Chapter 3: "You Learn Something New Every Day"

Wally awoke with a splitting headache. The room was spinning around him, and was so blurry that he couldn't see where he was. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then opened them again.

"Uhhhgh," he moaned. He sat upright, clutching his head. The room had finally stopped spinning. "W-where the hell am I?"

"Wally!" he heard a voice cry. He turned to his right. Kuki had been wringing out a wet cloth, and she stopped once she heard him.

"K-Kooks?" he asked. "W-what's going on?" She rushed over to him, and locked him into a tight hug.

"Urk! Kuki, Kuki you're strangling me!"

"Oh, Wally, I thought I'd never see you again! I've missed you so much!" she cried. She finally let go of him once his face started turning blue. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I was just so excited. Here, let me get you some aspirin, your head must be hurting a bunch!" She ran to fetch some aspirin.

"Got that right," he muttered. He suddenly realized he was in the nurse's room of the school, lying down on the single cot it had. The room smelled like vomit and antiseptic, just like the last time Wally had been there. Kuki came back with the aspirin, and Wally took it immediately and laid back down.

"I can't believe it. He beat me again. The bitch beat me again. I was so close." He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry, Dizzy."

"Wally, you can't do that again! We were really worried about you. For a while, we thought you had, you had..." She looked away, staring at the pale linoleum of the nurse's office.

"Died? No, no I can die yet. Not until I've avenged Dizzy. Until then, I'm staying."

Kuki closed her eyes and whispered, "Then I hope he beats you every time."

"Did you say something, Kooks?" asked Wally.

"No, nothing. Wally, you should probably rest for a bit longer. He hit you pretty hard. It's a good thing your skull's so thick!" She paused, frightened. She expected him to scream, to rant. Wally always had a violent temper. Instead, he simply laughed.

"Yeah. Yeah, I guess so, huh?" He sat up and got out of the cot. He looked below his waist. Apparently, Numbuh 3 had found it necessary to take his jeans off, leaving him in his boxers. He saw his jeans and vest on a table, and immediately put them on, red faced. I've got to get out of here, he thought. If I keep talking to her I won't be able to leave.

"I'm feeling better," he announced. "I, uh, guess I'd better get going." Kuki opened her mouth, about to beg and plead, when Numbuh 1 rushed into the room, looking hysterical.

"Numbuh 4, Numbuh 1, come, quick! There's a-uh, well, just come and see!" he shouted, running back out of the room, nearly tripping. Wally and Kuki looked at each other, and then rushed out of the room to follow him. Numbuh 1 led them back to the teacher's lounge, where the TV was on at full volume. It was CNN, and the female news anchor was looking exceptionally frightened. A picture of a nuclear power plant was in the right hand corner of the screen.

"It appears that the terrorists have not only taken hostages at this power plant, but they are also threatening to melt the reactor, which would cause massive destruction not seen since Chernoble. The Australian prime minister is currently unavailable for comment."

Numbuh 4's mouth hung wide open. "This is in Australia ?" he asked.

"And guess who's in charge of the operation," grimaced Numbuh 2, leaning back in a chair. The screen suddenly switched from the news anchor to a group of children in masks.

"We really do hope that the prime minister turns up with the money soon," they all chanted at once. "Otherwise we'll have to do some rather nasty things."

"Gee, wonder who they could be?" asked Hoagie sarcastically.

"Damn, Crow was right," whispered Nigel. "Well, there's no doubt about it, we have to leave to Australia now!"

"How are we going to do that, Numbuh 1? Our ship is still in repairs," pointed out Numbuh 2.

What little color there was in Numbuh 1's face drained. "Then we're stranded," he whispered.

"No we're not!" exclaimed Wally. "We can get there in the Boomer. I can take all you guys there!"

"Well then what are we waiting for!" shouted Numbuh 5. "Let's get a move one!"

Numbuh 4 pulled a walkie talkie out of his pocket and lifted it to his mouth. "Hello, Walker, are you there?"

"Wally! 'Ow are ya, mate? We've been wondering when you'd call! How was the meetin'?"

"No time for chit chat, Walker. The Delightful Children From Down the Lane have seized a nuclear power plant in Australia and are threatnin' to melt the reactor, we've got to head back home!"

"WHAT!" yelled Walker. "A bunch of ruddy foreigners have one of OUR power plants hostage! We'll be right there to pick you up, Wally!" Numbuh 4 and the others waited in the parking lot for the huge airship to arrive. It landed a few minutes later. Silo opened the door and waved to them.

"G'day, Numbuh 4, hop on, we've got to get–oh!" he exclaimed, noticing the others. "We've got passengers! Well, uh, come aboard!"

They entered through the door and met up with the rest of Wally's gang.

Abby immediately pinched her nose as she entered the ship. "Oh, God, don't you guys ever clean this place?" she asked. There was dirty laundry sprawled on the floor over the ship, beer bottles stacked a mile high in the sink, cigarette burns on the dark green carpet, and what looked like a dead chipmunk nestled on the couch.

"Not really, no," answered Dingo.

"So, ummm," said Wally, "Anybody want a beer?" The rest of Sector V stared at him incredulously.

"Beer? " asked Nigel, flabbergasted. "Beer? "

"Whoa, you have beer!" cried Numbuh 2. "Hey, Wally, remember that time we tried to steal beer out of that, ummm," he stopped, as Nigel was looking at him with a mix of anger and disbelief.

"Okay, guess no one wants a beer," muttered Wally. "I'll get one for myself, then." Nigel was about to open his mouth to argue, but he realized that he was no longer Wally's leader.

"Well, since no one's in the mood for a drink, 'ow about a smoke?" asked Jackknife, a pack of cigarettes in his hand and a lit one in his mouth. Kuki, Abby, and Nigel were stunned. Hoagie reached his hand out to take one, but Nigel slapped it away.

"What the bloody hell are you thinking!" screamed Nigel.

"Take it easy, mate, they're only smokes," chuckled Jackknife.

"Don't you know those are bad for you?" asked Numbuh 3, incredulous.

"Are they?" asked Jackknife, stroking the the stubble on his chin. Only twelve years old and already he had facial hair. "Well, I guess you learn something new everyday."

"Look at you people! You're smoking, drinking, you're not even teenagers yet!" cried Abby.

"Boss, I know these guys are your friends, but could you get them to keep it down?" asked Walker from the cockpit. "I'm having trouble concentrating."

"Right. Guys, take it easy," called Wally from the fridge. "This isn't such a big deal. We've been doing this stuff for years. Well, they've been doing it, anyway," assured Wally.

"But, but, we, I, arrgh!" growled Nigel. He sat down dejectedly. "Oh, hand me a beer."

"There's the spirit, mate!" spoke Wally. He fetched Numbuh 1 a beer. After thoroughly inspecting it, Numbuh 1 popped the cap off and took a sip. He immediately spat it out.

"Geez, that's awful!"

"Let me try, Numbuh 1!" pleaded Numbuh 2. Nigel handed the beer to him. After taking a deep swig, Hoagie coughed it up and almost passed out.

"You boys are idiots," scowled Abby.

"Hmm, guess that wasn't such a good idea after all," murmured Jackknife. "Well, anyways, how much longer to Australia, Walker?"

" Bout an hour, Jack. Hey, boss, you've got any idea where this power plant is?" asked Walker.

"Yeah, it's in Queensland. It's on top of a huge cliff, I've been there before. Me dad used to work there," Wally explained.

"I think it's time we come up with a plan. We can't just go in there unprepared," said Nigel.

"If it's a plan you want, I think I've already come up with one," came a voice. Everyone turned to this display screen next to the fridge. A teenager with long black hair was smiling at them.

"That is, if you want to use it," said Crow.