TRANSMISSION RESTORED

PART 11 — REARING THE HEAD

Nigel Uno, Numbuh 1, was the leader Sector V. Few would take that job take willingly, and even fewer were capable of surviving the rigorous training needed to make it through some of the missions. Moreover, he always considered his team the best.

Currently, he was piloting his personal rocket, on his way to see Global Command at the Moonbase. Usually, GC simply sends a message through the satellite grid, but this was a very odd situation, since Numbuh 362 herself had personally given him the order to report to the Moonbase. That had Nigel a trifle worried, because every time he showed up was because there was catastrophe right around the corner that he had to prevent.

Naturally, he had no choice. Numbuh 362 had a special mission for him, and he dreaded to think what it could be.

He went through the standard arrival and landing protocols, and left his rocket to be refuelled and serviced at the hangar, and headed for the Command Centre. After a while, he saw the doors at the end of the corridor, guarded by the six troops of the Elite Guard. Behind those two slabs of solid steel sat the head of Global Command, Supreme Commander Numbuh 362. She alone was privy to all of the Kids Next Door's top-secret files.

Nigel walked up to the door and took a deep breath.

Time to dance for the monkey grinder.

He entered and saw that the room was dimly lit except for a lone spotlight and a lamp on a single desk. He couldn't see the rest of the command operatives, but he knew that they were watching. Numbuh 362 gestured him to stand on the spotlight, and he did so.

"Numbuh 1, reporting for duty, sir," he saluted.

"Sit down Numbuh 1, you're not going to like this one." As Nigel moved a chair and took his place in front of her, she took a deep breath and let out a deep and heavy sigh. "Numbuh 1, we have a big problem. Or, at least we will in a few years. I think it is important to nip this problem in the bud now. It will be difficult to do now, but it could be near impossible later. Don't you think it would be a good idea to take care of this now before it becomes too difficult for us to handle?"

"Yes ma'am, I agree."

"Good, Numbuh 1, that's good," she nodded, holding her hands together for a bit, and staying silent.

"So, what is this problem of yours?"

She looked up. "Well, Numbuh 1, you know why we decommission Kids Next Door operatives once they turn 13. We often call on you to help us with the decommissioning, as it seems that a few of them are a bit more than Numbuh 86 can handle. But soon enough, we're going to have a terrible fight on our hands with the one I am assigning you. And because of that, I am giving you any number of operatives that you think you might need and any resources that you will require for this mission."

The Brit raised an eyebrow, adjusting his sunglasses. "This sounds huge, but doesn't Fanny and her team have enough people up here that are specifically trained for just decommissioning old agents? Why can't they handle this together?"

Slowly, she stood. "Because, Numbuh 1, you have the most experience with this agent, and I think you will be able to deal with him better than anyone up here, even better than Fanny."

He eyed her for a moment, recalling all the operatives he dealt with in his years in the Kids Next Door. Very few of them were approaching 13, though, and those that did, he was sure that Numbuh 86 would not have any problems with them. "Okay, I give up. Who is this guy?"

Rachel bowed her head. "Numbuh 4."

He shivered at the mention of that name, as if a nail was being driven into his very soul. Shock and astonishment barely scratched the surface of how he felt. Hoping he heard wrong, he asked, "Who?"

"You heard me right the first time, Nigel. It's Wallaby Beatles: Numbuh 4."

That couldn't be right. And why would they want HIM to hunt Numbuh 4? "Commander, Numbuh 4 barely turned 10 today! Or, yesterday, the party was a few hours ago. But he still has three more years to go—or—have the records been altered again?" he demanded.

"I KNOW he turned 10 today, Numbuh 1, I was at the party too, remember? But if you recall, he alone managed to take down more then a score of HIGHLY TRAINED KIDS NEXT DOOR agents last year, and just now he defeated the most skilled of all the Kids Next Door fighters and left her as a PULP."

"He didn't exactly end without a mark on him, either."

"That may be true, but he can only get better and I don't think that we will be able to decommission him three years from now. If we can get him now—we can bypass all of that grief."

Nigel stood and approached her, "With all due respect, Commander, I suppose I see your point, but Numbuh 4 has been a loyal member since day one! Everything that he has done has been for the best interest of the Kids Next Door! Shouldn't we at least give him a chance to further prove who he's loyal to?"

"I did already," she sighed. "I thought about doing this last year, after seeing him mow down our best operatives as if they were nothing but dolls. But after I saw what he did to Numbuh 5, I decided that we better prepare for the worst. He has been monitored and I've seen that he has improved exponentially in the past year, so I have made my decision: he MUST be decommissioned immediately."

"Are you ordering me to betray my team member AND my friend?" he blasted.

"Numbuh 1, if you don't do it, I will have someone else do it for you. It's as simple as that," she replied calmly.

Numbuh 1 walked away slowly, thinking for what felt like an eternity, incredulous of what he had been ordered to do. He always hated hunting down fellow operatives, the people who he fought side by side with on a daily basis, and now—Wally?

He couldn't believe it.

"I need a decision now, Numbuh 1."

He fisted tightly and whirled toward her. "He WON'T betray us, Commander."

"Are you so certain? Who of us here doesn't remember Cree Lincoln? Our best fighter of that time, and she defeated us and betrayed us. If Cree did that to us, can you imagine the disasters Wally could do if we don't stop him now?"

"Wally ISN'T Cree, Commander. He ISN'T Chad, either. And he WON'T run." He turned toward the darkness, where he knew the command operatives were sitting, including Numbuh 86, "And if any of you had BOTHERED to take a closer look at him, you'd know exactly why he will not run."

"Well, this is interesting," said Rachel, "What exactly did all of us here at Global Command, experienced observers, fighters, tacticians, and strategists, happen to miss?"

"Commander, do you know WHY Wally beat up all our TRAINED fighters in less than 5 minutes?"

She turned to him, "Because he was angry!"

"He's angry most of the time."

She thought for a moment, "Oh, yes, he thought his sector was in trouble."

"Wrong again, Commander."

"What?"

"Commander, Wally mowed down all our fighters because he didn't know they were Kids Next Door. It was too dark for him to identify them, but still, he didn't let anything get in his way from rescuing that which he treasures most."

"Treasures?"

"He didn't rush to save US, Commander. He rushed to rescue Numbuh 3."

Numbuh 362 stood still at that for a moment. "So you're saying that because his girlfriend is also a Kids Next Door operative he won't betray her in 3 years?"

"That's ONE reason why he won't run. He won't let anything hurt Kuki, nor will he deliberately do anything that will cause her to be hurt. He won't betray US because he won't betray HER. And even when he fought Numbuh 5, it wasn't HIS challenge, but HERS. And, I'm sure all of you noticed how he hesitated to fight on the first round. It was Abby who provoked him to fight without any holds barred—or do you think that if Sector V got an emergency right this moment he'd take advantage of Abby's weakness and betray her right now?"

"You made your point, Nigel," she said, walking up to him, "But suppose things don't work out. Suppose he and Kuki break up one year from now. What then?"

He turned away. "You seem so insistent on his imminent betrayal, Commander. Perhaps I'm wrong, but what would it take to prove me right?"

"The only thing that would prove you right would be if he willingly walks to the Decommissioning Chamber when he turns13, but you know I can't risk that."

"Then what would it take to get you to trust him? I trust him with my life, and I know he'd do anything to protect yours as well."

She thought for a moment, and replied, "A test."

"I thought as much," smiled the bald lad.


Several minutes later, Numbuh 1 left Command Centre, stone faced, and walked back to the hangar.

As he left, several lights turned on around Numbuh 362, revealing the rest of Global Command, a boy and two other girls, as well as Numbuh 86.

Fanny stepped up to her hissed, "Ah kin dew this aloone, Commenderr! Jes' giv' me one hourr 'n Wolley won't knewe wot hit him!"

Rachel turned to the redhead, and replied, "Your feminine wiles won't work on HIM, Fanny. And you KNOW why."

With that, Numbuh 362 left Command Centre, leaving behind a VERY irate Irish lass.


"Oi juss' wonna soy one more thin'—to Chad 'n Cree, in coise therr'e wotchin'—!"

"Chaddo to Kurii wa nagametara, boku wa atoipo-na kotodzuke ga aru!"

"(CENSORED) YEW, CHUMPS!"

"INORU HAJIMARE, BAKA-TACHI!"

"YERR NEXT!"

"KISAMA WA TSUGI DA!"

(rewind)

(play)

"—onna soy one more thin'—to Chad 'n Cree, in coise therr'e wotchin'—!"

"Chaddo to Kurii wa nagametara, boku wa atoipo-na kotodzuke ga aru!"

"(CENSORED) YEW, CHUMPS!"

"INORU HAJIMARE, BAKA-TACHI!"

"YERR NEXT!"

"KISAMA WA TSUGI—!"

(rewind)

(play)

"—thin'—to Chad 'n Cree, in coise therr'e wotchin'—!"

"Chaddo to Kurii wa nagametara, boku wa atoipo-na kotodzuke ga aru!"

"(CENSORED) YEW, CHUMPS!"

"INORU HAJIMARE, BAKA-TACHI!"

"YERR NEXT!"

"KISA—!"

(rewind)

(play)

"(CENSORED) YEW, CHUMPS!"

"INORU HAJIMARE, BAKA-TACHI!"

"YERR NEXT!"

"KISA—!"

(rewind)

(play)

"(CENSORED) YEW, CHUMPS!"

"INORU HAJIMARE, BAKA-TACHI!"

"YERR NEXT!"

(rewind)

(play)

"YERR NEXT!"

"Can't understand his accent?"

(pause)

"I can understand him just fine. I just keep wondering what he meant by that."

"Do you reckon he offered an official challenge?"

"Yeah right. That SHRIMP against the best fighters in the HISTORY of the Kids Next Door?"

"You SAW how he left Abigail."

"And you SAW how Abigail left HIM. Maybe he said that in the heat of victory."

"Maybe, but I sincerely doubt—"

"Shut up. You know it only took one punch to—"

"YOU shut up. I honestly don't know how he managed to do that, considering everything YOU did before. But I don't think Wallaby will need another 'fight of the century'."

"What will he need, then?"

"An offer he can't refuse."

(rewind)

(play)

"Oi juss' wonna soy one more thing—to Chad 'n Cree, in coise therr'e wotchin—!"

"Chaddo to Kurii wa nagametara, boku wa atoipo-na kotodzuke ga aru!"

"(CENSORED) YEW, CHUMPS!"

"INORU HAJIMARE, BAKA-TACHI!"

"YERR NEXT!"

"KISAMA WA TSUGI DA!"

TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED