Transmission 2: The Great Escape
Up on the Arctic Base command deck, Rachel and Fanny arrive to talk with Numbuh 1000. "Numbuh 1000, we would like to speak to you." Numbuh 1000 salutes the two teen operatives.
"What is it?"
"When are you going to send them to space and decommission them?"
Numbuh 1000 can sense the anger in Rachel's tone of voice. "We are preparing for the separation of Block V. Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I've wasted three years of my life hunting them down and I don't want to waste any more."
"I can understand how you feel Numbuh 362, but separating a 5-gazillion ton prison block isn't an easy operation, mind you. Why don't you take a look at what those five are doing at the moment while you wait?" Numbuh 1000 presses a button on the console in front of him and a small TV screen lights up. The two girls walk closer and look at the screen, which shows black and white camera footage of Nigel surrounded by his old teammates.
"Whoa, they look like they're 'bout to lynch 'im." Fanny says with surprise.
"I can't blame them; he did serve Father for three years." Rachel replies sullenly.
"Yeah, makes you think that decommissioning is an easy way out for 'im."
Rachel looks at the screen with a solemn expression. Fanny glances at her former superior and knows that Rachel has suffered a lot ever since the incident. She had been friends with the members of Sector V for a long time. Though she never showed it to anyone, her feelings towards Nigel were a lot stronger than they seemed. Ever since Nigel had helped her regain the mantle of Supreme Leader, she had started to develop these feelings and wanted to spend time with him as much as possible. Rachel was especially supportive of him when Nigel was dumped by his girlfriend Lizzie Devine. What made the C.O.D.E.M.O.D.U.L.E. incident even worse for her was the fact that she had her 13th birthday on the same day. She was going to be decommissioned and her title of Supreme Leader was supposed to be given to someone else.
In the aftermath of the incident, the new Supreme Leader Numbuh Elventy Billion gave her, Fanny and Numbuh 60 a.k.a. Patton Drilovsky the special rank of Teen Operative and all three were given the mission of capturing Sector V as Teen Hunters. It was Patton who brought Hoagie and Kuki to the Arctic Base, while Wally surrendered to Fanny but Abby was brought in by the patrol that caught her.
Suddenly a massive explosion rocks the entire Arctic Base. It's so powerful that many lose their balance. Numbuh 1000 falls on his back while Rachel and Fanny manage to grab the console before they fall. "What the heck is going on?!" The base commander shouts as operators scramble back to their post. Alarms are sounded all around the base and security doors close up.
"Sir, we've re-established contact with the prison blocks." The operator shouts as a prison guard appears on the main screen.
"Commander, it's the Teen Ninjas. They've penetrated Block V and are trying to reach the main cell! We need help na..." Before the operative can finish his sentence, he is frozen in a crystal-like material. Then one of the Ninjas appears on screen before the transmission cuts, leaving everyone in the control room stare at the screen in shock.
"What kinda weapons are they using?"
"Stupefiers, Numbuh 86. I thought only Numbuh 274's parents had those kinds of weapons. Where did they get them?" Rachel ponders as Numbuh 1000 takes command.
"It doesn't matter now. Send a Code 1 alert immediately! Secure Block V at all costs." Before the alert is sounded however, a large tremor rocks the base once again.
"Oh, what now!?" Fanny shouts in anger as one of the operators freezes in fear while looking at his monitor.
"Sir, they've separated Block V!"
"What!? That's impossible. Block V can only be separated with a level 8 key-card."
"Well one of the operatives at the prison block must've had it then!"
Fanny points at the base commander who immediately shakes his head. "Not possible, since only I and Numbuh 1000 carry a level 8 key-card." The commander says as he takes the card from his pocket while Numbuh 1000 does the same. A sense of defeat hovers over the control room but Rachel quickly regains her composure.
"Numbuh 1000, we'll go down there. Come on, Numbuh 86!"
"Right behind ye."
The two teenagers head to towards the submarine deck and are met by their teams before boarding a special underwater version of the P.I.P.E.P.O.D. Inside; Rachel briefs everyone about their job.
"Alright, our mission is very simple: secure the prisoners and take out the Teen Ninjas. Understood?"
"YES MA'AM."
…
Down at the now separated Block V, the five inmates are alarmed by the explosions. "What's with all the racket!?" Abby shouts as she tries to keep her balance because of the tremors.
"I'll check it out." Wally says as he walks to the barrier and activates his armor's long-range scanner. "Teen Ninjas, eight of 'em and they're comin' here!"
"Hmph, no doubt comin' to pick you up, Nephew!" Abby shouts in anger as she grabs Nigel's collar.
"I swear, I had no way of contacting them." Nigel shouts back at her.
"Let's not jump to conclusions guys. I suggest we wait and see what they do." Hoagie calms down the situation.
"I don't care what they want, I'm gonna give 'em a good pounding. I hate Teen Ninjas." Wally clenches his fists angrily.
"Keep quiet, they're coming here." Hoagie whispers as the Ninjas converge in front of the security door.
"This is Team 1; we've arrived at the door. Team 2 what's going on in your end?"
"We've just completed separating this big lunk from the rest of the base. It won't be long before those Kids Next Dorks send troops in though. We'll join you in a minute."
Soon the second team arrives at the door and they open it using the level 8 key-card in their possession. The large doors slowly creek open and the Ninjas go through it.
"Close it behind you. We need to make sure our target doesn't get any bright ideas."
The five teens in the cell wait anxiously and wonder what happens to them.
"So, what do we do now? Are they just here to take you with them?" Hoagie whispers.
"Most likely. But I will think of something, trust me." Nigel assures them.
"Trust you? Yeah right…" Wally mutters silently as the Ninjas finally arrive.
"We've found the cell!" One of the Ninjas shouts to their leader, who looks towards the cell. "Open those barriers." He gives the key-card another Ninja who then turns off the energized barriers. "Well, well, we've finally found you, Nephew. Father has been so worried ever since you left the mansion 2 months ago."
"I'm sure he is." Nigel remarks sarcastically.
"You're probably aware of why we are here?"
"Isn't it obvious? You came to pick me up. Then if you don't mind, could you remove my collar?"
"Sorry, but that's not happening. You see, Father wasn't happy that when you left, you took a lot of vital data from his computer." Nigel's former teammates are shocked by this revelation. "So, he doesn't want surprises anymore. You either come with us quietly or we'll force you."
"What about my team?"
"Oh them? Well maybe Father could find some use for them, apart from the flunkie over there." The leader points at Wally. "Father knows all about the fact that you stole his prototype Battle Ready Armor when you were at the mansion." All eyes turn towards Wally as he keeps quiet, clenching his fists harder. "So, what's it gonna be, Nephew?
"Unfortunately, I decline. I have no interest in serving Father anymore. AND I will not leave my team here."
The Ninja leader reaches for the holster hanging on his belt. "Too bad, then we'll have to make you." He points a purple-colored pistol-like weapon at Nigel when suddenly Wally walks between them and pushes Nigel aside. "I'm done listenin' to your crud!" A bright flash is emitted from the white sphere on Wally's chest armor, subjecting the Ninjas to a powerful electric shock, turning off their B.R.A.'s and knocking them unconscious in an instant.
"Wow…how'd you do that?!"
"This thing on my chest takes out B.R.A.'s at close range…I think." Wally shrugs as Hoagie's eyes light up.
"That's so cool; maybe you could let me take look at it later?" Abby immediately knocks on his Exo-suit's helmet.
"This ain't the time for that, Hoagie!" She snaps at him Nigel kneels next to the leader.
"Now then, I'll be taking this." He grabs the key-card from the leader but before he opens the collar around his neck, for a split second, he appears surprised but then swipes the collar with the card. Immediately, his Silhouette Suit activates, turning his body black with red outlines. The only thing remaining from his normal appearance are his sunglasses, which are now orange. His menacing appearance causes his old teammates to become cautious and step back. "Now that I've got my suit back, we'll be on our way." Nigel says calmly and moves his arms above his head, generating a massive fireball between his hands and flings it to the right, towards the security door. The fireball flies cleanly through it, melting a large hole on the door. "Alright, now that that's done, it's time to leave." He turns to face the door but notices that the others are not budging.
"Hey, where do ya think you're going?! You just gonna leave us here?" Abby shouts at Nigel.
"Of course not. I said I wouldn't leave my team behind, unless you want to wait here to be decommissioned?"
"I was kinda happy with that fate anyway…" Wally says silently, but he doesn't notice that Kuki overhears him, causing her to become slightly worried.
"That suit tells a whole different story!"
Hoagie grabs Abby's shoulder before she can say anything else. "Stop it, Abby. Sorry Nigel, it's just hard to trust someone who worked for Father."
"I understand. I promise that I'll explain everything once we're out of here, okay?" Abby raises an eyebrow but then calms down.
"Fine, but they better be really good explanations, Nigel."
"Count on it. Anyway, take their communicators and those purple pistols." The others grab all eight pistols from the Ninjas.
"So, what are these?" Hoagie asks as he inspects the weapon.
"I'll explain later. Just make sure to take all of them. We don't want the Kids Next Door or Father to get their hands on them. Come on, we have to get out of here."
"With what? This block is sealed shut." Hoagie looks around the area as Kuki has an idea.
"Um, we could use the submarine they used to get here." she says suddenly, causing everyone to stare at her for a moment. "What!?" Kuki becomes irritated by the silence.
"That is an excellent idea, Kuki. Let's locate that submarine."
Kuki starts to grin happily and the black medallion around her neck starts to glow. "I'll do it!" Five ghost hamsters appear from thin air, scaring Hoagie again.
"WHAAA MORE GHOST HAMSTERS!" Abby smacks the back of his Exo-suits head.
"Calm down Goggle Boy."
"Okay everyone, go find us a submarine." The five hamsters nod and fly off in to the different directions. "Follow me!" Kuki shouts as she runs through melted doors.
"Alright team, let's move out." Nigel starts to hover and flies out of the door, followed by Abby and Hoagie, in his Exo-Suit.
"Hurry, lets follow suit!" Hoagie laughs at his joke.
"I swear, if you weren't inside that suit, Abby would give you a good smack because that was the worst joke Abby's ever heard!"
"Man, this is just like the old days!" Hoagie chuckles.
"Tell me about it." Abby responds with a small smile. Wally starts to follow but stops and turns back towards the teens that are starting to regain their consciousness.
"Don't think I haven't forgotten what you guys did to me." A small cannon folds out of his back and goes over his left shoulder but the leader only spits at him.
"Hah…you and the others are gonna regret crossing Father…" His fanatic loyalty disgusts Wally, who glares down at the leader.
"Take a nap." He fires an energy blast at the Ninjas, stupefying them. "You're not the only ones who have a Stupefier, you cruddy Ninjas." Wally then starts to hover using his armor's jet boots and leaves to catch up with his friends.
Meanwhile, further down the hallway, Kuki suddenly stops. "My friends found it. It's right behind that corner."
Then Abby notices that Wally is not with them. "Hey, where did Wally go? That fool better not be messin' around or Abbys's gonna..." Right on cue Wally flies down the corridor and lands down behind them.
"What took ya?".
"Nothing…" Wally looks away, causing Abby to become suspicious.
"You suck at lying, Wally. What the heck were ya doin' back there?!"
"Enough with this bickering! Let's just board that submarine and leave before the KND get here." Nigel steps between them and breaks up the argument with his voice alone. The group then turns around the corner, arriving in the guard's mess hall where they witness a chilling site: Ten stupefied KND guards are strewn across the floor in front of the submarine's airlock.
"Man, what happened to these kids?" Abby bends down and inspects one of the guards encased in crystal.
"They've been stupefied. The Ninjas used those purple weapons to do it." Nigel says grimly.
"These things are Stupefiers? I thought only Chad's parents had them. How did Father get his hands on this technology?" Hoagie asks.
"He raided their home some years back and stole the data. He had a prototype made about a year ago but it was lost 2 months ago. After that he built these eight, which are the only functioning stupefiers in the world and he can't make any more unless he has these, because I erased the data before I left. Now you know why I told you to take them." Nigel explains and turns his attention to the submarine that has broken through the wall of the mess hall. "But enough about that. We have to get out of here before the Hunters and the Decommissioning Squad arrives."
"Hey what about these kids? We can't just leave them here." Kuki worriedly looks at the frozen guards.
"Yeah, if we leave them here, they'll be swept away by the water when we detach the airlock on the sub." Hoagie remarks.
"But where are ya gonna move them? We can't exactly take them with us." Wally says as he scans the block for any other guards
Abby looks around the hallway and sees a small door in the corner. "Hey guys, we can put them in the emergency room. They'll be safe there."
"Alright, let's start moving them, but make it quick."
"I can do it, Nigel!" Kuki yells happily and her medallion starts to glow. She hovers a few centimeters off the floor and spreads her arms wide open, causing he stupefied guards to float and are neatly moved in to the room.
Abby then closes the door behind them. "Now let's get the heck outta this dumb place." They start running towards the airlock as a loud screeching sound echoes in the prison block. The P.I.P.E.P.O.D. docks with the main airlock and the Decommissioning Squad, led by Hunters Rachel and Fanny, rush out towards the main hallway.
"Dammit, they got here faster than I anticipated. Hurry inside!" Nigel opens the airlock using his own special key and goes in, followed by Kuki.
Hoagie however can't fit his Exo-suit through the small door. "Hey, I can't fit." he shouts as Abby tries to hurry him.
"Then take off the suit and leave it."
"No way am I leaving Betsy Mk II here! Give me a moment to make it compact." He jumps out of the suit and uses the 2x4 device hanging on his belt to Shrinkify it while Wally takes a fighting stance behind them.
"I'll cover you guys!" Just at that moment, one of the operative's notices what's going on.
"Over there! They're trying to escape in the Teen Ninja submarine!" The operative opens fire with his M.U.S.K.E.T.
Wally counters with an energy shield from his right-hand gauntlet. Soon other operatives arrive at the corridor. "This shield won't hold 'em back fer' long! Hurry up!"
At the same time Rachel and Fanny receive the message from one their troops. "The teen's submarine? That means the Ninja's freed them..." Then one of Rachel's subordinates returns from the cell-block.
"Numbuh 362! The cell is empty and we only found the Ninjas. All of them were stupefied."
"They turned against the Ninjas…" The subordinates report confuses both girls.
"But why would they do that? Didn't the Ninjas come to rescue them?"
"We'll think about their motives later Numbuh 86. Our main priority is to recapture them. Everyone, head for the guard's mess hall! And contact the base command to stop that submarine from escaping."
"Numbuh 362, wait!" One of the operatives grabs her hand.
"What is it now!?" she shouts angrily, scaring the operative slightly. She then hands her commander something.
"We um…also found this." The female operative gives the teen Nigel's Silhouette Brace.
"Dammit all." Rachel shouts as she runs after the others.
…
Meanwhile Hoagie manages to shrinkify his suit into a small enough size to fit it in his pocket. "Good, now get inside genius!" Abby pushes him through the door as Wally aims his Stupefier Cannon at the approaching operatives.
"This'll give you brats something to think about." He fires energy beams towards the operatives and some of them become stupefied. However, he only aims at the limbs so that they can move somewhat as the operatives panic and fall back towards the entrance.
"Get back; they're stupefying us!"
With the operative retreating, Wally goes inside the sub and closes the airlock. "I bought us some time, but not much!"
Hoagie is already at the helm while Abby looks over his shoulder. "Are ya sure you can pilot this thing?"
"Just watch me, baby." Hoagie looks at Abby with a smirk and gives her wink, prompting her to respond with an instant whack. "Ow!"
"This ain't no time to start flirtin', boy. Now get this bucket of bolts movin'!
"Aye aye, detaching the airlock!"
Right at the same moment, Rachel and Fanny arrive in the mess hall. "Pull back, this place is gonna flood!" The operatives rush towards the hallway as the airlock detaches from the side of the cellblock. Water rushes through the hole as the large bulkheads close and contain the water in the mess hall.
Rachel groans and angrily punches the wall. "Dammit, they got away. Numbuh 501, contact the base and tell them to send a recovery team into the mess hall quickly. We need to retrieve those missing guards. The rest of us will get back in to the P.I.P.E.P.O.D and go after them." Then one of the operatives arrives with a P.I.P.E.R in hand.
"Numbuh 362, its Numbuh 1000. He wishes to speak to you."
"Talk to me."
"Numbuh 362, what's the situation down there?"
"They stupefied the Ninjas and fled in their submarine. We were just about to go give chase."
"That won't be necessary. Our satellites are tracking the sub as we speak. Once they run out of fuel, we'll catch them. In the meantime, get your team to the main hangar and wait for further information. Over and out."
…
The submarine darts out of the Arctic Base's detection zone, passing multiple incoming KND S.U.B.S.T.A.N.D.A.R.D. submarines that had been sent to intercept them. Hoagie controls the sub like a madman as his passengers try to keep their balance. "Stop weavin' this thing you fool! We weren't seated yet." Abby shouts as Hoagie continues to accelerate.
"We need to get away from here, I'm not slowing down yet!" He shouts back with a wide grin on his face, as it had been ages since he'd piloted any kind of vehicle.
Then, Nigel manages to make his way in to helm and looks at the radar screen. "Hoagie, they aren't following us anymore. We have to save the fuel drive, so slow down."
"Aye aye." He slows down drastically and everyone is caught off guard by the sudden deceleration. Abby falls face first on to the floor while Wally manages to grab hold of Kuki before she falls down. Nigel hits his face on the chair he was holding on to. "Ow, my face…" He groans and sits down on the chair.
As Abby stands up, she notices Wally helping Kuki up. "Thanks Wally." Kuki says, blushing slightly.
"Ehm…no problem."
"Man, why can't Hoagie be like that?" she thinks and glances at the helmsman.
"Alright Hoagie, put the sub on auto-pilot and set a course for the nearest island or iceberg. We don't have enough fuel to reach any populated areas, so we need to figure out the next step."
"Aye aye." Hoagie responds and starts fiddling with the console. Nigel then turns the chair around and looks at the others. Abby sits down on the table in front of Nigel while Kuki sits on chair next to the table with Wally standing behind her.
"Now, about the conversation we had before. You all wanted some explanations?"
Abby raises an eyebrow and looks directly at Nigel. "Before you do anything Nigel, you're gonna take off that suit. There's no way Abby wants to hear anything from a Father clone."
Nigel looks at his silhouette suit and nods. "Of course, I'm sorry." In the blink of an eye the suit disappears, reverting Nigel back to his normal appearance.
"Good, NOW we can talk." she looks angrily at Nigel.
"Well, I believe apologies are in order first." Abby cuts him off mid-sentence.
"Apologies aren't what we want, Nigel! Just tell us why you worked for Father!?" Abby shouts at him but Kuki pulls her back and places her hand on her shoulder. "Why did you do it?" she asks again.
"To find the truth." Nigel replies. The submarine is suddenly filled with silence. "Three years ago, when we were framed for letting the Delightful Children from Down the Lane into the vault and for allowing them to destroy the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E., I promised you all that I would find the truth. So, I went for the source: Father."
"You pretended to serve him for three years because of that?" Hoagie asks and glances at Abby who has her arms crossed
"It was the only way. I am after all, Father's nephew, so I simply needed to win his trust and get as much info on the events of that day from the enemy's side. You all know that we were unconscious and during that time someone used a level 8 key-card to open the vault's 2x4 security lock. Once we woke up, the Delightful Children were already inside the vault and we all know the rest."
"Ugh, don't remind me." Wally says silently.
"I am 100 percent sure that we were framed. The surveillance camera footage from the vault, showing us leading those brats to the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E. was all fake footage. We had no memory of it because we were unconscious. But everyone believed it and in a single swing, someone made us the biggest traitors in Kids Next Door history, even worse than Abby's sister Cree or Numbuh 274. That's why I joined Father's side."
Abby glares at him with suspicion and looks at the others before she speaks. "So, if you've been working for that single goal for three years, did ya find any proof?"
"Yes, I have. Behold." he generates a piece of his suit over his right hand like a glove and takes something from his left jacket pocket.
"Hey, isn't that the key-card those Ninjas used to get to our cell?" Hoagie turns around on his seat and looks at the card.
"This not just any card, this is the very same card used to open the vault on that exact day."
"Now that's just stupid. Where did ya get that idea from?" Abby says skeptically.
"I admit it sounds too much of a coincidence but after I took a closer look at it when we escaped the cell, I realized it's the real thing. Look at the other side and read the fine print."
Nigel turns the card around and Abby squints her eyes to read it."'Issued by Moon Base Central Security. 362 Decommission special edition keycard.' What!?" She and the others are shocked and stare at Nigel.
"Wow, it's the real deal. I remember seeing the Moonbase guards getting issued these. This is definitely proof that there was a mole in the KND back then." Hoagie slams his hands together as excitement starts to fill the air.
"But how did the Ninjas get their hands on this card?"
"I'm not sure, Kuki. But, knowing Father, I suspect he kept it in-case he needed to get inside other KND facilities. After all, a level 8 card gives universal access." Nigel then looks at the key-card and turns his attention to Hoagie. "Once we find a safe place to hide, could you possibly run an analysis for any fingerprints or DNA?"
"Maybe. I'm not sure about the fingerprints though, its three years old after all."
"Good. Now onto evidence number two." Nigel reaches for his right pocket and pulls out a small data disc. "I downloaded a bunch of files from Father's computer and found conversations between Father and a KND operative among them. However, the messages are all encrypted with a special code. It needs to be cracked first." He then looks at everyone else around him in the small cabin. "So now, here's my request: Will you guys help me find the culprit who framed us? I know I'm not in a position to command you to do it, but if we want to clear our names, this could be the only chance we have. Can you help me?"
The others look at each other and suddenly realize that this is one of the few times Nigel has appeared truly desperate. Despite their lingering doubts about him, and his actions, they've known Nigel long enough to believe him.
"Wow, you've really put us on the spot, haven't you Nigel?" Hoagie looks at the floor and then back at everyone else. "Well, I don't wanna go to the Decommissioning chamber without knowing who framed us, so I'm in."
"If Hoagie's in then Abby's in too. She's gotta few words for that guy when we get 'im."
"I'm in too. I don't want to be alone ever again." Kuki says firmly.
Everyone's eyes turn towards Wally. "I got just one question: What about all the other things we've done?" His question confuses them.
"What do mean by that, Wally?" Kuki asks.
"I mean, even if we find whoever is responsible for this cruddy mess and clear our names; are the Kids Next Door just gonna ignore all the other stuff we've been doing till now?"
"I still don't get it Wally." Hoagie says.
"Look, we've been enemies of the Kids Next Door for three whole years. They're not gonna forgive us just because of that one thing, cuz we've done a lot of bad things since then, especially me." Everyone goes silent until Wally speaks again. "All I'm saying is that whatever happens, I'm still gonna go to the Decommissioning Chamber."
The others look at him in shock and Abby grabs him from his helmet. "Are you outta your mind!? You're sayin' that you WANT to lose all your childhood memories? Abby never thought Wallabee Beetles of all people would wanna be decommissioned by his own will. What the heck happened to you? Don't you care about all the good memories you've had?" she starts to tear up again while Kuki stares at Wally in shocked silence. Hoagie then pulls Abby away from Wally, who looks down at the floor.
"I've had way more shitty memories then good ones so I'm fine with losing them. I can make new ones anyway."
Just as Abby is about to charge at him and tear off his helmet to punch him, Nigel intervenes. "Enough! I understand how you feel Wally."
Abby looks at Nigel in disbelief. "You can't be serious Nigel."
"I am serious. I understand his guilt perfectly."
"It's my way for payin' back for all the things I've done." He replies silently. Abby turns her back towards Wally and Hoagie sits down next her while Kuki is close to crying.
"But are you still in, Wally?"
"Of course, I'm in! If there's one thing I wanna do before I lose my memories is to pound that guy's face in, many times. He owes me a lot for makin' me go through hell!" He proclaims and Kuki giggles slightly. Hoagie and Abby also smile a little along with Nigel. The cabin falls silent as Hoagie watches over Abby, who is still upset about what Wally said while Kuki looks at everyone and becomes sad due to the depressing atmosphere. Then, Wally takes a deep breath and breaks the silence, surprising everyone. "Can I ask something?" he asks cautiously.
"Yes?"
"Can we use our old codenames, until we find the culprit? Just for old time's sake, Numbuh 1?"
Suddenly everyone's minds go back to their time as KND operatives of Sector V, they remember the Treehouse, their old rooms, all the missions, all the good and bad times they had, all the arguments and all the times they laughed together. The memories that they had locked away for three years all start flow out as Nigel smiles, maybe for the first time in 3 years. "Yes, of course we can, Numbuh 4."
He quickly turns around to hide the tear as Abby walks up to Wally and hits his back. "Since when did you become such a softie, Numbuh 4?" It's as if their little guilt trip never happened.
"I ain't a kid anymore."
"Oh, you're still the same little squirt you used to be."
"YAAAY! Everyone's happy again!" Kuki shouts as she tackles Wally to the floor again. Abby and Hoagie start to laugh as Wally tries to push Kuki away while Nigel watches them with a smile. Even though they had all been reunited in the cell block, they really couldn't be happy about it because of the circumstances but now, a sense of hope empowers Sector V as they happily laugh inside the submarine.
End of Transmission 2
Note: In this chapter, we get to see everyone work as a team for the first time (kinda). Since this story is based on a fanart by hendocrinogeno that depicted Sector V as teenage villains, everyone's appearance is naturally based on it. Numbuh 1 getting a Silhouette Suit made sense canon-wise, since he is Grandfather's grandson, while Numbuh 5 becoming a pirate felt natural as well. My biggest problem was Numbuh 3, because her appearence in the fanart is based on how she looked in Operation: C.A.R.A.M.E.L., but after I noticed she was floating in the picture, I decided to go with the magic powers route for her. Of course, we don't know why she became like that though...
However, I wanted to make Numbuh 4 and 2 a bit different, since in the fanart, he was depicted wearing a matador costume. So instead, I thought him wearing a B.R.A. was more interresting. The design is a mix between the Battle Ready Armor that the Teen Ninjas wore in the show and Marvel's War Machine, specifically the arm cannons and the shoulder-mounted Stupefier Cannon while the sword is basically the same as other large swords like Cloud's Buster Sword, only much shorter. The original 2016 version I made was way more edgier, as it had a black full body cloak and cape, which I'm glad I got rid off.
As for Numbuh 2, he was depicted in the fanart as obese and wearing the Cheese Shogun's armor. That kinda clashed with his teenaged appearance from Operation: K.I.S.S. where, just like in this story, he was 16, so then I came up with the idea that the stocky shogun armor was a hollow Exo-Suit with a seat inside. That also solved the problem of how he would fight, since Numbuh 2 uses gadgets and inventions, unlike the others, who are better at hand-to-hand combat.