Numbuh 1 was decidedly worried about the mission. He could tell from the start that it was going to be obscenely difficult, and he felt cowardly staying in the Moon Base instead of fighting with his team. But he had been given an order, and he was going to obey it. He sat down at his desk in the communications center and put on his headset. Numbuh 362 was sitting next to him, talking to one of her lieutenants through the headset.
"Excellent, Numbuh 174. Tell them to form up with the others and fill up that gap." She smiled over at Number 1. "China's just arrived. It looks like we're ready." She gazed up at the giant display screen. "And it's a good thing, too. The teenagers have arrived."
Numbuh 1 looked at the giant screen and gasped. The teenager fleet was huge! It must have been nearly twice the size of their own fleet. He gulped.
"KND! Battlestations!" yelled Numbuh 1.
Meanwhile, Numbuhs 2-5 were preparing to leave. Numbuh 4 and Dizzy exchanged glances. "I guess it's time for us to leave. Well, see you guys," said Numbuh 4, looking at the ground. Dizzy started walking to his fighter, and Numbuh 4 started after him.
"Wally, wait!" cried Numbuh 3. She ran up to Wally and gave him a hug that nearly strangled him, and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Good luck! You too, Dizzy!" she yelled, waving at Dizzy, who looked extremely uncomfortable. She let go of Wally and left to take command of her battleship. Wally stood slack jawed and frozen. A moment later, he snapped out of his reverie.
"Bye Kuki! Good luck! Be careful!" he called after her. He stared at her a moment longer, then left to join Dizzy.
"Numbuh 5, do I get a goodbye kiss?" asked Numbuh 2. Numbuh 5 cuffed him hard on the back of the head.
"Ouch! You could have just said no!" shouted Numbuh 2.
"Or I could have kicked you in the balls. Consider yourself lucky," mocked Numbuh 5. She paused, thought for a moment, then said, "Ah, what the heck," and kissed Numbuh 2 on the cheek.
"N-N-Numbuh 5!" exclaimed Numbuh 2. Numbuh 5 pulled him close. Was he going to get another kiss?
"Ow! OW!" cried Numbuh 2. Apparently not, as she grabbed him hard by the nose.
"If you don't shoot down at least twenty ships, I'm going to beat the crap out of you, got that, Hoagie?" asked Numbuh 5 menacingly.
"Ouch, yes, yes!" She let go of his nose. "Well, uh anyway," mumbled Hoagie, rubbing his nose. "I guess we'd better get going, Abby." She nodded, and they left to their ships.
Wally and Dizzy were waiting for their fighters to be outfitted with the repair droids. Dizzy scratched his head and looked at the ground.
"Hey, listen Wally, I just wanted to say...sorry about Kuki," sighed Dizzy.
"Eh, it's all right," replied Numbuh 4. "It's not like I like her or anything."
"Rubbish. You know you do. Listen, Wally, go after her, as soon as this battle is over. You might not get another chance," advised Dizzy.
"Hey, who are you to give me girl advice?" retorted Wally. "Just butt out of my–"
"Dammit, Wally!" shouted Dizzy, slapping his hand against his fighter. "Just shut up and listen to me! Life is too damn short to waste! You've got to take an opportunity when you see it coming!" He paused. "No one should have to die alone," he said softly, turning away from Wally.
"Dizzy?" asked Wally tentatively. "Is this about–"
"Look, forget it, all right? We shouldn't enter a battle mad at each other." Dizzy turned around, a smile on his face. "Let's kick some teenage butt!" Wally smiled back and nodded. The two entered their craft, and took off. They would joke and make fun of each other, but Wally knew it was all an act. Dizzy had lost the love of his life, Denise, a few years ago. She had died in a car crash, and Dizzy never had the chance to tell her he loved her. It was a mistake that haunted him to this day. Wally stared out his cockpit, and glanced at the battleship Kuki was commanding, where she would be giving orders and tactics. All right, Dizzy. You're right. As soon as I get back I'll tell her. I won't make the same mistake.
Kuki gazed out at Wally's fighter. He's so brave. He might not even come back from this fight. Wally...stay alive. For me.
Wally formed up with the other five Aussies in his squad. "All right, guys, stay back, we have to wait until the others open up a gap for us. It may take a while."
"I hope that Asian chick knows what she's doing, Wally. Our lives are in jeopardy, you know," replied Jackknife.
"She knows what she's doing, Jackknife! I hope," added Wally, under his breath.
"It's not like we have families to go home to, anyway," chuckled Silo. "We're all orphans except for Wally."
"Still, I'd rather live to lose my virginity," replied Jackknife.
"There was a good chance that was never going to happen anyway, Jackknife," laughed Walker.
"Eh, good point."
Meanwhile, Numbuh 3 was giving out orders to the other battleships. "Salamander and Scorpion squadrons, move forward and bait them! As soon as their front battleships are within range, execute Strategy 16 and then pull back! Dragon, Badger, Phoenix, and Flame squadron, enter Shell formation as soon as the enemy is distracted! Tide squadron, back up anyone that's in trouble," she ordered.
Numbers 2 and 5 were part of Scorpion squadron. They were going to have keep the enemy fighters at bay if they were going to keep their battleship alive until strategy sixteen could be implemented.
"Hey, Numbuh 5, you have any idea what strategy sixteen is?" asked Numbuh 2.
"No clue! But we're going to have to support them anyway." She glanced at her radar. "Enemy fighters coming in! Let's engage!"
"Roger!" replied Hoagie.
"Roger," came a cocky voice. Hoagie glanced out his cockpit. It was The Kid!
"You again! Don't tell me you're in my squadron!" cried Numbuh 2.
"Funny, I was about to say the same thing. Quit whining, rookie, and let a pro show you how it's done." With that, The Kid increased thrusters and shot toward the enemy fighters.
"Oh no you don't!" shouted Numbuh 2. He sped up and chased after him. The Kid had already downed two fighters. Hoagie zoomed towards the enemy fighters, executed a tricky barrel maneuver, and fired off three missiles, each one hitting its target. He heard a teenager swear over the radio.
"Now that was uncalled for!" laughed Numbuh 2.
"Not bad, homes!" called the The Kid, as he shot down two more fighters, destroying them with ease. "But you've got a long way to go!" With that parting shot, he cut his thrusters and let a teenager go past him. He flipped his ship upside down and shot the enemy craft to pieces. He laughed as the teen ejected. Abby gave a long sigh.
"Stupid egomaniacs," she muttered to herself.
"Right, because you're Miss Modest, Abby dear," came a cynical voice.
"Oh, crap!" whispered Number 5, as she saw the craft approaching. "It's–"
"Cree," her sister replied.