SHOWDOWN

Authors Note: Hi Everybody! Sorry, but I'm going to be attending to some serious schoolwork for the next several days - I got two exams coming up and their both in high level science courses! So this will be the last update, probably for at least a week.

Good news is this is a relatively long one, and I think it should tie you guys over until I can finish school stuff. ENJOY!

"And I told you Numbuh 4, it's out of the question." Numbuh 7 burst at his upstart second-in-command.

Numbuh 4 / Joey was talking with his team about what to do about his brother and the former Sector V, now turned DAFDTL, then seemingly reconverted. Though Numbuh 7 was by rights the leader, and Numbuh 4 had never complained to the higher ups about this, he was disappointed with Global Command's choice of making someone as inept at command as Numbuh 7 the leader for Sector V. Numbuh 7 wasn't a bad kid, he wasn't stupid or selfish or cruel, he just wasn't one of those kids that was born to lead and was often looking for advice on the best course of action or making hasty and foolhardy choices. He would've made a good operative, but leading just wasn't in him.

The problem was, Numbuh 7 knew he wasn't a very good leader and tried to prove himself capable of his position, but inadvertedly ended up making a bigger fool of himself, or somehow or other, injuring the team.

Numbuh 4 had been first officer for Sector V since he was eight years old, which was when he had distinguished himself in a fight with five eighth-graders that had tried to steal his lunch money. Since then, no one had dared underestimate his prowess as a fighter, for indeed the younger brother of the famed Numbuh 4 / Wallabee Beatles had mastered his brothers techniques almost perfectly and had surpassed all other Kids Next Door cadets and even the drill-sergeant in his class at the Academy.

Numbuh 4 / Joey had originally been offered the position of Sector V leader after his own leader was decommissioned, but he felt that his place was as a fighter rather than a leader. However, when Global Command had sent the shrimpy, unimaginative and somewhat cowardly Numbuh 7 to be leader, Joey had regretted his original decision. Numbuh 7 had shown exemplary marks in the field of mission theory and planning while at the Academy at Arctic Base, however his weakness lay in that he couldn't accommodate a change in the situation or react properly to anything unexpected, and often times it had been Numbuh 4 who had taken charge during a crisis to guide the team. And this had created much friction between the two of them and the rest of Sector V could sense it. Most often they often sided with Numbuh 4. Numbuh 7 was the leader according to Moonbase and the Sector V files, but Numbuh 4 was the leader according to the rest of the team.

"Numbuh 7, I understand your misgivings about my brother and the rest of his team, and I assure you I do sympathize with your feelings and your concerns. However the fact is that the Code Module is in the hands of the DAFDTL…"

"Only because your brother and his friends stole it from Arctic Base."

"…Yes Numbuh 7, but…"

"…Numbuh 4, as your superior officer I would prefer that you address me as sir."

Now the guy was just getting on Joey's nerves.

"Well, sir, if you insist we stick to formalities, might I then request that, as I am two-years your senior, you likewise address me as 'sir'."

Numbuh 4 really didn't give a care how he was addressed and didn't want to be going off topic on such a ridiculous argument, but he felt he had to put this kid in his place if this mission were to be successful. Numbuh 7's triumphant gleam waned and he receded to his sour-looking countenance as Numbuh 4 continued.

"Now I don't deny my brother's guilt in having taken part in the theft of the Code Module, however he and his team know where it is, they know how to get close to it, and if they were able to steal it before I'd imagine they could do it again."

"And you expect us to trust them Numbuh 4? You wish to jeopardize the whole team with this insane mission to New York which is so obviously a trap?"

"Guys," he put his argument forth to the rest of the team who were thence gathered. "I know my brother did some bad things, some bad things to our base and to us, I haven't forgotten what happened earlier this morning. But I know him better than anyone, and I know he's true to his word. He and his team want to make amends for what they've done, all they need is a little support. We give it to them and what went wrong can all be set right."

Seeing as the other kids only gave a couple half-hearted, half-smiles, Joey decided to use a new tactic to rally the agreement of the team.

"And in either case, it's the Code Module, it needs to be retrieved before any more secrets are lost to the DAFDTL. But first it needs to be found; they can do that. After they take us there we can call in reinforcements and retrieve the Code Module and maybe even subdue the DAFDTL."

Now his friends started nodding, but they weren't super enthusiastic, and Numbuh 7 was still adamant in his position. Joey had hoped not to need to use this one, but he was running out of ideas and needed some more enthusiasm to completely tip the vote.

"And guys think about this. The Sector V, Numbuhs 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 themselves. The very best of the best in all of Kids Next Door history. We'd be serving with legends in their biggest fight ever. How could you pass up a chance like that? This fight is going to speak volumes in the KND History records. Just imagine if we could be a part of that."

Now no one (save Numbuh 7) had any reason left to be hesitant. Numbuh 4's friends hopped up on their feet and shouted a "hoorah". Numbuh 4 turned to Numbuh 7, waiting for the go-ahead, which he was required to give in the event of the whole team deciding on a course of action. Heaving a great sigh of frustration and with no enthusiasm in his tone Numbuh 7 blandly stated: "Battle stations!" And everyone scurried to the hangar to outfit the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. for the assault on the DAFDTL Base in New York City.

Meanwhile, Numbuh 4 ran downstairs to the basement to tell his brother the good news.

Nigel was pacing back and forth, and Abby had told him to stop before he wore a hole in the floor, but still he walked. Abby and Hoagie were sitting back to back, waiting impatiently, while Kuki sat on Wally's lap and the two of them held each other tightly. Joey had come down shortly after they'd concluded their decision and then just as quickly, he'd gone back up to debate with his team, leaving the five young adults in the basement. Nigel insisted on them staying there as a sign of good faith that they didn't intend to just slip away when given the opportunity, and everyone had agreed.

Joey opened the basement door, Nigel stopped pacing, Abby twisted around Hoagie's back to get a clear view of Joey at the top of the stairs, and Kuki and Wally just looked up from where they sat without letting go of each other.

"So what's the verdict?" Hoagie asked.

"I think I got them to go along with it… I played to their admiration of you guys and the fact that you're Kids Next Door legends. My leader is still real suspicious of you guys, but the rest of the team is really jazzed."

"Wow kid, pretty clever." Abby smiled and gave him a slight nod.

"We're about to go, if you guys are ready."

"Well then guys, shall we?" Nigel asked simply enough, and all five of them proceeded to ascend the stairs and follow Joey up to the Treehouse and into the hangar. Hoagie felt the strangest sense of familiarity in this great vault of a room as they walked to the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. When the five adults came in they were greeted by the "oohs" and "ahs" of three of the four kids in the vehicle, the fourth one however, who sat in the commander's chair, looked at them with great distrust.

"I take it that would be your boss?" Wally asked of his little counterpart.

"Numbuh 7?… That's him all right." Joey replied.

Clearing his throat noisily to convey an air of authority that he didn't have, Numbuh 7 ordered the door shut and the pilot, Numbuh 40, to set a course for New York City. Hoagie sat up at the controls, working as the copilot. Numbuh 40 had insisted that Hoagie take the controls as she had modeled her training at the Academy on his example and would be honored to be his copilot, but Hoagie had declined, saying that the ship belonged to her, and was thus hers to pilot. Still he said he was happy to lend assistance as a copilot, and this flattered her.

Nigel noticed that there weren't any remaining seats, so he consigned himself to stand on the deck. Even as a thin, young man he gave the impression of one with great authority. One would think he were a captain, surveying his ship from the quarterdeck that he was so used to standing on, and indeed despite the rocking of the ship as it soared through the clouds, he kept his balance.

Pack your overnight bag 'Destiny', you have a date to keep with my friends and me. He thought.

Numbuh 40 brought the ship in over New York around sunset, cruising passed the Statue of Liberty as she came in over the airport, down on the far runway where Hoagie directed her. She landed her vessel with absolute precision and silence and Hoagie commended her for it. At this, she blushed, and strange, but Wally could've sworn he saw his little brother fuming.

"Well then Numbuh 4," Numbuh 7 began as the doors opened, and Numbuh 4 faced the door, waiting to disembark. "(cough) e-hem… have your brother and his team enter the base to ascertain the presence of the Code Module and have them report when they have found it, then I'll confirm with Moonbase and send for reinforcements. The rest of the team will stay here."

"Will do Numbuh 7."

"STAY HERE! Oh come on Numbuh 7, we could all help." Whined Numbuh 40.

"If our friends care to risk themselves, so be it. This team will stay at their stations and do nothing else until I say otherwise." Numbuh 7 declared. Everyone was getting sick of the great wind-bag he was acting like, but they quietly obeyed.

Numbuh 4 hopped out of the vessel and took off running for the hangar with his older brother sprinting just behind him, and the rest of the old Sector V hastening to keep up. Hoagie was having the most trouble keeping up since he was carrying a large LASER magnification cannon that Numbuh 40 had provided for him. She had assured him it would be useful if they ran into the DAFDTL.

As the elevator descended, Numbuh 4 was bouncing and swaying on the balls of his feet, completely unable to stand still. Wally put his hand on his little brother's shoulder and gave him his own little look of reproving, which said simply "calm down, be patient". Numbuh 4 stopped bouncing on his feet, but he switched to shaking his arms and hitting his fists together. Wally rolled his eyes at Joey's antics but he decided it was pointless to try and stop him.

When the elevator opened into the center hall with the blank white walls, the whole team was surprised to see the DAFDTL themselves sitting up on the bench they had occupied only a matter of hours ago, they looked oddly calm and composed.

Nigel spoke first:

"Fancy seeing you here directors. Or perhaps I should call you, the Delightful Adults From Down The Lane."

"Greetings Nigel," they replied in their dark and inhuman monotone voice.

Nigel stood his ground in the center while his friends started dispersing around him. Hoagie and Abby set up the LASER cannon provided them to his left, while Wally and Kuki took on fighting ready stances on his right. Joey stood just to Nigel's right, himself in a ready stance.

"One quick question before we proceed to kick your butts as always Delightful Dorks. Why?"

"Why vengeance of course Nigel."

He shook his head slowly. "No, the plans are never that simple or straightforward with you brats. Why did you hire us to turn on our old organization? Why not just get a real team of expert spies and soldiers who could do the job instead. Much less of a risk that they'd have reason to betray you I suspect."

"True Nigel, but who else would be able to function as comfortably as the Kids Next Door themselves when under duress of fighting children and in such situations as we placed you? You may have had your conscious memories erased in your decommissioning, but your subconscious thoughts were still viable, and could still allow you to work together as well as you did. Your friendship and compatibility provided the very means to your destruction. To tell you the truth Nigel, we had originally planned on destroying you and your team as soon as you had retrieved the Code Module for us, but seeing just how well you all work together, we decided to keep you until you were no longer of any use to us. Well guess what Kids Next Door…"

A glass dome curled over the heads of the five siblings as they spoke.

"You've just reached your expiration date."

The domed pod lifted itself out of the floor, and pieces of the white floor and wall began coming away from their flattened positions and conjugating around the pod. In a matter of seconds, the pod was surrounded by odds and ends of solid white material and made the shape of some giant insect-like machine, with the DAFDTL at the center.

"Behold, the harbinger of your demise. The most sophisticated neuro-interface operated weapon in the history of mankind. The Mantis."

And the Delightfuls gave a demonstration of the machine's power as it stood up on three pairs of spindly legs connected to its thorax, and its arms began spinning around. There were two pairs of arms, each looked something like a folding fan that had been slightly opened, and Nigel could tell by the whistling sounds being made that they were razor-sharp. They were going so fast they were blowing wind at the team.

"Kids Next Door... your time… has come."

Nigel was somewhat shaken by what stood before him. He drew his arms back slightly as he felt the gusts of wind from the swirling blades, but he didn't allow himself to retreat a single step. He couldn't remember ever feeling so scared of something before. No test in school, no date with a girl, no new situation or challenge that he had ever experienced before filled him with as much fear as did the white monstrosity before him.

"Have I mentioned I hate bugs?" Hoagie grumbled as he held onto his mounted LASER cannon. It brought a smile to everyone's features.

A bit of confidence brought back to him, Nigel proceeded to instruct his friends.

"Hoagie, try to fire through the arms and destroy the pod. Abby, Kuki and Wally, you guys try to entice those Dorks to attack and expose themselves to Hoagie's cannon. Keep an eye out for any wiring or other electronic devices; any weak spot will be a welcome target."

"Why aren't you using our Codenames, Nigel?" Abby inquired of him.

"We aren't fighting for the Kids Next Door or the DAFDTL you guys. We're fighting for each other and our right to keep our lives and memories. Regardless of the outcome, I'm quite sure this will be our last mission. I'd like to remember it as the one mission when we called each other by our real names. Neither of you is a Numbuh to me, so I refuse to address any of you as such."

All of them gave a curt nod and an understanding smile to their self-appointed leader as they set themselves in battle positions to fight the Mantis. Wally and Kuki spread themselves out to the right, while Nigel and Abby went left, forming a semi-circle around the Mantis. Joey reached into his pocket and pulled out his communicator:

"Uh, Numbuh 7, we're going to need some backup down here." But he got no response.

Four of the five Delightful Adults turned around inside the pod to face each of the Operatives as they came around the sides, then three of the machine's four arms went off to the sides to shield and fight. Two arms pointed at Kuki and Wally and continued spinning like propeller rotors, the third one pointed at Abby. Nigel realized his adversaries had seen through his small bluff. He had hoped to draw all four of the arms to the sides and leave the pod center exposed for Hoagie, but the DAFDTL knew he couldn't move like his teammates, so they didn't bother to try to put up much of a defense against him. The pod was still shielded by one arm from Hoagie's cannon, and it seemed almost impossible that any of the rest of the team could get in to attack the machine without extreme risk to their lives.

Numbuh 4 saw this and took off running to stand and fight beside Nigel. He would've been at his brother's side under any other circumstances, but in this case Wally could hold is own, Nigel couldn't.

Seeing the scales of balance tipped, the Mantis attacked first. It's right arm swung wide like a scythe at Abby, Nigel and Joey, trying to cut them. Abby and Joey instinctively dropped, Nigel however was a little slow to react, and by the time he realized his peril, the bladed arm were near to cleaving him across the waist. Joey and Abby rolled over and knocked him in the knees to make him fall backwards. Though Nigel got a wide gash that went clean through the front of his body armor, the blade failed to cut his person, and he hit the ground with a heavy thud, terrified, but fortunately unharmed.

The arm came up over the prostrate trio and fell like an axe in the act of chopping. Joey rolled clear, while Abby grabbed Nigel's hand and tugged him after her as they narrowly dodged the monstrous blade.

When they had righted themselves Abby directed Nigel to go back to Hoagie and help man the cannon. Nigel didn't want to abandon his friends on the battlefield just because he couldn't lend them aid, but he could see clearly enough that his presence was actually endangering his team, so he consented to go back.

Meanwhile on the other side of the Mantis, Kuki had been cartwheeling back and forth and flipping around the blade set aside for her, but she was tiring and the Delightful adult that was directing the blade's movement showed no sign of boredom or laxity. Wally was flipping around as well, several times he'd tried to grab onto the dull side of the bladed arm after it swept passed him, thus far he had failed, and had twice come close to getting cut in half.

As soon as Nigel was clear of the fight, the DAFDTL needed to find someway to defend against all four of their attacking adversaries so they tried putting the fourth arm in front of Numbuh 4. But they let their guard down, and Hoagie was able to fire a single blast at the glass shield. Alas he only managed to singe it. Hoagie grimaced and Nigel came to his side:

"Nice shot, but do you think you could break it?"

"That blast was only about a third of maximum energy output capacity. I think a maximum output blast could probably destroy it, but I only have enough power for at most two shots of that magnitude. I'm going to need the clearest opening you and the others can give me."

"Got it." Nigel replied, almost like he was the one taking orders rather than giving them.

The DAFDTL had seen their vulnerability in giving one arm to each adversary, so they compensated by increasing the movement of the overall mechanized insect and swirling the four arms around them, keeping at least one arm in front to block Hoagie's cannon, while keeping up a constant defense on each flank. Abby, Joey, Kuki and Wally backed off slightly as the monster spun its massive blades faster and faster, and the machine shuffled around on its spindly legs. Then from out of the center came that blood-chilling quintet of monotones.

"You know Kids Next Door, we had originally christened this device as The Dragon…" and as they spoke, flames erupted from the arms, coming out from the axles on which the blades spun.

"Can you guess WHY!"

From where Hoagie stood, it looked like four, spinning white blossoms spewing fire in a fountain-like manner. Then the flame-throwing scythes started spiraling around the center chassis again, and though he wanted to watch out for his friends and make sure none of them got hurt, he couldn't take his eyes away from where the central pod was located. He had to be ready for any opening to disable the device, or he and his friends would surely be killed.

Why do I suddenly wish I never stole that Code Module? Abby sarcastically berated herself as she hopped away from a spray of fire and dodged the blade on another arm that swept by. She and Joey had been dodging the deadly instruments for the last few minutes, trying to see if there was a pattern that the machine was following, and if there was a way to get through it, so far they hadn't found any.

Abby was trying her best not to incite the DAFDTL to come any closer to her, so she kept her distance. Joey on the other hand was very tempestuous and tried his best to come running in fast, then jump clear at the last moment. He wanted the fight to come to him and he was only too willing to draw the wrath of his foe When the attack had first started up, Abby had felt a natural female need to protect Joey as if he were a defenseless little child, but his acrobatic skills and energetic style of advancing and retreating made it clear that he was in no way out of his league, even against so deadly a foe.

Kuki hopped over a blade that swept at her feet, trying to cut her off at the knees. Then the arm turned around and sprayed fire at her while a second arm brought its blade down like an axe behind her, creating a trap. She couldn't go toward the machine or back out toward the wall, and now she was beset with a small, solid wall of a white blade on one side and a flamethrower pointed her direction on the other.

Despite the swishing, crashing and roaring all around him Wally heard Kuki screaming, and he instinctively bolted over the planted blade to rescue her.

The shielding wall arm that kept Kuki from escaping opened its flamethrower on Wally as he jumped, and though he got a little singed by the intense heat, he didn't falter for a moment. He landed on the other side to find Kuki huddled up against the blade, keeping her back to the approaching flames of the other flamethrower. Wally threw his arms around her in a protective vise-like grip, presenting his back to the flames. The body armor and jumpsuit her wore were mostly flame-retardant, but they weren't completely impervious to the searing heat, and except for bending his neck over Kuki and away from the direct spray, his head was completely unprotected.

The fire was intense, and it roasted his back and arms and singed his golden hair. Mercifully, the flamethrower overheated and ceased to pour forth its deadly ammunition. The blade of that arm however raised itself up and prepared to slice the two figures as they stood up. Wally saw the blade just in time and pushed Kuki over the planted blade before he himself jumped over.

As Wally came tumbling down on the other side he winced and groaned, his body was in such agony, but he did his best to ignore the injuries and continue fighting. The planted blade now emerged from the ground and again attempted attacking, it flew through the air with a bright red streak, having been splattered with a thin stream of blood from the wound inflicted on Wally's back by the other blade.

"You guys," Nigel called to them. He accepted it when none of his three team members and their one current KND operative looked back at him, "Try for the legs and keep the arms out and away from the center. Keep it up."

Abby wanted to make the dive for the legs, but she knew she was a little too big to move through the spinning blades and passed the shuffling mechanical legs without getting sliced and diced. Joey on the other hand was in no way handicapped by his size, and took the liberty of making that dive under the great machine, clearing one blade as he went down and avoiding two legs from skewering him to the ground.

"JOEY!" Wally screamed, but he was trying with all his reserve to avoid getting sliced or burnt himself and couldn't dive in to help his daredevil of a brother.

"Just keep 'em going Wally, I'll take care of the rest," Numbuh 4 shouted back.

As the battle raged on just above, Numbuh 4 found himself in the midst of many thin plates and a great deal of exposed electronics.

Numbuh 4 reached into his hood and took out an old wooden stick. It was chipped and worn down and only about two feet in length, but still had its original red hue and the golden 4 emblazoned on one end. Wally had left it in the Kids Next Door Archive Vault with instructions that it be given to the next operative to bear the Numbuh 4. Joey had been the only other person to use that famous weapon that had on more than one occasion saved the Kids Next Door; both the organization as a whole and the Sector V team.

Now Numbuh 4 set to using it to smash away at the wiring on the Mantis. Sparks flew and flakes of silicon rained on him but still he swung at the machine.

"What's happening?" The DAFDTL asked each other as the movements of the great robot became slower and erratic. The flamethrowers stopped completely and the arms, though continuing to spin, slowed their rotation around the main body.

Hoagie frantically stuck his eye in the targeting scope and aimed at the exposed pod. He pressed the trigger, and almost instantly a blinding beam of concentrated energy shot forth from the nozzle and caused the glass cover to shatter. Abby and Kuki hopped up on the chassis and wrapped their adversaries in the climbing wires on their harnesses. Joey hopped out from underneath the machine and opened up his communicator:

"Numbuh 7, this is Numbuh 4. The DAFDTL have been neutralized, we need reinforcements to see to the retrieval of the Code Module and the transportation of the DAFDTL to the Arctic Prison. Over."

"Acknowledged, Numbuh 4. What of our 'friends'?"

Finally you answer, Numbuh 4 grumbled under his breath before he spoke. "Uh, there all here and…" it was only now that Joey realized the state of his brother. Which was that he had collapsed on the floor and lay on his belly biting his lower lip.

"NUMBUH 7 WE NEED MED-EVAC RETRIEVAL PRONTO! My brother's been severely injured."

"Of course, of course Numbuh 4." Numbuh 7 replied with the clear desire to appease Numbuh 4, but he held no conviction in his voice of wanting to carry out that last plea.

When Kuki turned away from the ensnared DAFDTL and saw Wally, prostrate on the ground and unmoving, she felt her heart constrict and her throat tighten.

"WALLY!" She screamed, as Joey ran out to him from under the machine.

She raced over to him and sat down, doing what should could to comfort him with her presence and her voice. She had no medical supplies to tend to his burns or his wound, which was still bleeding profusely, and she was terrified that he would either die of blood loss or go into shock and die.

"Joey," the stalwart man spoke hoarsely, "don't ever do that again."

Joey and Kuki laughed despite their concern. Kuki was crying, so she sat behind Wally while tending to his back and wouldn't let him see her for fear it might make him scared and worsen his condition.

"Kuki? Where's Kuki? Is she ok…?"

"For god's sake, I'm not the one who's injured you idiot," she said behind him, and he smiled through his grimace. "Oh, Wally why did you do that? You could've been killed."

"Because you were in trouble… how could I live with myself... if anything happened to you?" He croaked again as he smiled.

There was a rumbling, and Hoagie called to the rest of the team that someone was coming down. When the elevator arrived, it was full of Kids Next Door, high level, elite troopers with heavy armor and helmets and armed to the teeth with dozens of different 2x4 weapons. One of the operatives came up to Numbuh 4 and gave him a gas mask. Numbuh 4 didn't know what to make of this until the soldier ordered him to put it on, and upon obeying the command, several firing squads pointed their rifles at his brother and the rest of the ex-Sector V team, coating them with sleeping gas darts. They were all out in a snap.

As soon as the gas had cleared, Numbuh 4 removed his mask and demanded of the nearest petty officer:

"What is the meaning of this Numbuh… uh … 509. These adults are our allies, and this one needs immediate medical attention."

"Numbuh 4, sir our orders are to apprehend five adults, of descriptions which these five friends of yours match, and see them conveyed directly to Moonbase."

"WHAT! You're wasting your time taking them into custody? The Code Module is in this base, the DAFDTL themselves, are up on the hunk of mechanical junk, bound and gagged thanks to my brother and his team, and all you can do is play target practice with these heroes!"

"Sir, I am only following my orders. A whole battalion is on its way to see the DAFDTL taken to the ultra-sooper maximum security complex at Arctic Prison, and five other Sectors, as well as a third of the Kids Next Door Space fleet are on their way to retrieve the Code Module and take it to it's new secure station on Moonbase. My squadron and I were sent to do what we are doing, sir."

"Look at these people you just fired on. Do you even know who they are?"

"I was told that they are the former Operatives Numbuhs 1 through 5 of Sector V, sir. Regardless, my orders were to do as I have done, sir."

"I wanna talk with the one who gave you the order to arrest them."

"If you come with us to Moonbase, I'm sure Numbuh 1000 will be happy to oblige, sir."

"Numbuh 1000! As in Supreme Commander Numbuh 1000?"

"The same, sir."

Numbuh 4 hesitated, but seeing the need to not delay further help to his brother he consented: "All right then, carry on. And see that a medical team attends to my brother at once!"

"Yes sir!"

As Nigel and Hoagie, and Abby and Kuki were carried, or rather dragged, out of the room in a most undignified manner, Joey stuck beside his older brother until a medical squad arrived with equipment and a gurney to carry Wally to the ships outside. As they lifted him up and started wheeling him out of the combat zone, Joey walked beside him, holding his sleeping brother's hand. It was only now that the other members of his team came down.

"Numbuh 4, my goodness your covered in ash and smoke, are you all right?" Came Numbuh 40's compassionate voice. Numbuh 4 however, was furious, and he had no intention of letting up on Numbuh 40, even if he cared about her as much as he did.

"Where were you when I called for help! My brother and the rest of his team weren't equipped to take on that monster down there and look what happened."

"When did you call for help?" She asked.

"I called Numbuh 7 almost fifteen minutes ago asking for assistance and no one responded."

"Numbuh 7 told us it was someone on the wrong frequency."

Numbuh 4 gritted his teeth. "All right, tell that ...grrr... just tell him I'm going up to Moonbase with my brother, and I'll finish the report about the mission that he was too much of a coward to help with." Numbuh 4 looked about ready to explode, and indeed he was finding it difficult to keep his voice low. He was grunting and breathing heavily like some bloodthirsty beast.

"Joey, I'm so sorry," she apologized, and it softened him.

"No... I'm sorry for yelling. I'll be back from Moonbase in a little while." And he gave her hug and hopped into the Med-Evac space-cruiser with his brother and the medical personnel attending to him. She waved as the door closed and the ship lifted off.

"Don't worry Wally…" Joey stuttered as he squeezed his brother's hand. "I'm still on your side mate."

Author's Note: Almost there guys. Let me hear what you think of it and what you want to see happen…