not makin' any sense, Lady!"

"Wally!" she snapped, for a moment forgetting who she was talking to. "Nigel's decommissioned the entire pl-" She froze. She couldn't just blurt everything out. She had to be tactful. "I mean...somethin's happened and if we don't act fast, all the kids of this planet will be in danger."

But Wally scoffed. "Good. I hate bloody kids. The aliens can take 'em for all I care."

Abby blinked. "Howd'ya know it was Aliens? Did you see the announcement?"

Wally grinned at her mockingly. "Yeah. That's it."

Abby was prepared for this. She knew that as teenagers, it was unlikely that her team would retain their affection for children. "Look, just come with me and I'll explain everything."

"With a complete stranger to who knows where? You've gotta be kiddin' me." He crossed his arms. "Besides, I'm waitin' for my girlfriend. She ain't here yet." He started to walk away. "Go find someone else to do your dirty work."

The bell started to chime. It was the last warning before class started. But Abby was desperate. She ran up to Wally, grabbing him by the arm. "Please! You don't understand!"

"Get off me, Lady!" He whined. He heard the bell chime again. He decided today might be a good day to actually start going to school. "I gotta get to class!"

"No! Don't go in there!" she shouted. "You won't be safe in there!"

"Get lost!" he shouted, yanking himself free of her grip. He sprinted around the school, up the stairs to the front door, which was slowly closing. Abby ran after him but arrived too late. Wally turned, giving her a cheeky face as the door closed in her face.

Yanking on the door, she realized it was locked. She banged as hard as she could, but no one would let her inside. Great, she thought. Now she was late. She wouldn't make it to the others until second period when they re-opened the doors, and by then it would be too late. She searched her pocket for a gadget that might help her break in, but she had left most of her devices at home in her hurry. She smacked the window, trying the handle again even though she knew it was pointless. Just when she was about to give up on the door and try for a window, she noticed a figure coming towards her.

Hoagie was walking down the hall, a string of cables wrapped around his shoulder, when he heard a loud banging on the door. Another student who missed the bell, he figured. He turned the corner, thinking he could take a detour on his way to the Cafeteria. But as soon as he got half way down the hall, he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned back around, facing away from the girl with the red hat who was locked outside. His lips curved downward. He could just walk away, he argued with himself. That was certainly an option. After all, students weren't allowed to let in other students after the bell had rung. He tried to move his feet forward, but something stopped him.

He looked up at the ceiling and grumbled. "God, why do you hate me?"

He turned back around to face the door. Walking up to it, he pushed it open, revealing a frazzled and distraught Abigail Lincoln, whose mouth looked as though it would fall off as soon as she saw him.

"Hoagie," she spoke, breathlessly. She looked as though she had just run a marathon.

So, she knows my name, he thought somewhat bitterly. Hoagie wasn't sure what to say. He averted his eyes from her, as he usually did, offering to her one line. "This is unlike you," he said.

A pair of hands reached out, tugging on his collar. Abby pulled herself up to his face, caught between him and the door. "I need you," she heaved.

Hoagie blushed a brilliant red. "W-what?"

"I need you," she said again. "To help me."

Hoagie scowled, moving backwards away from her. "Oh-ho no." The door shut behind them. Abby tried to go after him, but he just kept shaking his head. "No. You stay away from me." He managed to unclasp her hands from his sweatshirt. "I don't want anything to do with you or your asshole friends!"

Abby scrunched her nose. "Friends? You mean the TEENZ? Those freaks ain't Abby's friends!"

Hoagie crossed his arms. "Oh, please."

"No, really! I... I'm a spy!" she explained. "I work for the Kids Next Door."

Hoagie stared at her blankly. "I'm sorry, the what?"

"THE KIDS NEX-" She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Man, this is frustratin'." She took a step back from him, adjusting her hat. "The Kids Next Door," she continued. "It's an organization that exists to protect the rights of kids. I am former operative Numbuh 5, former Soopreme Leader and agent for the Kids Next Door Moon Base. I've been selected for a special mission to infiltrate the TEENZ and report information back as directed."

Hoagie just blinked. "That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard in my life."

Abby growled. "Stupid?"

"Since when do kids have rights?"

Abby brought her palm to her forehead. "Okay, seriously? Yo' brother never said anything about the Kids Next Door?"

"No. Why would he? Wait. How do you know I have a brother?"

Abby shook her head. "Never mind. Point is, I'm not a member of the TEENZ. I'm fightin' for kids. And right now I need yo' help."

Hoagie lifted an eyebrow. "Okay, look," he said, trying desperately to wrap his brain around the situation. Was she trying to trick him? He couldn't read her at all. All he could see was that she appeared desperate. She would probably take anyone at this point. "If it's so important, I can get someone to-"

"No!" Abby protested. "I need you."

Hoagie wasn't expecting that response. His cheeks were now a rosy pink instead of a fire engine red. "Why?"

"Abby will explain that later," she told him.

"Why can't Abby explain it now?" he replied, mocking her speech patterns. "Abigail...I'm kind of on a tight schedule. I'm supposed to hook these cables up before the announcement."

Abby's ears perked. "Announcement?"

Hoagie nodded. "The teachers are setting up a giant projector in the cafeteria to watch some important announcement. It's supposedly going to be a nation-wide broadcast. Probably from the President or something. But our TV and Internet were on the fritz this morning, so I have no idea."

Abby's eyes widened. "They know," she whispered. She grabbed him by the arm again and pulled him down the hallway. "C'mon! We're goin' to the cafeteria!"

"Hey!" he shouted as she dragged him along. "Abigail! Stop!" However, as they ran, they could hear the sound of clanking boots coming down the other hallway. "Oh shit," Hoagie said under his breath. He looked at Abby, worry starting to settle into his voice. "Okay, I'll do it. I'll help you!" he said, walking the other way. He swung Abby around, who was still holding onto him.

"Where are you goin'? The cafeteria is this way." She tried to pull him the opposite direction but couldn't budge him. He was much stronger than she remembered.

"Do you want my help or not?" he asked, pointedly, not stopping.

"Well, yeah-"

They arrived at an old Janitor's closet. "We can't let him see you." Hoagie opened the door. "In here." Abby heard the footsteps grow closer. She nodded at Hoagie and quickly scurried into the closest, closing the door behind them.

Hoagie took out his phone, letting the light illuminate his face. He put a finger to his lips and began to type something.

-Don't turn on the light.

Abby nodded, pulling out her own phone. She began to text back.

-So what's the plan?

-We wait.

-I think we're fine. As long as we don't speak, he shouldn't catch wind.

-And if he does?

Hoagie paused. A shadow appeared over the crack in the door, blocking out the light. He started typing when the door to the closet began to jiggle. Hoagie did the only thing he could think of. He tossed Abby his phone, reaching up to turn on the light. As the light flickered on, he grabbed the door handle and swung it open, just enough for Abby to creep behind the other side. It was just as he thought.

"What do you know, Joe?" he said in a cool, calm voice. He propped his leg up on the door frame.

Joe Balooka stood, startled that the door had opened before he got a change to do it himself. However, he softened into a warm smile. "Hoagie Gilligan. I should'a known."

Hoagie pulled out a small green laminated card from his jacket pocket. "Don't worry, Joe. I've got a hall pass."

"Thought you were a runner," he said. "They usually straggle out around this time when they think the coast is clear. I could'a sworn I saw a cell phone light dancin' around in there."

Hoagie swallowed. Joe was good, always had been, but he was better. "Yeah, that was me. I couldn't find the light switch." He scratched the back of his neck, innocently. "Sorry for the confusion."

Joe's smile broadened. "You know, you could've just used the light from the hallway. I keep all the closet doors open during class periods, remember?" He lifted an eyebrow. "You're not hiding anything in there, are you Gilligan? A girl, maybe?"

"If there was a girl, the last thing I would do is hide her in a closet."

Joe shrugged. "Hm. Fair point."

"I just needed some extra cables so we can set up the projector in the cafeteria," Hoagie explained. He spoke a little louder so that Abby could hear him. "But the faculty probably won't let us watch the broadcast with them so we're planning to watch it from 109."

"109?" Joe said. "That tiny thing?"

"Yeah, but it's better than nothing at all," Hoagie supposed. "And we've got a pretty neat set up."

Joe looked around, a suspicious look crossing his face. "Listen," he whispered. "I know you're not on the force anymore-"

"Haven't been for a long time, Joe."

Joe nodded. "But between you and me, somethin' fishy is goin' down among the faculty. I'd watch my back if I was you. They're sending stragglers straight to the Principal's office."

Hoagie frowned. "I wonder what's going on."

"Who knows?" He leaned in close. "But I'd keep that hall pass out from now on. And if you see any tardies or runners, report em. Anyone who doesn't...let's just say it ain't pretty." Joe stuffed his hands in his pockets. "And you might wanna leave that door wide open," he said. "The other monitors ain't so nice, if you catch my drift."

"Thanks for the tip," Hoagie said as Joe began to walk back to the main hallway. "I'll see ya around, Joe," he called back. Joe waved without looking back at him.

As soon as he was around the corner, Hoagie went back to the closet. Abby hadn't moved a muscle during the entire conversation, still intently waiting. Hoagie held out his hand for his phone, which she handed to him. He placed a finger on his lips again and typed.

-The place is crawling with snitches. You have to move fast.

Abby nodded and replied.

-109

-Password: Geronimo

Abby looked at him with annoyance but didn't question it. The AV room has a password, she thought. Nerds were so weird. Hoagie was already typing again by the time she had written it down.

-#?

Abby grinned.

-It's there.

Hoagie flushed, looking at his phone. Sure enough, in his contacts was a little number 5 with a number right beneath it. "You hacked my phone?" he whispered in embarrassment and disbelief. Abby put a finger to her own lips and winked. She put up five fingers to let him know what her name would be under. Hoagie groaned as he adjusted the cables, stuffing his phone in his pocket. "Yeah, I know which one it is." He tossed the cables over his shoulder. Before he left, he pulled out the neon green hall pass, dropping it on the floor in front of Abby. "Here. You'll need this."

"I can't. What if you get caught?" Abby whispered a little too loudly.

"I won't," he said back, still in a hushed tone. "But you said you needed me, right? So if by some chance I do get caught, you won't have any choice but to save me." He turned away from her. "If you get caught, there's not much I'll be able to do for you. So it's better you take it." He took a few steps forward before stopping again. "When you get to the room, tell the guys I sent you and give them the password. They should let you in. I'll meet you there as soon as I finish."

She waited until he was a good distance down the hall before sneaking out of the closet. Picking the hall pass up off the floor, she casually stood up and turned off the light, shutting the door and walking purposefully to room 109. It took less convincing than she had thought to get him on her side. A warm, prideful feeling began to replace her anger. Maybe now it would be easier to recruit the others.

When he approached the large cafeteria doors, Hoagie realized they were closed shut. He wasn't surprised that no one stopped him on the way there. He was, after all, carrying a large ring of cables over his shoulder, indicating that he was on a job. If one was going to try and skip school, he figured this wouldn't be half bad of a strategy so long as the kid lived close enough or had a car. He pulled on the handle. It was unlocked. However, he was only able to open it a couple inches before it slammed shut again. The slam pinched Hoagie's fingers. Annoyed, he knocked on the door. A tall, scrawny man with large pop-bottle glasses opened the door, glaring down at him.

"Who are you? What do you want?" he spat. He snarled at the teenager. "This is a Teacher's only event. No students. Get back to class before I report you."

"I, um..." Hoagie tried to speak up. He slid the cables down from his shoulders. "I'm from AV. I brought your cable-"

"Oh!" the teacher said, reaching over and grabbing for the cables out of Hoagie's hands. "Yes, of course! Thank you, Young Man." He started to head back into the Cafeteria.

"Uh, are you sure you don't want me to come and set up the-"

"Nope! Thanks!" He said, slamming the door right in Hoagie's face.

He rubbed his shoulder, walking back towards room 109 and grumbling to himself over his mistreatment. Abigail was right. There was something strange happening. He sighed. But whatever that had to do with him, he didn't understand. If it was his research she was after, he would have to tell her that he no longer had it. Which meant that she probably didn't know about the break in. Still, for the time being, he liked having the insurance. And what did he know? Maybe she wanted him for an entirely different reason.

His thoughts halted as he heard footsteps coming from the opposite direction. He held his breath.

This was going to be one hell of a day.

While Hoagie went off to finish his job, Abby finally made it to room 109. She had passed by many Hall Monitors on her way over, but as soon as she flashed that green card, they passed her without a second thought. It was like gaining access to a military base in the KND. As long as you acted like you belonged there, no one really questioned you. She looked around for Hoagie, who hadn't come back yet. Not knowing how long they had until the announcement, she decided she couldn't wait for him any longer and knocked on the door.

It was a girl who answered. She was petite with gnarly brown hair that was strapped up into messy pigtails. Her pupils dilated a bit upon seeing Abby, not knowing whether to greet her with open arms or to slam the door right in her face. She was inclined to do the latter.

"Uh...hi," Abby started, to which the girl responded with a dower glare. "This the AV club room?"

The girl turned up her nose. "Authorized personnel only."

Another boy peaked his head out, his black hair shaggily hanging into his eyes. "What's going on, Tess?" he asked, but froze when he saw Abby. A grin appeared across his face. "Well...hello there."

Abby forced herself to smile. "Hi," she said again. "I was told you got a TV here."

The girl snarled. "Who wants to know?"

"Special Agent Abigail Lincoln of the Teens Next Door. I've been given permission to access this lab." Abby flashed the green card in their faces. "Look, I even got a hall pass," she said jovially.

There was a long pause. The boy shrugged. "Works for me."

"Wha- Kepler!" The girl screamed and whispered simultaneously. "We can't just let her into our inner sanctum!" She pulled him aside, tugging at his shirt. "What if she isn't telling the truth? What if she's one of the TEENZ?"

"You think she'd be here if she was a TEEN?" His voice quieted to a whisper. "C'mon Tessa, did you see that girl? She's is fire. I might never get another chance like this again!"

"Will you stop acting with your dick and think for once?"

"Calm down! You're just being paranoid!"

"Uh, excuse me?" Abby tapped her foot, impatiently. "Don't talk about people when they're five feet away. It ain't polite."

Kepler went back to the door, getting a good solid look at Abby, and quite liking what he saw. "Sorry, Babe. Can't let you in without full consent. Unless you got authorization from a member-"

"Hoagie Gilligan sent me," she said bluntly.

Tessa and Kepler's faces fell. Kepler tilted his head to the side. "Gilligan did?" Abby nodded. "...Hoagie Gilligan?"

"Hoagie and this chick are friends?" Tessa whispered into Kepler's ear, who shrugged.

Abby scowled. "Abby ain't a chick," she hissed at them. "And yeah. We're friends. Why you actin' like it's such a big deal?"

Kepler scratched the back of his neck. "Well-"

He was cut off by a quick jab in the arm by Tessa. "If that's true...then what's the secret password?"

Abby, who was getting fed up at this point, rolled her eyes. "Y'all are seriously gonna make me say it?" Tessa lifted an eyebrow, signaling that this was her intention. Abby sighed, a light blush creeping across her face. "Fine. Ger-ger-" She scrunched her nose. "Geronimo," the word slipped out under her breath, just loud enough for Tessa and Kepler to hear.

Their jaws dropped to the floor. "No fucking way..." Kepler managed to squeak.

"Yeah, well, okay." Tessa, who for her own reasons did not want Abby to enter. "Then what's the context for the password?"

Abby's ears burned. As she marched over to the girl. "The context is you let me in the damn room or imma kick the fuckin' door down. How's that for context!"

Tessa and Kepler looked at each other, then at Abby, then back at each other, giving off a 'well, shit' vibe on each of their faces. Tessa reluctantly pushed the door open as a farcical smile appeared on Abby's face.

"Thank you very much," she said with false sweetness. The door shut behind her.

Kepler and Tessa kept staring at her. Kepler was the first to speak. He tried to put his arm around Abby as he led her into the room. It was small, just as Joe had said, with wires dripping from the ceiling like icicles. Old computer parts and monitors lay sprawled about in boxes, reaching high over their heads. On the wall, a projection screen was set up, tiny chairs arranged in front of it as though they were preparing for an event of some kind. There was something familiar about it, though.

"This way, Milady."

Abby walked past Kepler, shrugging him off. "Don't touch me."

He lifted his hands in the air. "Tch. Salty."

Tessa eyed the new person, not even bothering to be jealous of Kepler's flirtations this time. Something more pressing was on her mind. She tugged on his shirt, a look of worry spreading across her face. "Kepler..."

"Relax," he assured her. "We can't assume anything until we figure out what's going on. We need a private investigation."

"But-"

"I know. Just keep your guard up in case-"

"In case, what?" Abby didn't bother to turn around as she spoke to them. "Abby steals all yo' nerd equipment?" She scoffed. "Please." She wondered if they even payed attention when she said she could hear everything they said.

Tessa flinched. "Abby. It was Abby, right?"

Abby turned around, crossing her arms. "Yeah."

The girl straightened up, her pigtails flopping as she adjusted position. "You said Hoagie Gilligan gave you the password to get in here?"

"That's right."

Tessa swallowed. "It's just...nobody but the AV club staff is allowed in here. They haven't been for over two years now." Abby didn't look surprised by this, which worried Tessa even more. "Bullies kept sneaking in, stealing things, destroying things..." Abby's heart skipped. She thought this place looked familiar. "Hoagie was the one who had it the worst, so he was the one who eventually went to the school board about it. He doesn't let anyone in here, not friends, not even teachers sometimes. So forgive me..." Her lips twisted down into a frown. "If I think your story is a load of bunk."

"But," Kepler added. "If it isn't, that means Gilligan trusts you. That or..." he couldn't finish his sentence.

Tessa shivered. "It's really serious."

Abby sat down on the blue chair, resting her arm on its back. "Just the end of the world," she whispered, out of Tessa and Kepler's earshot.

The boy's bathroom was the most disgusting place in the universe. The fact was non-negotiable. Hoagie stood pressed against the scummed-up wall by the exit. He leaned into the door, pressing his ear as close as he could to the edge. He could hear muffling from the outside conversation but couldn't make out any words. He knew by the way they spoke, however, that they weren't loitering students. Stealthily, he pushed the door open a sliver, able to see and hear what was happening. The two boys in orange vests stood facing away from him, munching on probably confiscated chew. Hoagie grit his teeth. He couldn't believe that he used to be a hall monitor as a child. Out of all his memories, that sickening piece of information was stuck in his brain forever. Wonderful.

"...but it ain't like the they got somethin' better to do." The first boy spit into a Gatorade bottle. Hoagie cringed. "I get to P.E. n' all the sudden Joey calls up, says we got a 594 and before you can say locker room I'm right back here again. On dodgeball day too."

"Ain't that just the way?" The other one said.

Hoagie opened the door a little more. The TEENZ? Were they involved with this too?

"All I'm sayin' is, why can't they catch their own damn prey? We's just as important as them. We're hall monitors for Chrissakes, not the goddamn secret police! If I miss anotha day'a biology my teacher's gonna show me the whip."

"Or worse," the boy on the right said. "The dissectin' table."

The two shuddered.

"Let's face it. Joey's sold out." Spit.

"Big time."

Just then, more footsteps were heard, the boys straightening up as a girl walked past. She was also in an orange vest, her blonde hair pulled up tight into a high bun. "Well," she started. "Looks like I caught me a couple'a slackers." She snatched the can of chew out of the left boy's hand. "You're supposed to be looking for the target."

"We looked! We didn't see anything!" The second boy complained.

But the girl grabbed him by the collar. Her eyes merciless. "Look. Harder." She released him, throwing him nearly into the bathroom door. "They're serious about this one. You know how they get when they aren't fed. I ain't takin' the punishment just because a few guys wanted to get a good slap in the ass! So get moving!" she screamed. The boys nodded and grumbled away, the girl following behind.

Hoagie blinked for a second. This wasn't good. He knew the TEENZ and the Adults were on good terms, that they often worked together to use children and other people to their advantage, but he didn't know how deep it ran. He didn't want to know. He shut the door, pressing his body against the tile. They were definitely after something. Something important. Hoagie's brows lifted.

Or someone.

"No, he totally could occupy the same space because moving through the time stream would mean you move outside of your existence and into a time stream that you are no longer a part of," Tessa explained vehemently to Kepler, who was still setting up the wiring system for the announcement. Abby thought she was going to die of tedium.

Kepler didn't look up but was still engrossed in the argument. "But if you're applying the unified timeline theory, like Wells is doing, then he should still occupy the same space because space and time are disconnected. Therefore, he would run himself over. It's a paradox, Tessa."

Tessa shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense!" she said flailing her arms in the air. She noticed Abby glaring at the empty screen, impatiently. "New girl! You think I'm right, don't you?" She turned to the other boy and sneered. "Tell Kepler he's full of shit!"

Abby drearily turned her head to face the girl. "You're kiddin', right?" She pulled out her phone and stared at the empty screen. Where the hell was Hoagie? It had been almost ten minutes and the broadcast would premiere in another five. She bit her lip. He would call her if he was in trouble, wouldn't he? Unless...

"I am not full of shit!" Kepler defended. He grabbed a notebook off the counter, flipped it open, and sat down in the chair next to Abby. Pulling out the pen stuck onto the first page, he drew a diagram on the paper. "Look, Wells sits in the machine here...and he watches as things change. He doesn't move out of the space he is occupying. Yet, he still travels through time." He slammed his pen down, confidently. "Paradox."

"How do you know he doesn't move out of the timeline? He could be constantly switching timelines without realizing it!" Tessa explained.

"That wasn't even a theory when the book came out!" Kepler contradicted. He had even stopped flirting with Abby for a while in order to focus solely on his victory.

Abby arched her back, clutching her head in agony. The strongest desire to scream at the top of her lungs came over her, which she repressed with every might of her being. Just then her phone buzzed, an unknown number flashing across the screen. She shot up, pressing the green button.

"Hello?" she said, a little too excitedly.

The other line was quiet for a moment. "...Abigail?"

"Where the hell are you?!" She shouted at full volume. Hoagie on the other line had to pull the receiver far away from his ear.

"Abigail...shh! Be quiet-" he tried.

"Huh-uh!" Abby snapped. "While you've been off doin' whatever it is yo' doin', Abby's been stuck listenin' to the bitchins'a Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dumbass ova'here waitin' for you!"

"Tessa thinks Wells' Time Machine isn't a paradox!" Kepler shouted, right into Abby's ear.

"If Wells isn't there when he leaves to go to the future, then it isn't a paradox! The time machine moves out of that space and into the space of the future!" Tessa screamed in Abby's other ear.

"Imma put you both in a time machine and send you back to the stone age!" Abby screamed back.

"Abigail, listen," Hoagie ignored the conflict altogether. "I think the TEENZ are onto you." Abby brought the phone closer but didn't say anything. "They're screening the area for something specific. That's why they're sending everyone to the principal's office. They might have figured out that you're a double agent."

Abby sighed. "Don't worry about it. It don't matter now, anyway." She tilted her head. "That why you called me or did you need somethin'?"

"Oh. Right. There's something I need you to do."

Abby peeled herself away from the two geeks, who were eavesdropping on her conversation. "Sure."

"Talk to me."

Abby was confused. "What about? Where are you?"

"It doesn't matter just-" He paused, as though waiting for something to pass. "Just make it sound important." Another pause. When Hoagie spoke again, his voice raised significantly in volume. "Yes. I understand."

"Uh...so..." She froze. What was she supposed to say? "So..." Abby used the first thing that popped into her head. "Our program offers many different degrees in neuroscience and engineering so if you-"

She heard Hoagie laughing on the other line. "Seriously?"

Abby blushed. "You got somethin' better?"

"No, no. It's fine. Keep going."

Abby rolled her eyes. "We appreciate you taking the time to converse with us in person. Thank you very much for considering our program. Tell me, Mr. Gilligan, what field are you interested in pursuing at our University?"

"Well, I've always been interested in engineering, but I also have a hand in applied physics, so something that incorporates-" His voice cut off.

Abby felt the hairs on her neck stand up. "Y-yes?" No response. She decided to keep up the act in case someone was listening. "Mr. Gilligan, are you still there?" Again, there was no response. "Hoagie?" She could hear the strain in her own voice, unable to completely control it. "Hoagie are you there?"

There was a long pause before she heard a reply. "I'm here," he finally said. "That was close, though."

Abby let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God," she said. "Abby didn't wanna have to pull yo' ass outta trouble." She brought her mouth away from the receiver. "Again."

She heard a pounding on the door. As she rushed to it, Tessa grabbed her by the arm, throwing her back in her seat. "Wait for the password."

Abby frowned. "Fuckin' password..." she grumbled.

"Geronimo! Open the door!" came Hoagie's somewhat frantic voice from the other side. He stumbled in, clutching his chest slightly. "Okay. That's enough excitement for one day..." he said as he slunk down.

Kepler went over to him. "What happened to you?"

Hoagie gave him a biting look from above his glasses, which had slid down to the tip of his nose. "Hall monitors."

"Ick." Tessa said, as she took over setting up the projector in Kepler's place. "Say no more."

Kepler slid down and sat next to Hoagie, his eyes wide. "Dude. Gilligan. Where'd you find that snack?"

Hoagie adjusted his glasses, his eyes squinting. "Where'd I what?"

"The girl, man!" He nudged Hoagie. "She is thicc..."

"You mean, Abigail?" he clarified. "She's in my Anatomy class." Kepler gave him a sly look. "What?"

"Looking for extra credit?"

Hoagie stood up. "Oh, fuck off, Kepler." He made his way to one of the filing cabinets, unlocking it with the key and pulling out what seemed to be a medium-sized blue notebook.

"We go live in two minutes, people," Tessa announced to the rest of them.

Abby took her seat, then Hoagie next to her. He looked exhausted. Tessa was the next one to sit down, then finally Kepler. Tessa looked at Hoagie.

"But seriously, I'm right about the Wells theory-"

She was cut off as Hoagie handed her the notebook, dropping it at her feet. "Here."

Her eyes lit up as she picked up the book. "Is this..."

"Yeah," Hoagie stated bluntly. "Don't drool on it, please."

"I wanna see!" Kepler shouted, trying to take the book from Tessa.

"No way! He gave it to me!"

"Gimmie the book, Tessa!"

The two ran over to the corner of the room, flipping through the pages. Hoagie sighed in relief, leaning on the chair. "Well, that took care of that."

Abby looked at the scene, unsure of what to make of it. "What is it?"

Hoagie adjusted his glasses again, wiping the sweat off his nose. "It's my theoretical framework and calculations for time travel." He said it so bluntly, Abby couldn't help but recoil. "In other words," he added. "It's 100 complete pages of bullshit."

Abby gave a small laugh. "You don't believe in time travel?"

"Well, duh," Hoagie said. "Of course I do. We're always moving through time." He lifted his arms, waving them around. "We're traveling through time right now! Oooooh!"

"Hey! Gilligan!" Kepler shouted from the back. "Don't sass the hot girl! I wanna keep her!"

Hoagie rolled his eyes. "So if she wasn't hot, you wouldn't mind? Is that what you're saying? Because attraction is subjective..." He looked at Abby, realizing what he might have said. "N-not that you're not attractive-"

"Shh! Everyone!" Tessa hushed them. "It's on!"

The group quieted, watching the projection. Abby bit her lip. On the screen, the silhouette of a man stood in front of a large mass of people. The 'announcement', as everyone was calling it, took place in a colosseum filled with Adults. A large red curtain draped behind him as he stood at a wooden podium. Even though it had been years since she had seen the man, Abby knew him right away.

Father.

"Fellow Adults," he said, lifting his hands up into the air. "The Kids Next Door is no more!" At the sound of his words came a thunderous applause. Father silenced the crowd. "Who would have thought that after all this time, those bratty kids would lead themselves to their own destruction! And WE didn't have to any of the work!" Again, the audience erupted. "Now, now. I know we're all excited, but let's not get ahead of ourselves. I am here to make a very important announcement. As you all know, eliminating the Kids Next Door is only step one in a never-ending struggle for maintaining our standard of living. We thought we could get kids to do our chores, wash our cars and mow our lawns, but they just don't listen! They have absolutely no respect! For years we've fought and struggled against kids who just wanted to laze around and eat candy, instead of actually contributing to society! Well! No more!"

Hoagie stared at the TV. "Is this guy for real?"

"As your newly elected Supreme Leader," Father continued. "I say we shouldn't have to wait for kids to grow up! Population levels are at an all-time high. There is not enough food, not enough resources. Who earns the money?"

"Adults!" cried the crowd.

"And who takes all our money?"

"Kids!" They shouted again.

"Children have been taking your hard-earned money to buy video games and ice cream bars. And do they give us any appreciation? No! They just want more and more! More toys! More clothes! And now they're starting to ask for our toys! Computers, cellphones, portable devices, your kids see you have something and what do they do? They take it! I will no longer be a slave to my kids! And neither will you!" Father rested his hands on the podium. "My dear Adults, while we may have won the battle, the war is still on! Kids are still living in our homes. Like parasites, they suck out our blood, our energy, and our lives. But not anymore. Allow me to-"

"Ooh! Oooh! Mr. Father, Sir!" A loud, screeching voice sang from one of the seats. "Over here!"

Father pinched his nose, turning the direction of the screaming. A man with a roll of toilet paper around his head stood waving his arms around like a maniac. "Yes, Toiletnator. What is it?"

Hoagie cocked an eyebrow. "Is...that guy...wearing toilet paper-" he started. Abby shushed him.

"Um..." The Toiletnator folded his hands together, sticking on a sheepish smile. "I reaaaaaaally have to go to the bathroom."

"Can't it wait?" Father groaned. "I'm in the middle of my victory speech here!"

The Toiletnator pouted. "But I gotta go super bad! I'm gonna wet myself!" He began hopping from one leg to the other, the Adult next to him screaming that pee was leaking out from under his leg. "Oh please! Oh please please please-"

"Alright!" Father finally gave in. "Go!"

"Thank you!" The strangely dressed man leapt out of his seat, apologizing to everyone as he climbed over them. "Don't say anything important!" he called. "I'll be right back."

Father rolled his eyes as he watched the Toiletnator exit the stadium. "As I was saying." He gestured towards the side as the camera panned over. A little girl, only five years old, stood trembling on the stage. A big burly man grabbed her by the arm, pulling her as she screamed. The curtain behind Father lifted, revealing what looked to be a string of test tubes. "Allow me to introduce the greatest invention you will ever see in your Adult lives!" Father said gleefully, showing off the massive object. "The Child Maturation Machine! You see, this little girl is an orphan. She has no family to take care of her, yet she still has to be paid for by the state! Odds are, she won't be able to contribute much to our growing society because of competition from wealthy families. However, with our help, she can still be fit for the work force!"

Hoagie put a hand to his mouth, thinking he was going to throw up. They watched as the little girl was placed inside the tube, a wire helmet strapped onto her head. Her eyes dulled, her body ceasing resistance.

"With this, children can be educated, parented and fed while their parents still have a life. They will receive nutrients from broccoli and spinach, and all that gross stuff we hate to eat. Then, at the ripe age of thirteen, the children that are released will go right to High School. We will no longer have children that can't keep up academically, no longer have a lack of able bodies. And best of all," He lifted his arms in the air once more. "No more Kids. No more childhoods to traumatize us. No more poopy diapers or snot rags. We will be free!" The audience was in an uproar. "With this bill!" Father finished. "I declare it illegal to be under the age of thirteen!"

The video continued to play, but Abby didn't think she could watch any more. She looked over at Hoagie, whose eyes were glued to the screen.

"They're joking." Hoagie was in shock. "Th-this has to be a joke."

Kepler frowned. "Well that was a let-down. I thought it was gonna be something cool like we landed on Mars or something."

Tessa agreed. "Major bummer."

Hoagie couldn't feel his toes. He couldn't hear the Adult's jubilation on the television screen. His heart felt as though it would pop as he whispered. "Tommy." Without warning, he stood up, finding the backpack he had left in the room earlier. He sprinted out of the room, whizzing past Abby after stumbling over some of the chairs that had been lying around.

"Hoagie!" Abby shouted, following right behind him as quickly as she could. "Hold up!"

Hoagie sped down the hall as fast as he could walk. He didn't look back at her. He didn't care if he was seen. "I'm sorry, Abigail. I know I promised to help you, but I can't. I have to go." But Abby was more in practice and caught up to him easily. He spun around, angrily. "I told you-"

"You wanna save your brother?" she asked him, matter-of-factly. He panted, his face softening. "Then you follow me this time."

Abby dragged Hoagie down the hall, running as fast as she could toward the exit. He was able to keep up fairly well, considering he hadn't been doing field work for over six years. Finally, they saw the door. Abby gripped him tighter as she bolted forward. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, three Hall Monitors flipped over them, blocking their way out. They stood tall, like a barricade. Abby skidded to a halt, Hoagie bumping into her.

"This way!" She shouted, turning around, but she was faced with another five Hall Monitors. In the center was Joe Balooka with a wicked jeer. It was no use. They were trapped.

"Hoagie P. Gilligan." Joe said shaking his head. "Running in the halls? You should know better."

Hoagie panted, making direct eye contact with him. "Stand down, Joe! This is an emergency!"

But Joe wasn't eager to listen to appeals. "Thought you'd pull the wool over my eyes, didn't ya?" came his response. It was cold, but Hoagie could hear a tinge of sadistic enjoyment in it. He turned to one of the Hall Monitors, who Hoagie recognized as the girl from earlier. "Contact our friends. Tell 'em we've acquired the target." The blonde girl nodded and disappeared.

"You're disgusting," Hoagie sneered, his eyes dull and unsurprised. "How about showing a little bit of compassion for once in your life."

Joe grinned. "Oh, come now. Don't do me that way, Gilligan. It's just business. A little corruption is necessary to keep the peace in this world." His eyebrows raised at Abby. "Don't you think, Doll?"

But Abby just scowled. "Abby ain't a doll," she replied brutally.

Hoagie took a few steps back, as the hall monitors readied their weapons, which were essentially just yard sticks. Still, it was more protection than either Hoagie or Abby had on them. "Don't you get what's happening?" Hoagie pleaded. "They're going to make kids illegal! Or did you not hear that over the sound of you smacking your lips!"

"You know what I love about you, Gilligan?" Joe's voice quivered as his grin grew wider. "Even when your back's against the wall you still think you're a goddamn comedian." He laughed as the Hall Monitors started to lunge forward. Hoagie looked to Abby for assistance, who was now trying the classroom doors. He ran to the other side of the hall, doing the same. All of them were locked. "C'mon, Hoagie you know how this is gonna end. If you don't give them what they want, they'll just take it. That's what they do. You can't beat'm so just give in already."

Hoagie grimaced. "No, Joe. I won't," He said gruffly. His fists clenched tightly, whitening at the knuckles. "I don't understand what's going on. I don't know who to trust, what to believe..." His nose twitched with anger. "But if helping Abigail means making sure the TEENZ don't get what they want, then I'll defend her with everything I've got!" He huffed, his face red. Steam hissed out the top of his head. His toes curled under the balls of his feet. "So you just try..." he heaved.

"Abigail..." There was a short pause as Joe lifted his chin up curiously. His eyes went back over to Abby for a brief moment. "You mean her?"

Hoagie relaxed a bit. "Of course I mean her. Who else would I be talking about?"

Joe held up his finger, his grin returning. "Oh. I see what you're doing. Nice try, Gilligan. You may've outsmarted me before, but you're not gonna fool me this time! Now turn yourself in before I'm forced to arrest you."

"Arrest me? For what?!"

Abby bolted in front of him, standing between him and Joe in a defensive position. Her stomach began to backflip. They knew? The TEENZ knew about him all along and the TND was completely clueless? Had they fooled him into a false sense of security, diverting him with cheap parlor tricks? Was everything she'd done to protect him pointless? She tried to keep herself together, to remain calm under the circumstance, but her shame was drilling a hole in her chest and she wouldn't be able to contain it much longer. Did they know about the TND then? It didn't matter. If she didn't do something quick, it would all be over.

"It was a brilliant plan," Joe said, shaking his head. "Sure played me for a fool."

Hoagie's breath began to shorten. "Abigail. What's he talking about?"

"Hoagie P. Gilligan: the big fat loser who nobody expected anything from, the poor kid who eats alone in the computer lab every day, the guy with the lame jokes and the negative sex appeal..." Joe continued. Hoagie flushed. "I'm impressed." Joe's eyes grew dark. "You almost got away with it."

"I don't..." Hoagie's head was in a fog. "I don't understand..."

"You had a good run," Joe said. "But it's over. You belong to them now. We all will soon enough. So I suggest you come quietly before anyone else has to get hurt."

Before Hoagie could make a physical reaction, He felt Abby's hand reach back and grip his wrist. "Don't listen to'm," she said quietly. She could feel his entire body trembling.

"B-But Abigail..."

Abby spun around and looked him in the eyes. "Abby didn't come all this way just to half-ass it." She let go of him forcefully, the nerd picking up his wrist with his other hand as soon as she released it. "You're comin' with me. I help you save yo' brother, you help me. That was the deal." She turned back around to face Joe, spitting on the floor as she did so. "You ain't a part of that arrangement."

Joe smirked, amused by this turn of events. "You wanna fight? You can try, Toots."

Abby took off her hat, rotating it on her head so the brim was facing the front instead of the back. She secured it tightly, a shadow appearing over her eyes. "Abby ain't a Toots," she spat, this time with a grin on her face.

Joe signaled for the Hall Monitors to attack. All of them filed in at once, but none of them were a match for Abby's physical strength. She kicked the first guy in the groin, taking him down with one hit. One Monitor tried to grab Hoagie from the back, then another from the front. He was able to shake off one of them, but the second was able to knock him to the ground. Abby swung and knocked the boy over with her braid. She fought until the first round of Joe's lackeys were curled up in fetal positions on the floor. Hoagie looked at her, his jaw hanging open slightly. She stood tall, her back facing him and her shoulders moving up and down as she panted. Her head turned slightly, her eyes making contact with his.

"What are you doin'?" He heard her say. Out of the fog of his mind, Hoagie was able to finally focus on what was happening. "Run!"

"Oh! Right!" He scrambled to his feet as they heard Joe calling for reinforcements. He sprinted for the door. Before he reached the knob, the door flung open, revealing more Hall Monitors.

"Surrender!" They shouted, unsure of what else to do.

Hoagie gave a sheepish smile. "Heh heh. I'll pass." He turned around but was grabbed by all three of the Monitors. Abby saw this, which distracted her just long enough for the blonde female, who had returned from her trip to the office, to grab her by the ponytail and fling her down to the ground. Two injured Hall Monitors grabbed her arms, holding her back as she struggled.

Joe walked slowly down the hall, the scene finally calming down and in his favor. The Hall Monitors brought Hoagie to Joe, slamming him against the lockers. Joe smiled, not breaking eye contact with him. "Well, now. That was a lot of hubbub for nothing, wouldn't you say?" Hoagie tried to pull away but was too weak to fight three well-trained hall monitors with weapons. "It's too bad. I mighta been able to cut a deal if you were still on the force."

Hoagie growled. "Suck my ass."

The corners of Joe's lips turned up even more. "Thanks, but maybe some other time." He got closer, Hoagie bracing himself. Abby watched the scene from a distance, trying desperately to think of a way out of the situation. "Maybe while you're screaming for your mommy in their torture rooms."

"Torture?" His nose scrunched. "Just what the hell have you been getting yourself into?"

"I'm just trying to survive," Joe said honestly. "You feed the King, you might get some scraps from the table."

"I'd rather starve."

"Be my guest!" Joe spat back. "Don't be lookin' for any favors from me! You could have been one of us, but you pussed out. Now you're getting exactly what you deserve. I've been waiting so long for this..."

"Why you cock-sucking piece of sh-"

Suddenly, a dark figure came barreling down the hallway, smacking the back of the heads of the Hall Monitors, allowing Abby to break free of their grip. The hooded figure faced Abby, nodding to her to take the opportunity and leave. Abby nodded back as she bolted down the hall toward Hoagie, fighting of other Monitors as she did so. Joe turned around, but was knocked to the ground by the mysterious hero. Then another went down, and another, until the remaining Hall Monitors held their hands up in surrender, letting go of Hoagie.

"Now, Mr. Gilligan," the figure said. "I don't appreciate that kind of language in my school." A hand reached up and removed the hood, revealing a woman with black hair and a very pronounced nose. "Although, I suppose there is a time and place for it."

Abby and Hoagie stared in disbelief. "Dr. Prageeta?"

She looked over at Abby. "Father's machines are already operational," she explained. "I'll take care of things here. You get as far away as you can."

"Thanks," Abby said, yanking a still flabbergasted Hoagie out the door.

The other Hall Monitors did nothing, despite Joe's constant shouting.

"She's a teacher," they said. "We can't fight a teacher!"

Prageeta proceeded to scold them, having them hold out their hands so she could whack them with her long yard stick. Hoagie and Abby made it down the concrete steps. Hoagie looked around frantically for his bike as Abby remained seemingly unfazed by the entire thing. "So, where to now?"

"H-Hendry middle school," Hoagie said, finally locating his bike. He pulled out the key from his backpack and tried to unlock it. His hands were shaking so rapidly, the key refused to go in the lock.

Abby smiled as she walked over to her own bike. "Hello? Try this." Hoagie looked up to see Abby's bike, which was one of the TEENZ's larger and faster bikes.

"Oh."

They got in and sped off without any hold up. Joe scurried out the door, once he had gotten past Prageeta, watching the black bike whiz off into the distance. He pulled out his communicator. "Hey. It's me," he said in a low voice. "The target's escaped. He had help from Abigail Lincoln. I'll put together a team and go after him right away."

"No, there's no need," The voice on the other line said. "It's not like he has anywhere to go." There was a rustling on the other end of the line, which made Joe really uncomfortable. "Let him run."

"H-Hey! Do I still get paid?" He called. The other end was silent. "Hello?!"

Abby gripped tightly to the handlebars, the veins popping out of her skin. It was only a short drive away to their destination. Hoagie shifted focus from the window to Abby, who had been silent ever since they left the school. He had so many questions, so much he wanted to know, but he could tell now was not a good time to ask. Hoagie turned his eyes back to the front, awkwardly sitting in the silence, not knowing what to say or do. She lurched the bike forward, moving faster. His body lunged forward, stopping right before it hit the glass window and slamming his head back into the seat. He didn't have much time to react before a great cement building came into view.

"There!" Hoagie shouted. They had arrived at Hendry. The kids were already inside their classrooms when she pulled up to the front door. However, she didn't stop there.

"We're goin' in!" She shouted.

"What do you mean we're-" And then Hoagie realized what she meant. He screamed at the top of his lungs as they charged forward. "Are you crazy? You're gonna kill someone!" Covering his face with his hands, Hoagie held his breath as Abby punched it up the stairs and through the front door.

"Where's his classroom?" she asked, turning a sharp corner.

"It's Mrs. Carr, third period. So just look for the-ahh!" he closed his eyes as she cornered around the hallway. He whispered to himself that he was going to die, until Abby finally stopped at the end of the hallway.

"You get Tommy and meet me outside," she said, revving up the motor again. Hoagie hopped out, taking one look back at her. "Abby's got some kids to save." The door swished closed as she cycled down the hall the opposite way.

Hoagie burst into the classroom, his entire body now soaked with sweat. "Tommy!" He shouted, only to notice a room full of unfamiliar students glaring at him. The teacher was male. "Oh. Mrs. Carr is next door, isn't she?"

The teacher nodded, his face hard with annoyance.

"R-right. Sorry," Hoagie laughed awkwardly. "As you were."

On his second try, he managed to find his brother, sitting in the middle seat, reading Huckleberry Finn.

"Hoagie?" He looked at his brother, tilting his head. "What are you doing here?"

"Can I help you, Young Man?" Mrs. Carr, a woman standing at the front with a bee hive for hair said.

"I..." Hoagie stammered. "I'm here to pick up Tommy for...a Doctor's appointment." He pushed through the desks, taking his brother by the hand. "Let's go. Don't want to be late."

But Tommy didn't catch his hint. "I don't have a Doctor's appointment today," he said, innocently.

"You do now," Hoagie said through his teeth. He pulled his brother out of the room.

"Um...excuse me," Mrs. Carr said. "You can't take him out of school without-" But Hoagie was already out the door before she could say anything more. "Young Man!" she called after him.

Tommy tagged behind Hoagie. He was beginning to get worried. "Why do I have to go to the Doctor's? I already got my booster shot!"

"You don't, Tommy. I'm taking you home."

Tommy frowned. "How come?"

They made it to main hall where the front door stood. At that moment, the PA system turned on. Hoagie stopped as he recognized Abby's voice on the intercom.

"Attention all Hendry middle school students. We are having a free ice cream social out in the front parking lot of the school," she said, emulating a professional announcer. "But you better hurry, there is only a limited number of flavors. And don't forget about our new special offer. Whoever can guess the flavor of the day, will receive twenty gallons of free ice cream."

"Free ice cream?!" Tommy gasped.

Suddenly, Hoagie could feel the earth beneath him begin to tremble. "Come on." He knelt down quickly, telling Tommy to climb onto his back. Tommy insisted that he wanted free ice cream also, but Hoagie was much more concerned with getting out than explaining that it was a scam. He ran up to the front door, not knowing that he had triggered the alarm system imbedded in the water fountains. Steel walls appeared around all the doors and windows, blocking the kids from escaping. Hoagie swallowed hard. Shit. Now what was he going to do?

"Hoagie?" Tommy quivered. "W-what's happening?"

Hoagie pulled out his phone. There was no message from Abby. He was about to press the call button to contact her when he heard the revving of an engine.

"Let's move!" he shouted, carrying his brother on his back through the crowd of rushing children. He heard them scream as they banged on the door, desperately crying for help. Thinking on his feet, Hoagie put two fingers in his mouth and whistled as loud as he could, signaling the rider. Sure enough, she came barreling down the railing of the stairs, making skid marks as she parked.

"Whoa! Cool!" Tommy exclaimed.

Hoagie banged on the window, waiting for Abby to let him in. He let Tommy get in first, then himself. He secured his brother on his lap, holding his waist tightly. Abby spun the bike around and rode the railing up to the top floor.

"The doors and windows are blockaded downstairs," Hoagie told her.

Abby still had her cap flipped around, the brim covering her eyes. "I noticed."

"What do we do?" He looked around. There are no doors.

"No doors, huh?" Abby grit her teeth, running her bike towards a nearby window. "Then we better make one."

Hoagie sighed. "Of course. Why would I possibly think you would have a sane answer?!"

"Hang on!" She shouted as she pushed the bike to full throttle. Hoagie buried his head in his brother's shoulder, who was too thrilled to realize that his life was in danger.

Just as Abby said, they broke through the steel wall and the glass. It was like tearing through paper. Hoagie screamed in terror as they crashed into the ground with a loud thud. Tommy laughed, shouting "Yahoo!" As soon as they hit the pavement, Abby slowed the bike down, coming to a stop.

"Everyone okay?" She asked, not a single ounce of panic in her voice.

"Again!" Tommy shouted.

"No!" Hoagie interjected. "Not again!" He sighed, catching his breath. "Are you nuts?! He doesn't even have a seatbelt!"

Abby leaned back in her seat, her hat over her eyes. "You worry too much. He's fine. Look at him. He's havin' a blast."

Hoagie groaned. "I guess I should explain. Tommy, this is-"

Tommy lifted his arms out toward the girl with anticipation. "Abby!" he cried. "I missed you so much!" She took him off of Hoagie's lap and sat her on her own, her face glowing with pride.

Hoagie watched the unexpected scene, puzzled. "Y-you two know each other?" His confusion soon turned to frustration. "Like actually know each other. How do you know each other?!"

"It's a long story," she said. Her eyes lit up. "Well, now. Look at you." She smiled, getting a good look at him. Her hand caressed the old worn aviator cap on his head, with the number 2 still visible. "You look just like your big brother." She tickled his belly. "Little less plump."

Hoagie glowered. "What's that supposed to mean?"

But Abby chuckled. "Ah, sweeten up, Sour Ball," she teased.

"Yeah," Tommy agreed. "Sweeten up, Sour Ball!"

Hoagie's brows flattened. "Don't."

"Relax, Baby," she said. "Abby didn't mean nothin' by it."

"Yeah," Hoagie mumbled sarcastically. "I'm sure she didn't." Just then, the ground began to shake. Hoagie stiffened as he looked around, his voice raising to a higher pitch. "D-did you feel that?"

Tommy peered behind Abby, looking in the back window. His face fell. "Um...guys?" he said, a shaky hand pointing behind them. Hoagie and Abby looked back. The ground shook again.

"Drive," Hoagie said quietly. Tommy climbed back onto his lap as Abby started up the bike. The entire bike was now moving with the ground, as though trembling with fear. "Drive! Drive! Drive! Drive!"

Behind them, Hendry Middle School no longer stood rooted in the concrete. It lifted into the air, metal legs springing from its base like tentacles. Giant tubes appeared out of the windows. Abby sped away, the machine too slow to catch up. Hoagie watched as they pulled further and further away, the school sucking up straggling children that tried to escape on their bikes. A group of kids stood in a mass, out of the way of the wreckage.

"What the fuck is that?" Hoagie exclaimed, too stunned to remember to check his language.

"It's a robot, Dumbass!" Abby spat back. "Damn Adults really think of everything."

"Hey!" Tommy whined. "Why isn't the school attacking those kids?!"

"Cause they're already thirteen," Abby explained. "They're only takin' kids, not teens."

"Don't worry." Hoagie's voice was soft in his brother's ear. "I'll keep you safe. I promise."

Abby pulled up in front of the Gilligan's house, opening the door to let them out. "Okay. Pack as much as you can and meet me in five minutes. The TND Base isn't far from here. You'll be safe there."

"The TND?" Tommy's heart filled with excitement. Abby looked at him and winked. "Aye-aye, Sir!" Tommy sang. The boy climbed out of the bike, gripping to his brother's leg.

Hoagie looked at Abby, a surge of guilt rushing through his veins. "Abigail, I-"

"No need to thank me, Baby," she told him, flipping her cap around backwards. "Savin' kids is my job."

Hoagie smiled, probably the first sincere smile in her direction since she left the KND. A dark shadow loomed over the bike. Hoagie looked up, shaking in his tennis shoes. "Abigail!" He shouted, moving away from his brother back into the bike. He pulled her out into the street just before a metal foot came and crushed the bike to pieces. The teens dove for cover, Tommy already screaming and running into the house.

Abby picked herself off the ground. "Thanks," she said.

"Don't mention it," Hoagie replied, still out of breath.

They looked up, staring at what looked to be another robot. Abby gripped Hoagie's arm and yanked him to his feet, the two running towards the door.

A muffled voice came out of the metal contraption, cold and methodical. "Sensors detect CHILD in your area. Please hand over the child."

"In your dreams!" Hoagie spat back at it, only to have it stomp closer to his house. He screamed as Abby pulled him into the house, shutting the door behind them.

"They're all over. We've gotta move," she said. "Where's your brother?"

"Tommy!" Hoagie shouted. "Hurry up!"

He heard a faint voice from upstairs. "I'm almost ready!" There was a pause before, "Should I bring my superman toothbrush or my batman toothbrush? Superman is sooper powerful, but batman is way cooler-"

Hoagie grit his teeth. "Seriously? We do not have time for this right now!"

Tommy finally came down the stairs, deciding to bring both as he could not choose between them. Bang! Bang! They heard a knock on the front door.

"Sensors detect CHILD in your area-"

Hoagie grabbed the keys to his mom's car and walked briskly toward the garage. "I'll drive," he said, grateful she out of town that week on business.

The garage door opened, revealing the giant robot standing right in front of the house. Hoagie gripped the clutch and put the car in drive. Slamming his foot on the gas, he zipped past the robot between its two metal legs. Tommy cried out in exhilaration. Hoagie turned onto the street.

"Okay," he finally said once they were on the way. "Where is this base?"

"It's underneath the PuzzleTown coffee," Abby said.

"HipsterTown?"

"That's the one."

He shook his head. "I don't even want to imagine what you would be like on caffeine." Abby frowned. She took off her cap, slapping him with it in the back of his head. "Ow!" He complained. "What was that for?"

She slipped the hat back on, starting to grin. "Nostalgia."

"What?" Just then, two more robots appeared in their way. Between them and the screaming children all about the streets, it was difficult to stay in one lane. "Well," Hoagie said, grabbing the clutch again. "Looks like we're taking a detour." He spun the car around 180 degrees and drove the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding being crushed to death. He exhaled deeply, not realizing that he was going off the main road.

"That was so awesome!" Tommy shouted. "You were like..." He commenced to act out the motion of the car and the robots, including sound effects and commentary. "You really are the coolest big brother e-"

"Breaks!" Abby screamed as Hoagie slammed on the breaks. He managed to stop the car before going over the edge of what used to be an overpass. Beneath the overpass, were three more robots.

Hoagie tried to move the car around again, but the wheel was caught on the drop off. "Everybody out!" He yelled. But before they could move, a large metal hand grasped the roof of the car, ripping it off like a plastic bag. Hoagie kept his foot on the gas, that being the only thing that kept them from going over the edge. "Hey! This is my mom's car, Asshole!" He looked at Abby. "Abigail! Take Tommy and go!" he called. "This thing isn't going to hold out for much longer."

Abby climbed out of the car, holding out her hand for Tommy. Out of nowhere, a metal arm swung and knocked her off of the car. She tumbled to the ground, the pain from the impact preventing her from moving.

"Abigail!"

He watched as a large tube, appeared over their heads, sucking up everything in its wake. Suddenly, his mind was cracked by a blood-curdling scream.

"Hoagie!"

Hoagie jumped out of the car, crawling over the hood. He could see the silhouette of his little brother, being sucked up into the tube. Abby was completely unconscious. He only had one chance. He jumped straight into the monster's grip, catching hold of Tommy's leg before he was sucked in. Hoagie's shoulders fit through the tube, but the rest of his body didn't. He wondered if he would get stuck there. The car crashed to the ground, the rest of the glass shattering.

"Don't worry, Tommy..." He said as he held on for dear life. "I-I gotcha." His legs swung in the empty air, trying desperately to find ground.

"Hoagie!" Tommy screamed in terror.

"It's okay," he said, his glasses starting to fall off his face. "We're okay. It's just some altitude," he joked, laughing awkwardly. "No big deal."

The pressure began to build. "Ahhh!" Tommy yelled. "Hoagieeee!"

"Hold on!" Hoagie shouted back. "Whatever happens, I won't let go!"

"Hoagie?" His brother's tone had changed. "I'm sorry I stole the candy from your room this morning." he said. "And I'm sorry it's my fault you don't have any friends."

Hoagie felt tears beginning to sting his eyes. Why? They hadn't lost yet. Had he really given up so easily? "Sh-shut up, Tommy!" he scolded. "You can apologize for that stuff later!"

"I just wanna be brave. To be a hero, like my big brother," Tommy said, tears falling down his cheeks. "But I'm not." He lifted his hands over his head, taking off the aviator cap and goggles. "I don't deserve these."

Hoagie bit his lip. No. He wasn't going to accept this. Not after everything he had been through. He was now over the ground. If he could just pull a little harder...

"What are you talking about? Just hold on! I'm gonna find us a way out of this!"

"No, Hoagie! There's no time!" Tommy shouted. "You have to let go!"

"What? No way!" Hoagie couldn't believe what he was hearing.

But Tommy shook his head. "You have to! If you don't, you'll fall!"

Hoagie stopped, his salty tears now flowing like a fountain. "N-no. No! I promised Mom I would protect you!" he sniffled. "I promised Dad..."

"Hey," Tommy said, ironically trying to cheer up his brother. "I got to see my big brother in the field again," he spoke in a hushed tone, not caring at this point what he revealed. "Fighting for justice, just like the old days. That was the one thing I wanted for my birthday."

Hoagie started to feel his hand slip, not listening to his brother's words. "Tommy, no! Don't!" He bit his lip.

"And my big brother," he said again. "Is gonna save the world."

Tommy's leg slipped through Hoagie's fingers, sucking him up through the tube and out of Hoagie's sight. The teen fell to the ground with a thud, landing on his back a few feet away from Abby. He watched as an old aviator hat and goggles floated down from the sky, landing on his lap. The robots disappeared, having collected their final bounty. Hoagie picked up the hat and goggles, his tears staining his cheeks. He cupped the items over his face, padding down his hot skin.

He had failed.

Abby awoke after a few minutes, her body still aching from the attack. She sat up, scanning the area. It appeared that the robots were walking away, but there was no sign of Hoagie or Tommy. "Hoagie!" she shouted.

"They took him," she heard a melancholy voice behind her. She turned around to see Hoagie, his back turned away from her. He was looking down at something. "I couldn't do anything."

Abby swallowed. "I'm so sorry."

"This...Kids Next Door..." he finally said. "Will they really be able to help save them?"

Abby didn't know what to say. Truth be told, she wasn't sure what the TND was up to besides their escape to Mars. However, she couldn't lose faith just yet. "Absolutely," she said.

Hoagie stood to his feet. As he turned to face her, she could see tears still in his eyes.

"Then I'm in."

TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...