Kids Next Door
Mission Log The PULSAR Project
Chapter 2: Flash Back-Part 2
Author note: Hello once again! I know I haven't been updating in a while, but don't worry, I will not quit on this or any of my stories.
I've noticed that I haven't been getting a lot of reviews lately. Come on people! How am I supposed to know how good I'm doing without your feedback? (Sigh) Oh well. Let's see how well you like this chapter. (Currently incomplete).
(Spoiler alert: If you've seen operation: UNDERCOVER, then undoubtedly you've noticed an inconsistency in the plot regarding helmet boy of the DFCDTL: His name isn't Max, it's Lenny. Understand, I started writing this before I saw the episode and, for that reason, I'm going to keep his name as is. Incidentally, I will try not to change his helmet-less appearance from the episode in any way. If you notice that I made a mistake, please inform me immediately. On another note, there are a few episodes that I haven't seen in a while, so if the person from that ep. is acting out of character, please inform me.)
I do not own the song "Fear of the Dark."
As Nigel and Jack went outside, the last rays of the setting sun disappeared over the horizon. A wonderful aroma drifted past their noses. Looking over at the fire, the two boys found the group seated in a circle. Slowly turning on a pair of spits over the fire were a couple of ever-so- slightly burned hams and a large, roasted chicken.
"Where'd you find the food?" asked Jack.
John looked up from where he was turning the chicken. "While you two were conversing in the tent, we sent a salvage team over to the tree house." he said. His voice was low and unusually deep. "You know, see what we could find."
Hoagie nodded. "Amazingly, the power core survived in one piece, more or less."
Kuki looked up with a tear-stained face. "Three of the hamsters died, and dozens more were seriously injured." Then she smiled. "At least the rest of them weren't hurt as badly."
"The pantry and food storage rooms were also in similar condition: damaged, but not destroyed." Said Christine. She spoke with an English accent.
"What about the other rooms?" Asked Nigel.
"The SKYCLAW and SOAR suffered only superficial damage." Said Hoagie. "A few minor repairs and they'll be back to normal. The other vehicles, though..."
Jack sighed. "I guess that'll have to do." He looked over the group. "Anything else to report?"
"Yeah." Said Wallabee "As we were going through your house, we found someone lying on the kitchen floor, unconscious."
Nigel's eyes widened "Who?" he asked.
"Take a look for yourself." Wallabee jerked a thumb at a nearby tree. Nigel went over to look.
Lying on the ground in the shade of the tree was a short fat man in a tattered plaid shirt. He had a thick brown mustache that was charred at the ends. His balding head was wrapped in a gauze bandage that had spots of blood showing through. His normally brown hair was stained crimson.
Tears streaming from his eyes, Nigel ran up to him. "DAD?!" he bent over the prone form of his father. He looked at the bandaged wound. "Will he be okay?"
Max walked up to him. His helmet was retracted. "He'll be fine. He just got a nasty conk to the head."
Nigel wiped his eyes, looked up at the dark skinned boy, and nodded. "Right. So, what now?"
Max thought for a moment. Then he smiled. "Why don't you finish that story that you were telling Jack?"
Nigel looked over at the group. Jack had joined the others around the fire, and now they were feasting on one of the hams.
He shook his head. "I'll stay here and watch over dad."
"No, I'll watch him." came a voice from behind the tree.
Nigel and Max, surprised and curious about who else could be here, went over and looked.
Leaning against the trunk was a slightly banged-up figure in make-shift armor. The two boys recognized him instantly.
"Chad!?" They said in unison.
The aforementioned teenager smirked. "Good to see you again too."
After a moment of stunned silence, Max finally spoke up. "What are you doing here?"
"Yeah." Said Nigel "I thought you were over at Weapon preparing for an assault on the enemy fortress with Cree and the others."
Chad's face fell. "Please, not now. I'll talk about it later, after your dad wakes up."
Nigel looked confused "You sure?"
"Hey!" Came John's voice. "Are you guys going to come over and eat or what?"
"Just a second!" Max called out to him.
"We're just finishing something over here!" Nigel added. He looked back at Chad.
Chad smirked again. "Yeah, I'm sure."
Both Nigel and Max nodded, then headed back to the fireside. Chad looked up at the rising moon with a forlorn look on his face.
"Cree..."
----
Nigel and Max sat down between Jack and 'Red.' Isabelle looked at them.
"So what was going on over there?" she asked. Her voice had a slightly Spanish overtone
"We met up with Chad." Said Nigel simply.
The group stopped their eating. Wallabee choked on his slice of ham.
"Chad!? Wot's 'e doin' 'ere?" He coughed after swallowing.
"He said he won't tell us until Nigels dad wakes up." Said Max "He agreed to watch over him until then."
"Normally, Numbah Five would've said that you were crazy to trust him." Said Abigail. "But, considering what's been happening over the last couple of days, I suppose it's not unreasonable."
"Speakin' o' which, what were you and Jack discussing in the tent?" Asked 'Red.'
----
One hour later...
"...After that we decided to stop for a while and grab some food." Said Jack.
During the course of the story, the other members of the group had put in their own POVs when it was necessary:
"Very interesting." Said Isabelle.
"Well," Said John, "since we're all caught up, why don't we pick up were you left off."
There was a general murmur of assent from the group.
Nigel nodded. "OK, then." He took a breath.
"Well we were climbing down the ladder into complete darkness..."
(Something I forgot to mention last chapter: The KND got changed on the SOAR and had packed some bags for whatever they might find in there. As the saying goes: "Always be prepared.")
As the group descended into the depths, Nigel wiped some heavy sweat off his brow. There was a sudden rise in temperature the further down they went. After a few minutes of steady descending, the entire tunnel had turned into a virtual hot-house.
About a minute after 'Red' started climbing down, there was a loud bang, and suddenly they were plunged into darkness. There was a surge of panic.
Abby tried to calm everybody down, but she was drowned out. Eventually she had to get her point across another way. "EVERYONE, SHUT UP!!!" Instant silence. "Now den, everybody jes' calmly make their way down the ladder. The hatch closed (I don't know how) so now we can't go back up, meaning the only way out now is down."
"But it's dark!" Said Kuki, genuinely scared.
"Yeah!" Said Wallabee "And how the heck are we supposed to see where we're goin'?!"
"What do ya' mean?"
"If we can't see where we're going," Said Hoagie "we might accidentally bump into someone, and knock them off."
Abby gave a nervous chuckle. "Point."
"All right." Said Nigel "If someone needs to stop just say so." He paused. "Does anyone have a flashlight or anything like that?"
'Red' spoke up. "I do have some light sticks Numbah One. Just a second..."
There were sounds of something being fumbled around, followed by a loud SNAP! And suddenly the area was filled with a dim, yellowish light.
"Everyone OK?" Asked 'Red.' In his hand was a glowing yellow stick. Their path lighted the group continued descending.
----
A bit further down...
"'Ow much longer do we have to go?!" complained Wallabee "I'm getting tired!"
"Yeah!" Said Hoagie "We should've reached the bottom by now!"
"Will you two quit your bellyaching!" Said 'Red' "We have enough problems without you-" He was cut off by the sound of some music.
(Play "Fear of the Dark"-- By Iron Maiden)
"What the-?" Said Abby "Where's that music coming from?"
"I don't know," Said Nigel "And I don't think I want to find out."
"I don't like it!" said Kuki.
The light stick's glow faded and then went out.
"Hey, 478!" Said Abby "What's with the light?"
"I don't know! It shouldn't go out this soon!"
I am a man who walks alone
And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park
The group listened to the song, as the seemingly calming music had the opposite effect on their nerves.
When the light begins to change
I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark
There was a spark of light on the wall behind them.
"What was that?" said Nigel. He was beginning to panic.
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a constant fear that something's always near
More sparks started appearing all around them. The group watched them with trepidation.
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there
The song suddenly picked up, and, as it did, there was an explosion of light above their heads. The group looked up, and their faces twisted in terror. "Oh no... "
Above them, four bolts of electricity had converged onto a single point, forming a large X above their heads. The electricity from the X lit up the entire tunnel with a dancing light.
Suddenly the electric X started moving. And it was coming down towards them.
Have you run your fingers down the wall
And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light
"EVERYBODY MOVE!" Shouted 'Red' above the music. "GO! GO! GO!"
The group didn't need anymore urging, and made their way down the ladder in double time.
Sometimes when you're scared to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's watching you
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there
Have you ever been alone at night
Thought you heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no one's there?
Nigel, at the bottom of the line, put his foot down to keep descending. But instead of the next rung of the ladder, all he felt was empty air. The ladder had ended and he was dangling over a pit with no idea how deep it was. Since he couldn't go back up, there was only one thing to do.
He let go.
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's someone there
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there
His fall wasn't as long as he thought it'd be, nor was the surface he landed on very hard. It felt like he was sitting on a waterbed.
Nigel looked up. The space from the bottom rung to the surface he was sitting couldn't have been more than ten feet, at the most. He called up to the remaining people on the ladder.
"Hey guys! When you run out of ladder just let go, and drop down." He hollered over the sound of the music.
Hoagie complied willingly, belly-flopping onto the rubbery surface. Kuki, however, was more hesitant and wouldn't let go.
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
fear of the dark, fear of the dark
After he, along with the rest of the group, tried to urge the Asian girl to let go, 'Red' frowned. 'I don't have time for this' He thought. With that, he plucked a few hairs from his head, and dropped them over Kuki.
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
fear of the dark, fear of the dark
The hairs landed on her nose, causing her to sneeze. She covered her mouth with both of her hands, lost her balance, and fell, screaming...
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
fear of the dark, fear of the dark
...Into the waiting arms of Nigel and Hoagie. Wallabee, Abby, and finally 'Red' quickly followed suit.
Watching horror films the night before
Debating witches and folklore
The unknown troubles on your mind
After everyone was comfortably on the ground, they moved away from the hole, while still watching the slowly descending electrical trap.
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense, and suddenly eyes fix
On dancing shadows from behind
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there
As the song wound down, the electrical X reached the bottom of the shaft. When the final piece started to play, the X sputtered and died.
When I'm walking a dark road
I am a man who walks alone...
Abby wiped the sweat from her brow. "Phew! Glad dat's over." The others gave similar words of relief.
'Red's light stick suddenly lit up again. "Huh." he said "I guess that music made it go out." He looked up the shaft. "Obviously, that was some sort of security device. But I don't remember anything like that being here."
"Probably, put in after the last time you were here." said Nigel. He sighed. "Oh well. We're past it."
The group looked around. The room was as hot as an oven, and somewhat dark, the only real source coming from 'Red's light stick. The ground around their landing space was soft, spongy, and wrinkled like the surface of a brain. In front of was a firm bridge-like path. The walls were to far away to see.
The most unusual thing about this place was that every thing looked so... organic.
"Man, this place is weird." said Hoagie, wiping his brow. "And hot!" Added Wallabee. The others agreed.
Lights appeared and lit the path in front of them. Nigel looked at the group. "Let's keep moving. But be on your guard. No telling what other surprises this place is armed with." With that they proceeded down the path, never noticing that a small fly was following them.
----
After walking down the lit path, the group had come to a large staircase, flanked by two waterfalls. While going down, they noticed the path they were just walking on not only looked like a brain, It was a brain.
"Crikey!" said Wallabee. "I've started to think we're inside a living creature."
"EWW!" Said Kuki, turning to him. "Don't say things like that, Numbah Four!" Wallabee blushed.
When they reached the bottom, they found another path stretching forward to a large, geodesic dome. The sudden appearance of a mechanical structure within this place was, to say the least, odd.
The dome was metal, but looked like polished marble. The double doors that the path ended at were very elaborate, almost like something you might find in a palace.
"I wonder what's in here..." Said Wallabee.
"We won't know unless we open it." Said Nigel. He looked around. "I don't see anywhere else we can go, so this has got to be the only way forward. But how? There aren't any knobs or handles, and this doesn't look like the kind of door you can push open."
"I think it's an elevator." Said Kuki.
"What makes you say that, Numbah Three?" Said Hoagie.
"Look." She said pointing. Next to the door was a small space with an arrow button pointing down.
"Oh."
Abby stepped over and pushed the button.
There was a low hum, and, with a small 'ting,' the doors opened.
"Whoa!" Said Wallabee.
The room inside was every bit as elegant as the door suggested. Three double-sided benches, lined with silk cushions, circled the surprisingly large, and spacious, room. A large smooth pillar stood in the exact center of the room. Carved into the pillar were four hollows, containing the following articles: A large shelf of comics and magazines, Two huge TVs, one of which was hooked up to three video game systems, and a large computer. Set in front of the door, between the books and the computer was a large keypad with several numbered buttons. At the very back was, what looked like, a large refrigerator.
'Red' gave a whistle. "Whoever owns this place must be swimming in cash."
Abby took a look around inside. "Yeah, which is exactly why I don't like the look of this place. It's too convenient."
"What do you mean, Numbah Five?" Asked Hoagie.
"She's right." Said Nigel "This is all just a bit too easy." He leaned against the dome. "First of all, where are all the defenses of this place? Apart from that one electrical trap, we haven't come across anything even resembling a defense system."
"Then," continued Abby, indicating the lavish room. "all of a sudden, we jes' happen to come across a room fit for royalty, decorated the way a kid would probably want. It doesn't take a genius to know that this place shouldn't be trusted."
Nigel nodded. "So, when we go inside, don't touch anything. There's no telling what kind of traps could be waiting for us."
And so they entered. 'Red' inspected the benches, and, finding no traps, sat down on the soft cushions. He was followed by Numbahs 2-5. Nigel stood near the keypad. When everyone was comfortable, he pushed a button. The doors closed, and they started to move down.
"OK, people." Said Nigel. "We're going to explore each and every floor this elevator goes to. Keep together, and don't let your guard down."
After about a minute, they came to a stop. As the door opened, a huge shadow fell over the children.
A monster of a man stood in the doorway. He was 71/2' of pure muscle, and wore a scratched and beaten-up metal chestplate, a pair of navy blue pants, large shin protectors and boots. His right arm was covered in a large sleeve the same color as his pants, and a white gauntlet. His left was bare, except for a series of scars crisscrossing his tanned skin all the way to the wrist. A gigantic sword was strapped to his back.
The man looked to be in his mid 40's, with crinkled, graying, black hair falling over his face and reaching midway down his back. Baggy, half-closed eyes served to accentuate his deadpan stare. On the left side of his face was a jagged scar that started just over his right eyebrow, curved around his left eye, and ended under his chin.
Everyone gazed at him with awe and, for a few of them, fear.
The enormous stranger's stare shifted when he suddenly focused on them. Although his expression remained unreadable, his eyes gleamed with benevolent emotion.
"Are you stopping on this floor?" He said. He spoke very slowly.
Nigel looked at the others, then nodded to the man.
"Very well." The man stood to the side, and gestured for them to pass. He kept his eyes on them while they were walking by. When 'Red' passed by, the strangers eyes widened for the briefest moment, before returning to being blank.
After everyone was out, the man went over to the bookshelf and, as the door closed, pulled out a magazine. He never took his eyes off of 'Red'.
"Man, did you see the size of that guy?" Asked Wallabee. "I felt like he was going to step on me!"
"Yeah." Said Hoagie "When I saw him, I just couldn't move." He looked toward the elevator. "I wonder who he was."
"He didn't look that dangerous to me." Said Kuki.
"WHAT!? How can you say that, Numbah Three?" Said an incredulous Wallabee.
"I just... wasn't scared." She said. "He didn't want to hurt us"
Abby nodded, then turned to 'Red.' "Did you see the way he looked at you? It's almost like he recognized you."
'Red' nodded. "Come to think of it, he seemed familiar to me too. But why?"
"Obviously, You met him before your amnesia." Said Nigel "It's likely we'll run into more people from your past while we're here." He turned to inspect their surroundings.
The hallway they were in was rather nondescript; apart from a large floor- plan on the wall and various potted plants around the room, it was completely empty. There were seven doors all around the room: three on each side, and one on the opposite wall from them. Next to the opposite door was a small numerical keypad
Each of the doors was labeled. On the left: Chronos, Igneous, Somnolence
On the right: Silent Reflection, Deja Vu, Gravity Grabber
And in the back: Docking Control
"Dis' place jes' keeps getting weirder and weirder..." said Abby.
"Yeah, no kidding." Said 'Red.'
"I agree." said Nigel. He addressed the group. "Everyone, were going to inspect each door, except for Docking Control. There's a keypad there for a reason. We'll tackle that one together." Everyone nodded and chose a door.
----
Solarice: And that's it! What do you think? As usual: Read, Review, Opinionize. And ixnay on the flaming. Remember I will take constructive criticism.
As noted above, this chapter is incomplete. Tell me what you think I should do.
And now for the review(s):
FTiger: Thank you for your words of encouragement, but I suggest that you cut down on the sugar. And don't worry. The KND and the DC will continue to be friends all through the story.
That's all for now. Bye!