My older brother always told me that training at the KND Arctic Base was kind of like hopscotch; simulations and games galore, for six weeks straight, hopping from one room to the next, one adult tyrant after another. He was right, of course. Victor von Zon is always right. What he never did tell me was that it wasn't like hopscotch in that it was extremely difficult and at times entirely unforgiving. Numbuh 60 was a harsh and amazing drill sergeant. I spent my first six weeks at the Arctic Base when I was seven. I didn't make it to the Moonbase for Graduation until I was a week away from turning ten. In fact, I remember my Graduation Day like it was yesterday.
Yesterday
"My fellow operatives and comrades in kiddom, as Numbuh 362, Soopreme Kids Next Door Leaduh, it is my great honour to welcome you to… Cadets Next Door Graduation!" began the blonde-haired child leader.
While Numbuh 362 continued, I started scanning the crowd for my brother and found him sitting behind Numbuhs 2 and 5 of Sector V, our home Sector. I gave him a shy wave when I noticed he had also been trying to get my attention, and he started pointing enthusiastically to the massive window looking outwards onto the moon. The Earth lay outside, encapsulating the entirety of the horizon. I smiled, looking back at my brother and giving him a big grin and a thumbs up. Almost everything in human history had happened on the big green and blue marble, and I couldn't help but look for Orchid Bay, home, from all the way up here.
"Alright then, up next we have… Nova von Zon!" declared Numbuh 362, snapping me out of my trance.
I excitedly shuffled my way up to the stage and stood at attention in front of the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E. and Numbuh 362.
"Nova, do you swear to battle adult tyranny without cause, without fail, and without rest - except for cookie breaks?" asked the Soopreme Leaduh.
"Of course I do," I replied, smiling up at Victor.
"Very well. You may now insert your genetic material into the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E., and register with the super-incredibly-big-computer-ma-bob!"
I stuck my finger in my mouth and pulled it out, inserting it into the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E. and proudly declaring, "I choose the codename Numbuh 790,000.1!"
"GENETIC MATERIAL ACCEPTED," replied the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E. in a voice that sounded quite similar to that of Dexter's robot secretary, Computress. "COMMENCING UPLOAD TO THE SUPER-INCREDIBLY BIG COMPUTER-MA-BOB."
A brilliant red, orange, and yellow light shot up and into the super-incredibly big computer-ma-bob, which whirred into life, beeping and shining the light throughout all four of its quadrants.
The super-incredibly big computer-ma-bob spoke in an equally monotone synthetic male voice, "Welcome to the Kids Next Door, Operative..."
"NUMBUH 790,000.1," interrupted the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E.
"You shall serve kids everywhere, from your treehouse and quarters in..."
"SECTOR V."
"Welcome to the Kids Next Door, Numbuh 790,000.1!" concluded Numbuh 362, smiling widely and giving me a salute. I saluted back, an even bigger smile sneaking its way onto my face as the Moonbase filled with the cheers of thousands of operatives from around the world.
The Soopreme Leaduh stepped away from the styrofoam microphone, allowing me to say anything I would like. I shyly stepped up and leaned into it, saying simply, "I worked for several years to get here and I wanted to thank my brother, Vic- I mean, Numbuh 999,999, for pushing me to keep going."
Stepping back, I saluted Numbuh 362 again and heard my brother yell, "That's my sis!" over the rest of the cheering.
I hurried my way back to my seat and waited for the end of the inductions, watching a much younger operative than me take the stage after I had left. I remembered her. She was really cocky, especially since she was doing so well at only 4 years old. But she seemed like a good kid. I couldn't remember her name for the life of me, and I wasn't really paying that much attention when she was called up to the stage by the Soopreme Leaduh. My mind was set on that sweet, sweet cake we were promised.
Today
That cake sure was sweet, perhaps the sweetest I'd ever had. It was amazing. During the celebration, I was approached by Numbuh One who congratulated me and told me that he was actually surprised that no one had tried to interrupt Graduation this year. I laughed, but when the famous operative's face showed no signs of this being a joke, I stopped.
"Wait, seriously?" I asked, my eyebrows rising so high they practically disappeared under my sad excuse for bangs.
"Seriously. When Numbuh Two's brother graduated, we had to send in every Operative we had to stop one of Father's schemes." Numbuh One replied with a piece of cake still in his mouth. "Anyway, great to have you in Sector V, you'll do great if you're anything like Numbuh 999,999. Find me when we're back on the ground and you're ready for your first operation."
That night, I reported in with Numbuh One, and the next morning I had my first assignment: guard duty. It wasn't that bad, really. I got a good view of the entirety of Sector V, and even Pokey Oaks itself. Occasionally someone important would drop by or one of the other operatives would bring me a snack. At least, it wasn't that bad for the first few days. For the first few days, I was mostly just happy I was finally in the Kids Next Door. Every non-superpowered kid at some point dreamt of joining the KND. Apparently, none of us had realised that even the Kids Next Door needed grunt work to be done. That included guarding… whatever it was I was guarding. Numbuh One never actually told me. I think Numbuh Four tried to at one point but was almost immediately stopped by Numbuh Five.
On day five of guard duty, I was approached by Numbuh One and Numbuh Two just as the sun was setting.
"H-Hey there, operative!" Numbuh Two started, seeming strangely nervous.
I saluted and said, "Numbuh Two, Numbuh One. What brings you two down here?"
"At ease, operative. Come with us," said Numbuh One, motioning to follow him.
I exchanged a look with Numbuh Two who gave a nervous smile in response, hurrying to catch up with our commanding officer. For some reason, I felt the need to gulp and fell in line with the others. The room was much bigger than I expected and was pitch black apart from the flashlight that Numbuh One held. With every step, the lump in my throat became bigger and bigger until Numbuh One inevitably stopped in front of a console.
"What you're about to see is classified information, operative," stated Numbuh One, adjusting his sunglasses and taking a deep breath.
He and Numbuh Two exchanged a look and a nod, pressing two buttons simultaneously. Loud ka-chunk-ka-chunks filled the mostly empty room as big lights turned on one by one. The sudden brightness almost blinded me and forced me to shut my eyes tight. When I opened them again, the three of us were standing in the centre of a giant egg-shaped room. In front of us was the only other thing in the room beside the walkway we came in on; a generator roughly the size of a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. with a familiar logo plastered on the side.
"DexLabs?" I said absentmindedly.
"Dexter has been developing this for us in case of an emergency." Numbuh One began.
"Every time an operative came up to you while you were guarding was a test. We wanted to see if you had what it takes to know about this." Numbuh Two continued. I cocked an eyebrow.
"To clarify, we tried to sneak people in several times. We tried to distract you, to feed you mistruths-"
"Sometimes those mistruths were chocolate flavoured!" Numbuh Two laughed.
"Each time, you stood your ground. You didn't pry if people tried to give you information. You always stashed away the snacks we gave you for later. You prevented people from entering." Numbuh One continued.
"Wait, I'm still confused. Why did any of that help prove that I was fit to know about… this?" I asked. "I mean, I was just doing my job as a guard."
"Well, technically speaking it didn't. But it did prove that you're a darn good operative." Numbuh Two admitted.
"I'm flattered, but I'm still confused," I said, shrugging. "I mean, I haven't even been on a real operation yet."
"And that's where the next part of this comes in. We're sending you, alone, to Marquee Row. Dexter told us there's one part we're missing before this thing will work," Numbuh One said, "But it's in a new highrise apartment complex owned by Father."
I scoffed. "I heard about that place. I have a friend who's been forced to move in there." Numbuh One nodded.
"Can you do it, operative?" Numbuh Two asked.
Without hesitation, I nodded.
"That's what we wanted to hear. Numbuh Two will take you there tomorrow night. Be ready." Numbuh One smiled. "Any questions?"
"Just one," I admitted, "what is this thing, anyway?"
I could practically see Numbuh Two's eyes light up underneath his goggles. "It's an antigravitational field generator! It's going to allow us to hoist the treehouse into the sky! We'll never have to worry about getting infiltrated again!"
I nodded slowly, unsure of what to make of that. "What about it just… floating away?"
"Oh, I have a solution for that, don't worry!" exclaimed Numbuh Two.
"Wait, hang on," I said, suddenly realising what actually made me so unsure of this feat, "isn't this treehouse, like, a couple of hundred tons? How exactly is a generator that small going to produce enough power to lift this entire place out of the ground?"
"There's more to it than just this," Numbuh two chuckled, pressing a button on the console behind him.
The walkway beneath us began to shake and the room began to whir as the floor was pulled back, revealing a giant blue bowl buzzing with energy and electricity. I nodded and chuckled to myself.
"That's incredible," I breathed.
"Well, it was invented by Dexter, as well as your's truly." Numbuh Two said, giving a little smile and a bow.
"Right, well, I think we should give Operative Numbuh 790,000.1 a little rest before her mission tomorrow, don't you Hoagie?" Numbuh One said, yawning.
"Oh, right, of course!" Numbuh Two replied, deactivating the chamber.
As the three of us left for the night, I felt the lump in my throat return. Was I nervous? Excited? Scared? I wasn't entirely sure, but I knew that I was ready for whatever was in store for me in Marquee Row.
I figured I wouldn't get much rest that night, but I actually managed to sleep from 10 pm until 3 pm. When I woke up, the afternoon sky was clear with not a cloud in sight. As I stretched and looked out the window, a cup of freshly made hot cocoa in my hand, I saw a red and a blue streak fly across the sky in the direction of Tech Square. I smiled, knowing that despite the Powerpuff Girls losing their sister, they were still hard at work, saving the world day after day. After I finished my hot cocoa and a slice of french toast, I rushed down to the armoury to claim my KNDefence armour and the Cherry Pop Gun I requisitioned the night before. As I was finishing putting my armour on, my brother entered the room and smiled at me.
"Y'know, you actually kinda don't look like a doofus in that armour, sis," he smirked.
I rolled my eyes, "I look much better in anything than you ever do, Vic."
"Your haircut would beg to differ."
"And who was the one who cut it?" I asked.
"Touché, I guess," Numbuh 999,999 replied, shrugging. "You gonna tell me about this top-secret mission you're going on?"
I shook my head, "No doofuses allowed. Numbuh One said so himself."
"So then why was I told you're going to Marquee Row alone to get some sooper-dooper secret part for that generator Dex and Two have been working on together?"
Unflinching, I said, "That's a wild imagination you got there, Victor."
"Or maybe something came up and they needed a new S.C.A.M.P.E.R. pilot, so they looked to someone that they knew you'd be able to trust?" Victor said, crossing his arms.
I looked at my brother with a cocked eyebrow, "So you're coming with me?"
"I'm flying you there and back. You're still doing this alone." Victor explained.
"What happened to Numbuh Two then?" I asked.
"Don't know. He and Five went off to Tech Square together. Seemed important, somehow even more classified than your mission."
I sighed and stretched. I suddenly remembered seeing the Powerpuff Girls racing off to Tech Square earlier this afternoon. I wondered if it was somehow related to what Numbuh Two and Numbuh Five were doing. I wondered further if it had something to do with the antigravitational field generator. I turned to Victor and opened my mouth to announce I was ready to go whenever he was but was interrupted by an alarm ringing throughout the treehouse.
"Kids Next Door, we are under attack! Battle stations!" Numbuh Four's Australian voice echoed through the intercom.
I drew my Pop Gun and started out of the armoury, but Victor grabbed my arm.
"Not you. You have a much more important mission." He said.
"What do you mean?! The treehouse is under attack! Didn't you hear Numbuh Four, we need to get to battle stations!" I protested, jerking my arm out of his hold.
Victor ran forward and prevented me from leaving just as a group of operatives rushed in, picking up their weapons and preparing for the defence against whatever was attacking. "Not. You." He dropped his voice. "You have a really important mission that could help prevent these attacks from ever happening again!"
I looked at my brother, and then at my feet. He was right - of course, he was. "Let's go."
He patted my shoulder and we ran towards the hangar. We passed several operatives running to defend the treehouse, almost all of which gave us a look of confusion, but when we passed Numbuh Three giving orders to other operatives, she looked directly at the two of us and shouted her wishes of good luck after us. I smiled and gave her a thumbs up. The hangar was bustling with operatives scrambling about, ready to defend or retreat at a moment's notice. Victor led me straight to the nearest S.C.A.M.P.E.R. and took the pilot's seat, instructing me to hold on tight. I did as he said, grabbing onto a handle that dangled from the roof of the S.C.A.M.P.E.R., not even bothering to sit down. My brother started the vehicle and I felt it rumble and sway, and I could see us leaving and heading in the direction of Downtown. We took no detours and didn't talk throughout the journey until we arrived above the movie theatre in Marquee Row.
"Okay, so," Victor said motioning for me to come into the cockpit. He handed me a small disk and continued, "everything you need is on that NanoCom. The part you're looking for is shaped kinda like a dagger with a big holographic blade. The apartment complex is-"
"That one across the street with the fountain out front?" I interrupted.
"Exactly. I can bring you a little closer, hopefully onto the roof, but after that, I need to get to safety and you'll be on your own. Don't use your Com Unit until you're ready to go. We'll need to be completely radio silent." Victor explained. I nodded.
The S.C.A.M.P.E.R. lurched forward and stopped above the big H-shaped Apartment Complex. I took a deep breath and nodded to myself.
"Hey. Nova," Victor said, "er, Numbuh 790,000.1. You got this." I smiled at my brother and opened the side door to the S.C.A.M.P.E.R., jumping out and onto the roof of Father's Complex.
My first goal was an assessment of the area around the complex. To the south were the Sunny Bridges Auditorium and the movie theatre, both seeming sparsely populated. To the west, I found a few business highrises, some other apartment complexes, and a small shopping area that seemed primarily composed of businesses owned by Morbucks Savings and Loan. To the north were a large and, honestly, quite a beautiful fountain and a small park overlooking the river that snaked its way through most of Townsville. I smiled when I noticed that the skyscraper just in front of the complex was actually the Corporate HQ of Grim's Gardens - I didn't exactly like any corporations, even Grim's Gardens, but at least Grim was a good guy, unlike Princess Morbucks and her dad, or Father. To the east were a firehouse and a hotel. The roof of this complex itself was large, with several skylights that pointed down into two different penthouse suites, both of which seemed unoccupied. In the centre, separating the two penthouses was a small dip with three entryways into the building.
I slid my way down off the top of the penthouse roof I was standing on, found the door to the centre entryway surprisingly unlocked, and snuck my way inside. I climbed down a ladder and found myself in a maintenance hallway. I quickly ducked behind a corner and pulled up my NanoCom, looking at the map of the building I was provided with. I was happy to find that I only needed to go down a floor and into something that seemed like a small storage room from where I was now. I observed all the options I had for getting there and noticed that a vent that led directly from where I was now to the storage room I needed to get to.
I logged out of my NanoCom and snuck my way down the hallway, using my Pop Gun on the grate that led into the vent I had noticed on my map. Blowing open the grate only took one shot and I quickly climbed inside.
Not exactly the most graceful way in but I suppose whatever works. I reasoned. Besides, I don't really have an issue with inflicting some property damage if it's Father's property I'm damaging.
I crawled my way through the vents, enduring the blistering heat going through them. I came upon a fork in the road and double-checked my map. Left. Right. Down. Left. Left again. I saw light coming from a vent underneath me. This was the place. The shadows in the room indicated someone was in there, so I bided my time. According to my NanoCom, it was 30 minutes before whoever they were left. Giving another minute to make extra sure they were gone, I kicked in the grate and lowered myself into the storage room. Oddly enough, the part was just sitting out in the open. It was exactly what both the NanoCom and Numbuh 999,999 described. To make extra sure, I checked the entire room from top to bottom. Sure enough, this was the piece. It had to be.
I turned around and made my way back through the vents. Making it back was much easier, and I quickly climbed the ladder back out onto the roof. Opening up my NanoCom, I punched in Victor's number. He didn't respond.
"Dammit," I muttered out loud.
"Now, young lady!" an aggressive voice shouted behind me, "That language is NOT suitable for someone YOUR AGE!"
I swirled around and came face to face with exactly who I thought it was. "Father."
"Oh, so you know me. A shame I don't know you. I assume you came here for THIS?" Father shouted, flames already forming around him. He held up the exact part I knew I had in my pocket. "Oh, don't worry, Child, the part you have is yours, but it's not the one your friend, Dexter MCPHERSON, needed."
I drew my Pop Gun, not saying anything, ready to fight for that part.
"Now let's not get Hasty here. I'm willing to let bygones be bygones. All You have to do is LEAVE. MY. APARTMENT." Father said, becoming completely engulfed in flames.
"No," I stated, shooting a blast of frozen fire towards the adult tyrant. It hit him square in the elbow, causing him to drop the part. I immediately ran forward and slid through Father's legs, snatching up the part. It was scorching hot, but I kept my grip.
"YOU-! Fine. I can tell you're a tough kid. Take the stupid part." Father said.
"I don't trust you," I stated plainly.
Father chuckled. "Why not, Kid?"
"Because you're Father!"
Father just shook his head and launched a blast of fire at me. It hit me square in the chest and sent me flying backwards. Tumbling through the air, I slid to the edge of the building, just catching myself on the edge with one hand. In the other, I held on tight to the part. Father walked right up to me and looked straight into my eyes.
"You're smart. Now, give. Me. THE. PART!" Father shouted, raising a foot above me.
"N-No."
"Hey, freak-a-zoid!" a voice shouted from somewhere else on the roof.
Father turned around at the sound just as a giant mechanical orange fist flew forward and struck him, sending him flying off the roof and into the nearby river. Footsteps began to approach me as I attempted to pull myself back up. When the footsteps stopped, I looked up to see a teenager with a red jacket and orange goggles offering me his hand. Taking it, he pulled me back up on the roof and gave a strange glance for half a second as I dusted myself off.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Uh, y-yeah, th-thanks..." I replied.
"Hey no worries, I couldn't just leave you hanging," He replied, smirking.
I finally got a good look at my saviour and said, "H-Hey wait... you're that EVO kid, right? Rex?"
"That'd be me! Always glad to meet a fan," Rex said, sticking a hand out to me. I shook it, smiling at him weakly.
"Uh, thanks again, but what are you doing here?" I asked.
"Well, I was in the area and noticed something was going on up here and decide- hey, wait, what the heck is that?!" He interrupted himself, pointing at the sky.
We watched together as the beautiful sunset was interrupted by the arrival of a giant gooey, green planet with several other planetoids sticking out of it. Rex and I worriedly looked at each other, and suddenly Rex gasped, using his abilities to form a shield around me. For a moment, I was confused and started to protest, but seconds later I heard a massive explosion and felt the ground shake underneath me.
"What just happened?!" I shouted.
"I'm... not sure?" Rex said, letting me out of his shield.
I stood up again and looked over the side of the apartment complex. The auditorium across the street was covered in a thick green goo and small green balls swarmed the ground, focused around a giant green bulbous plant. The air was filled with people screaming and shouting. I was almost too distracted by the events unfolding around me to see Victor reappear with the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. He shouted at me to get in and without a second thought, I rushed over and jumped in, giving Rex a small wave as he jumped off the building and towards the auditorium. He returned the gesture and Victor and I set off for Sector V.
"What... what in the name of Valhallen just happened?" Victor asked.
"I-I'm not sure. I-I mean one moment, I was getting saved from Father by that EVO, Rex, and the next, a meteor landed smack-dab in the middle of the auditorium and we're getting attacked by weird... gooey aliens." I responded, struggling to get the words out.
Victor didn't respond, keeping his eyes forward as we flew back to the Suburbs.