Operation: A.A.F.T.E.R.

Adults Against Father's Tyrannical Everlasting Rule

Chapter 3: Striking News

"Nice job, Hoagie. Getting us these awesome tickets, that is." Wally was sitting in the middle, with Kuki in the window seat. Hoagie sat on his other side, and Abby was on the aisle.

"Thanks! It wasn't that hard...the boss was wanting to reward me for hard and productive work anyways." He turned back to his food, and Wally focused on the movie.

"Wow!" Kuki tugged on Wally's sleeve. "Look at the ground down there! Everything is so small!" Hoagie was watching the in-flight movie, Wally was drawing in his sketchpad, and Abigail was listening to some music. "Look! We're over the ocean now!" Kuki hadn't been on a plane for a long time.

"Yeah, it looks awesome!" Wally leaned over her and pressed his face up against the window, causing her to giggle. "Cooool!"

Later, at the London International Airport...

"So, Kuki, where we goin'?" Numbuh 5 held up a map of Britain.

"Here," she poked her finger at Canterbury. "That's where the newspapers said he was seen last."

"Okay, team let's move out! Umm, first let's find a car renting agency..." After getting information from a tourist booth at the airport, the four friends went to get a car. "I'd like a Jeep, please. Preferably red."

"Fill this out, and we'll get the keys for your red Jeep." The man behind the counter handed over a clipboard with a long form attached.

"A'right guys make yo'selves comfy. We gonna be here awhile." Hoagie searched his bag for some money and made his way to the snack machine, Wally pulled out his CD player and some drawing tools, and Kuki leafed through some magazines.

Numbuh 3 leaned over, looking at what Wally was drawing. "Wow, Wally – that looks great! How do you draw like that?"

He looked up and pulled his headphones down to his neck. Kuki could hear the faint background music. "It's just a hobby. Sometimes the boss likes my stuff and puts it in one of 'is movies."

"Mind if I look through it?"

"Sure," he handed the notebook over to her open hand and put the headphones back over his ears.

"Woah...you're good." Wally was blushing a little, but he managed to keep it under some control. "You're a movie monster designer, right? Not all of these are monsters..."

He packed up his CD player again, and moved to sit next to her. "Yeah, but I'm always trying to come up with monsters for the movies. This one's my favorite," he pointed to a well-drawn sketch of a Dodge Viper.

"That's really good." She turned the page, and gasped. "Is...is that me?"

"Uhh, yeah...it was when you were sleeping on the plane."

She looked at it again, then hugged him. "You're an amazing artist, Wally! I want a copy of this, okay?" She turned back to the book, flipping the page.

He heard giggling, and looked up to see Hoagie, who instantly looked away to study the water machine in the corner. "Hoagie..." Wally sighed, turning on his Walkman.

"I'm almost done, guys – this looked worse than it actually was." They had forgotten all about the registration.

Minutes later, they all climbed into the Jeep. "Canterbury, right?" Abby leaned over to look at the map in Kuki's hands. "That's not too far away."

"This is gonna be so exciting!" Hoagie was in the back with Wallabee.

"I know! Just like old times..." Wally trailed off into thought.

"Fighting adults like the Toilenator, Nightbrace, and Father..." Kuki went silent.

"Whatever happened to Father, anyway?" Abby raised her eyebrow, looking in the rear view mirror. Nobody answered, so she went back to looking at the road.

"I'm hungry," said Wally, breaking the long silence.

"Hey, I could go for something to eat, too," Hoagie agreed. Even though he had lost weight, he had not lost his love of food.

"Man, we just got onto the main road!"

"But, Numbuh 5, we're hungry! We need food!"

"Hoagie, you ate while we were at the car rentals."

"But I didn't." Wally raised his hand, looking at her expectantly.

"A'right, we'll get some food. You want anything, child?" asked Abby, looking at her passenger out of the corner of her eye.

"Umm, sure. Where are we going?" Kuki smiled.

"Let's just find a store and pick some stuff up. I'm starved!" Wally licked his lips, trying to keep the hunger at bay.

"There! There's a store! Pull over!" Hoagie seemed just as hungry as Wally did.

Abigail pulled the Jeep into the parking lot, and they all got out. They soon came back, each carrying a bag filled with their own edible pleasures. Hoagie had chips and soda, Wally's bag held chips, soda, and sandwiches from the deli, Kuki had candy and a bottle of water, and Abby carried out chicken and fries. "Is everyone happy now?" she asked as they were climbing into the vehicle.

"Affirmative, Captain Abigail," Hoagie said, as the others nodded and munched on their food.

"Then we are on the road." She started the Jeep, and they jumped onto the main road once more. It didn't take long for them to get to Canterbury.

"Abby, I was re-reading my research, and it says that he lived in Brighton. Should we visit there next?" Kuki held up the map, pointing to a spot just southwest of their current location.

"We'll see what we find here. We might not need to go anywhere else." She thought for awhile, then mentioned for Hoagie to come to her. "Numbuh 2, I want you to find out what happened to all of our old foes while we were in the Kids Next Door. Maybe one of them held a grudge or something. Kuki, look through your research and see if they named any suspects. I'll look for anything suspicious."

"'Ey, what about me?" Wally called from by the Jeep. He was leaning up against it, with one foot resting on the door. His hands were buried in his pockets, and he was studying his surroundings.

"Umm, just stay there and...uhh...do whatchur doin'."

"Hmmph! I gotta stay by the cruddy Jeep and do nothin' whoile everyone is lookin' for clues! Stupid, cruddy Jeep." He was mumbling and kicking the tire. "Why can't I go and look for somethin' suspicious? I can do more than lean on a piece of cruddy metal with my hands in my pockets!" He crossed his arms, but went back to his leaning position. He looked over at Hoagie, who was typing away at the Kids Next Door L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S. His brow was sweaty, and he was concentrating intently at the screen. He turned his eyes towards Kuki, who was rummaging through papers, filing them into separate piles and then paperclipping them. He sighed, and opened the door to take out some chips. "I'm bored. There's nothin' to do here and all I've got to eat is chips. Not even some soda!"

"Wallabee, stop your complainin'!" Abby called out. They had parked by an abandoned warehouse. She had no idea where to look, but the place stood out against the friendly buildings around her. "If you wanna do somethin', come help me look!"

"Well, what're ya lookin' for?" He asked, walking over to her.

"Anything suspicious. Still."

"Oh...roight. Well, okay. It beats leanin' on the Jeep." He got down on his knees, just like her, and studied the walls. "Then again, maybe not."

"Okay, go back then. Long as you ain't complainin' I don't care what ya do."

"This is fine. Umm, what would be suspicious?"

"Anything that looks like it shouldn't be there." She rolled her eyes.

"Abigail! Abby! I found something!" Hoagie ran over to the wall, carrying the portable box of information.

"What? What is it?" She stood up and looked over his shoulder.

"Father. It says here that a crack team team of Kids Next Door operatives overthrew him. They were awarded with the highest honor possible (the platinum S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R.), and Father remains in the detention cell in the KND moon base."

"Wow! There sure is a lot that we never got informed about!" Kuki said, popping up behind Hoagie.

"Yeah. But where do we go from here?" Abby rubbed her chin, thinking.

"The bathroom!" called Wally. "I need t' go!"

The group piled into the Jeep, looking for a restaurant. Kuki had turned on the radio, and was searching for a good station.

"–name is Father, and I am declar–"

"Kuki, turn it back! That might be a clue!" Abigail listened intently to what the speaker said.

"–and if the President does not turn over all leadership to me, I will be forced to use drastic measures. I repeat, if the President does not name me ruler in the next 24 hours, I will use drastic measures." The radio turned to static, and Numbuh 5 flipped it off.

"Hoagie, did you get that?"

"Yep, and I got a fix on where it came from, too."

"How'd you do that?" Wally asked, looking at the open L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S.

"This baby can do just about anything." Abby pulled into a fast food parking lot and Numbuh 4 jumped out. "There! See it?" He handed the box up to the driver, and she studied the screen. There was a blinking red light – the Jeep – and a blinking green light – Father's position.

"Good work, Gilligan. Now as soon as Wally gets back, we can race over to see what he's up to." She sighed. "The boss'll just have to wait."