Author's Note: Thank you for the reviews on the last chapter, much appreciated. Here's Chapter 3.

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter

Story Title: Operation: WHACKED

Chapter Title: Imminent Attack

Delightful Mansion

Five children and an adolescent girl watched as an armored craft descended. They squinted as the wash from the craft's engine kicked up a swirling cloud of dirt. The craft settled to the ground and started to transform. The overlapping armored plating retracted and disappeared into the chassis of what appeared to be an unimposing bicycle. Upon the bicycle was a blonde teenage boy. The boy propped the bicycle against a wall and turned to regard the pentad of children and the teenage girl.

"You're late, Chad," the five children greeted him as one, regarding him with eerily glowing eyes. "And you know how Father frowns upon tardiness."

"Sorry," Chad said apologetically. "My violin lessons kinda held me up."

"Let's just go already," said the teenage girl. "I wouldn't wanna keep Father waiting."

The seven juveniles entered the mansion and proceeded down its labyrinthine halls. They made their way down its expansive corridors toward the mansion's central chamber. As they reached the central chambered they stopped and respectfully knocked on the large wooden doors. The doors creaked as they opened slowly. Within was a thin pathway leading toward a back-turned chair, beyond the chair and on both sides of the path was a deep drop glowing in shades of deep red and orange. It gave the impression of the entire room being a part of hell, if not hell itself.

The chair turned. "I expected you here at least five minutes ago."

The youngsters stiffened, they knew all to well how intolerant Father was. Chad swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat and started to speak in a low respectful tone. "I'm sorry, Father, my violin lessons took up my time and—"

"And you shouldn't have let it interfere," Father cut him off. "My orders take precedence over anything else, is that clear?"

"Yes, Father." Chad answered, giving a deferential bow. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't." Father said, he then looked up to address all the others. "Anyway, I called you all here because I have a task I want you to perform."

"We are ready to obey, Father." They answered in unison.

"I'm sure you are all aware of the Kids Next Door Nerds Division." Father gave a significant glance to Chad. After all, Chad had been instrumental in the creation of the Nerds Division back when he was still Numbuh 274. And before that he had fought the Nerds during their brief rebellion against the KND.

"Yes, we know about them." The Delightful Children and Cree, the teenage girl, answered.

"Yes," Chad added, narrowing his eyes. "I know them well."

"Well, Chad, I think you'll be pleased to know that your little pet project has been doing its job perfectly." Father said. At that, Cree gave Chad a slightly mocking smirk while Chad just looked at Father stoically.

"I'm ecstatic." Chad said dryly.

The Delightful Children snorted. "What could those pencil-necked nerds possibly have done this time that would be of any interest to us?"

"Not so fast, my children," Father said. "You forget that these 'pencil-necked nerds' once brought most of the KND to its knees. It would be most imprudent to underestimate them."

"Yes, Father."

"Don't I know it," Chad added. "One of their creations almost killed me. Heck, one of them almost killed me."

"I don't see how that's impressive." Cree said, making fun of Chad. The boy ignored her.

"Yes, well, you see the Nerds Division has recently developed two machines that have captured my interest." Father's hands erupted in flames as he flung a fireball in front of his young underlings, causing them to jerk back in surprise. Out of the fireball came a robotic space probe. "Our little mechanical friend will be happy to show you what I mean."

As it did before with Father, the automated probe projected a light-show-like presentation of the SHIVA and the HIVE. Cree, Chad, and the DCFDTL looked on, taking it the schematics of the two machines intently. Chad raised his eyebrows, grudgingly acknowledging the fact that he was impressed by the Nerd constructions. Cree just watched, seemingly unimpressed. But anyone skilled in reading the slight nuances of expression would have seen that even she was impressed. However, the Delightful Children just kept their usual blank expressions, concealing their true thoughts on the robotic weapons in a way that would have done a professional gambler proud.

Finally, the holographic presentation ended. Father's young followers just stood in their places, letting the information they had just received. After a few moments, their silent contemplation was broken when Cree spoke up.

"I have to admit, those machines were pretty remarkable." Cree conceded. "But they clearly still had bugs in 'em. Heck, the Nerds couldn't even control 'em."

"Yeah, but if they ever do get the kinks worked out it could be trouble for us." Chad pointed out.

"That is why I want you to not only make sure that they don't get the chance to work out the defects but also to get those machines under our control. Using that kind of technology we will unquestionably assure our supremacy over those wretched Kids Next Door, and using their own technology to smite them will be a psychological blow that would surely affect their morale heavily!"

"With all due respect Father, the Nerds themselves couldn't properly control their own creation." The DCFDTL pointed out. "How would we control them?"

Father waved his hand dismissively. "I'm sure we and our discipline, skillfulness, and refinement can find ways to correct any problems those crude, undisciplined Kids Next Door and their pet Nerds can't correct."

"As you wish, Father." The seven answered together. They turned to exit the door. Though the DCFDTL stayed behind when Father called out to them.

"Wait," Father said. When they turned to face him he took some keys out of his pocket and tossed them to the Delightful Children. The short blonde Delightful boy caught them. "I think you'll need my personal machine for this task, you'll find that the new upgrades I've integrated will be most useful."

The DCFDTL smiled. "Yes, Father. Thank you."

Father gave a slight nod, then his eyes narrowed and his voice lowered dangerously. "As always, I trust that you won't get a scratch on it?"

The DCFCTL cringed. "Yes, Father. Not a scratch, we promise!"

"Good, now go!"

Nerd Saber repair bay, a few minutes later

"Come on, get off your duffs and hurry it up!" Numbuh 86 called out to the Nerd technicians repairing her craft. "I've wasted too much time in here as it is! You, be careful with that!"

The technicians merely gritted their teeth and grumbled to themselves in annoyance. They had been doing so since 86 had come to check on their progress, and to them the red haired operative's constant nagging wasn't only bothersome but also a blatant insult to their abilities. They knew enough about quick mechanical repairs and having an overbearing operative micromanaging them was more a detriment that any help.

"You, boy!" 86 yelled at a gangly, freckled boy. "Watch how you handle that instrument panel, I don't want to be flyin' with equipment made faulty by your clumsiness!"

"Yes, Numbuh 86." The freckled nerd technician said in a strained voice. Then, he muttered under his breath: "Don't get your undies in a wad."

Unfortunately for him, he spoke it a little too loudly. "What did you say?!"

"Uh, um, nothing! I didn't say anything."

"Yes you did! I heard you make a remark about me undies! I bet you're one of those perverts who likes getting peeks up girls' skirts, aren't you?"

"What?! N-no I'm not!" the freckled boy stammered in protest, silently cursing his big mouth. "All I said was—"

"Aha! So you do admit that you said something."

"Huh, wha, uh, I didn't say that! What I meant was—"

"I know exactly what you meant, you sick little—"

Suddenly, before 86 could finish, an alarm sounded throughout the entire ship. 86 looked up to see the flashing warning lights turn on. Before she could ask what was going on, Jane's—Numbuh 98's—calm, business-like voice resonated from the PA system. "All personnel, battle stations. This is not a drill!"

Nerd Saber Command Bridge

"Report." Numbuh 51 said to the curtly to a scrawny nerd who was manning a sensor terminal.

"We've identified the targets, Numbuh 51. Both of them are those two convertible bikes those teenagers working for Father use, the ones that can convert into attack craft."

"Two vessels used by teenagers working for Father?" Jane said. "That means…"

"Yes, it's Cree," Alden's eyes narrowed. "And Chad."

Alden knew all too well how big a threat those two were, especially Chad. Back when they had rebelled against the KND Chad—then Numbuh 274—had lead 30C and the Sector Five KND operatives against them, and Chad had managed to find ways to beat the robotic weapons they had used against the KND. Clearly, Chad was going to use that knowledge and resourcefulness against them again, but this time he was going to be far less merciful.

"Scramble squadrons Blue and Alpha, have squadrons Green, Beta, and Gamma on standby."

"You got it, Alden." Jane said as she relayed the orders to the respective squadrons they were meant for.

Alden looked out the bridge's windows and saw blue-painted shark-like craft lining up and taking off from the flight deck. Those were the SHARCs of Blue Squadron scrambling to intercept the threat to the Nerd Saber. Following Blue Squadron was a squadron composed of insect-like robots called HORNETs, Alpha Squadron. These were two of the five squadrons—two SHARC squadrons and three HORNET squadrons—assigned to the Nerd Saber. They and the fact that the former 274 was attacking triggered some of Alden's memories of the two designs.

Back during their rebellion against the KND, the former 274 used and fought the SHARC and HORNET respectively. SHARC (Space-flying High-speed Attack and Reconnaissance Craft) fighters were defunct KND prototypes that Chad had ordered Numbuh 2 to refurbish in order to fight Alden's rebellion. The HORNET (High Ordinance Robotic Neutralization and Elimination Tracker) had been a hornet-shaped automated drone armed with two billiard-ball firing machine guns, two missile launchers, and a retractable harpoon-like stinger. During the Nerd rebellion Alden had sent a HORNET to attack 274, but the canny operative had found a way to destroy it.

Now it seemed pretty ironic that two machines that Chad shared a common history with were now being used to take him down. And with the upgraded SHARCs of Blue Squadron and the upgraded HORNETs (their harpoon-like stingers had been replaced with a powerful beam firing stinger) of Green Squadron being sent to intercept Chad and Cree, Numbuh 51 had no doubt that the Nerd Saber would be kept safe.

"Order Blue Squadron and Alpha Squadron to intercept those two," Numbuh 51 ordered. "Take them down!"

"D-down, d-down…" Alden's autistic brother, Numbuh 57, said, imitating his older sibling.

Alden looked down at him and smiled. "Exactly, Allan, exactly."

Approaching the Nerd Saber

What Alden didn't know was that Chad and Cree were only a diversion. The real threat to the Nerd research station was coming undetected from another direction. It was the five Delightful Children From Down The Lane in the same machine they had used to attack the Sector Five Treehouse back when they had turned Numbuh 1 into an adult. The only difference was that Father had installed a powerful new rocket booster and a cloaking device.

The short blond child looked at the displays on the cockpit of the machine, he smiled as the display showed them getting closer and closer to the Nerd Saber. He turned to his siblings. "Almost there, my siblings."

"Yes, brother," the tall girl replied. "Now we shall see how good these Nerds really are."

"Indeed," the short blond boy said, smiling slightly. "Indeed, we shall."

His siblings smiled with him and started to chuckle. Their chuckles soon turned into low, menacing laughter. As they laughed they drew closer and closer to their target…

Author's Note: Well, that's all for now. I know, I know, not much mention of Numbuhs 1 to 5, but believe me they will be featured in later chapters. After all, they play a big part in this fic, especially Numbuhs 3 and 4. Anyway, please review. I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can.