Transmission 6: Ambushed
Wally arrives to the Uno residence and lands in front of a dumpster. After turning off his B.R.A., he pushes it slightly, revealing a lever. He pulls the lever and it opens a hatch under the dumpster. Wally then jumps through the hatch and slides down a chute while the dumpster moves back to its original place. After a few minutes of sliding, the chute drops Wally in front of an elevator, which takes him all the way to the first floor of the Treehouse. He then frantically runs through the corridors and gets on another elevator, riding it up to the briefing room. Inside, the others are already preparing for Nigel's briefing when Wally barges in, surprising them "Where the heck were you Numbuh 4? Numbuh 1 was just about to start..."
"We got bigger problems than me being late!" Wally pants as he cuts Abby off and takes a deep breath. "They know we're here!" The briefing room falls silent while Nigel's expression turns serious and he crosses his arms.
"What happened, Numbuh 4?"
"I got attacked by Numbuh 86 and she said that the KND know we're here."
"Does that mean they'll attack us?"
"I don't know, Numbuh 3, but we can't ignore this. First, we have to secure the perimeter. Activate maximum lockdown, Numbuh 2."
"Roger that Numbuh 1." Hoagie types a special code that activates the Treehouse security lockdown as armored plates move to cover all doors and windows in the Treehouse.
Nigel then gestures everyone to the circular sofa in the middle of the room while he takes his position on the podium in front of them. "Now, this is a rather awkward way to starting this briefing but we'll just have to go with it. First off, Numbuh 4, explain in detail what happened." Wally then explains how he was attacked and what she said.
"So, that's how it is. We'll have to be on our toes from now on. Because they know where we are, we can't rule out the possibility that they will send troops here to get us. Numbuh 2, can you prepare any weapons for us?"
"Well, since all I got are just some spare parts and these Stupefiers, I can't make anything solid without any materials."
"Ok. Now, regarding the KND. Thanks to Numbuh 5's tampering with our communication system, we've established contact with Global KND Communication grid. It will allow us to intercept any transmissions that go to the new Treehouse in this sector. They don't know that we'll be listening to everything they do. That should make us aware of any moves they might make against us and finally, our own investigation. Numbuh 5, can you start deciphering the disc I showed you earlier?"
"Leave it to me." Abby nods.
"And Numbuh 2, I'll leave the keycard to you."
"Yeah, once I get a chance. You're kinda overloading me with work."
"Right, of course. We'll prioritize our defense ability first and then we'll deal with the investigation." Everyone responds with a nod. "And…we need supplies and equipment, since the Treehouse has been completely emptied by the KND."
"Yeah, but we can't just leave the Treehouse. Especially now that the KND know we're here."
"That's true, Numbuh 5…We're not in good position. We don't even have any functioning 2x4 ships to use either..."
"Hey, I got an idea. There's a junkyard not far from here. I bet that place has plenty of goodies to fill our armory."
"Didn't ya hear what I just said, Numbuh 2?"
"Yeah, I did."
"Well, Numbuh 2, how do you plan on moving the junk here? It's not only the KND we have to worry about out there. Father's no doubt sent his Ninjas as well."
"I've got the delivery method covered but I'm gonna need help with the heavy lifting."
"Leave that to me." Wally puts his hand up immediatly.
"Alright, I'll leave the supply run to you guys." Nigel then turns his attention to the girls. "Numbuh 5, Numbuh 3, how are you doing on the equipment front?"
"Well, Numbuh 5's got her sword, but nothin' else really."
"I've got my magic…"
"Hm…that's not enough…" Nigel's voice drifts off as Wally has an idea.
"Hey, why don't ya get a B.R.A.?" his suggestion suprises the others, especially Abby.
"A Battle-Ready Armor? Where the heck do ya think I can get one of those, Numbuh 4?"
"Well, you could ask Cree. She is an ex-Teen Ninja, right?"
"Hah,so she says, Numbuh 2..." Abby crosses her arms and thinks for a moment before she cautiously agrees to Hoagie's suggestion. "Fine, I'll ask her but I ain't promising anythin'."
"Very well then. Numbuh 3, go with Numbuh 5 to her house while the guys are getting the supplies. Exercise extreme caution out there, team. If the KND spot you, run."
"Numbuh 5 recons we can deal with a bunch of kids."
"Yeah, we beat those brats yesterday, right?"
"Yes, Numbuh 4, but now they might send an entire squad of Teen Hunters, who are leagues above the Decommissioning Squad."
"Then we'll just run, like ya said." Abby says calmly.
"Alright, but still, be careful out there."
"Roger that, Boss."
Hoagie salutes Nigel and starts heading for the door, followed by Wally and the girls. "Uhm…Numbuh 4, could you wait a bit. I need talk with you." Nigel asks hesiatantly, casuing Wally to look back over his shoulder and gesture to the others to go on. However, upon closing the door behind them, they huddle around it to eavesdrop. "Numbuh 4 I umm…"
"If it's about what happened 2 months ago, forget it." Wally says while putting his hands in his pockets. "I believe ya when you said ya had no choice. So, what's done is done. I was just angry that you didn't realize who you where torturin', that's all."
Nigel looks at him shock but refuses to back down. "What are you saying, Numbuh 4? I tortured you. You have every right to hate me!"
"Yeah, but I thought about the whole thing last night and…I can live with it. It's Father and his cruddy Ninjas I hate. Now pull yerself together, we got things to do." Wally replies sternly and turns towards the door while Nigel looks on silently. He takes a deep breath and goes to the computer to continue the surveillance of KND communications. Upon leaving the briefing room, Wally notices the others hiding behind the door. "What are you doin'!?"
"We should ask the same from you. Why did you brush off Nigel's apology?" Kuki asks.
"I didn't brush him off; I just don't want to make a big deal about what happened."
"It did seem kinda of a big deal yesterday evening."
Abby's remark frustrates Wally, who glares at his teammates. "Look, there's no point in dwellin' in the past. What happened then doesn't matter anymore. I just want to move on and not worry about it. That's all."
"Ya think it's so simple..."
Abby shakes her head while Kuki looks at Wally with a sad expression. "Come on guys; let's not get hung up on this. Didn't Numbuh 1 give us a job to do?" Hoagie tries to change the subject.
"Fine, Numbuh 3, lets head to my place then."
"Wait Numbuh 5, can't we all go together?" Kuki says.
"But we have two places to go to. We can take care of them better if we split up."
"I know Numbuh 2, but I think we should stick together. That way we'll keep each other safe if they attack us like they did with Numbuh 4."
"I'm fine either way." Wally shrugs while Abby and Hoagie look at each other and then back at Kuki.
"Well, how about this: We leave together and split up once we get to Numbuh 5's house. The junkyard is a bit further from there, so if either pair gets in trouble, the other can come to help." Hoagie suggests.
"Yeah, that's okay." Abby says while Kuki and Wally nod. They proceed together to the elevator and it takes them down to Nigel's closet exit. As they leave Nigel's house, Hoagie nudges Wally.
"So, you gonna tell us about why you left last night?" Kuki and Abby become curious too.
"Uhm…Well I couldn't sleep. I had so many things on my mind and I needed to see my folks."
"When was the last time you've been home?" Kuki asks.
"2 weeks ago." His friends look at him in disbelief.
"WHAT!?" They shout in unison, causing Wally to become a bit irritated.
"Ya don't need to shout! Look, after the bully fighting ring was busted by the KND, I had nowhere to go, so I tried to join the Ninjas. I was just desperate, okay? But those Ninjas knew who I was so they locked me up. I got out when the KND raided the place five days after I was…well you know what happened. Anyway, they opened all the cells and I slipped through. That's when I stumbled into Father's weapons lab and found this." He pulls up his left-hand wrist, showing the wristband that holds the Battle-Ready Armor.
"Oh, so it's not a bra. Man, I thought that you actually wore a bra under that shirt." Hoagie starts to laugh at the thought of Wally wearing a bra which also makes Kuki and Abby giggle
"Not a chance! I wouldn't be caught dead wearing that." The others continue to laugh. "Shut up! Ya wanna hear what happened or not?!"
"Sorry Numbuh 4, it's just so funny." Kuki struggles to stop herself from laughing.
Soon they calm down and continue to listen to Wally's story."Anyway, I took this and broke out of the mansion. I went home but when those Ninjas started showin' up near my home 2 weeks ago, I ran, 'cause I didn't want my family to get involved. Both the Ninjas and the KND were after me and you know that the Ninjas are way nastier than the KND. They don't care if you're with your family, they'll hurt them too."
"Numbuh 5 understands where you're comin' from. So how was the reunion?"
"Well, I rang the doorbell but no one answered until dad opened it. He went nuts and started yellin' where I'd been and all that crud. Mom hugged me for like 15 minutes and I had to make a whole bunch of stuff up."
"What about your brother?" Kuki asks worriedly.
Wally's younger brother Joey was only 3 years old when Wally fled the KND but he had always looked up to his older brother. And like his brother, he also joined the KND. "He was well…kinda pissed. He saw me and ran to his room. When I went to look, he was pointing a M.U.S.K.E.T. at me when I tried opening the door." He hides his eyes under his blond hair. "He's just joined the Cadets Next Door you see. I guess even he's started to believe all the crap they've been talkin' about us. I tried to convince him not to call the KND." Wally says sullenly. "But he called anyway. Turns out they already knew about us being here and said not to do anything about it."
"Wait, you knew about it before Numbuh 86 attacked ya?"
"Yeah Numbuh 5, I did, but she attacked me out of nowhere so I kinda forgot to mention it during the briefing."
"So, you got sold out by your own brother…" Hoagie says silently.
Wally nods sadly. "Yeah, sad ain't it? He told me he didn't want to have anythin' to do with a traitor." he hides his eyes again as Abby puts her hand on his shoulder.
"I know how ya feel Numbuh 4; I had the same reaction when my sistah betrayed the KND." Wally smiles weakly in response.
Everyone becomes silent for the rest of the walk until they reach Abby's house. "Okay, let's split up. Numbuh 3 comes with me to my house and you two guys can continue to the junkyard. We'll wait here until you're done and then we'll leave together." Wally, Kuki and Hoagie nod in agreement but then Kuki remembers something.
"Wait, I need stop by my house too."
"And why's that?" Wally asks.
"I need to get some clothes and my make-up bag and stuff for my room and I need to take a shower too and and…" she rambles as Wally facepalms.
"Can't you do that some other time?! We don't have time for that!" he shouts.
"Yeah, I do! I don't have anything in my room and I haven't taken a shower since Thursday morning. I need my essentials if I'm gonna live in the Treehouse." They both begin arguing loudly as Abby rolls her eyes. "Enough! You two are makin' Numbuh 5's head hurt! Okay, this is how we're gonna do this: Once we're done here, Numbuh 4 is gonna go with Numbuh 3 to her house and Numbuh 2 and I'll head to the Treehouse."
"Why me!?" Wally tries to protest but Abby silences him with a sharp glare.
"Just because. Let's go Numbuh 3, we gotta talk to Cree. You two better not waste time on that junkyard." she and Kuki turn towards Abby's driveway while Hoagie and Wally continue along the street.
As they arrive to the junkyard, the boys climb over the fence and Hoagie starts to look for useful parts. "Man, I feel like a kid in a candy store right now." Hoagie says cheerfully as he rummages through the piles of scrap.
"I figured…So how do ya plan to move all the stuff we need?"
Hoagie grins at Wally and takes off his backpack. "Already got it covered. Behold!" He says proudly as he takes an odd device from his backpack. It looks like a gun of some sort, but it has three small arms around the spherical barrel.
"What the heck is that thing?"
"I call it the Portal Gun. It's been my little pet project for two years now." Hoagie explains proudly as Wally looks at the odd device.
"Uhm…what does it do then?"
"Like the name says, it creates portals. It can instantly transport something from place A to place B. I already made a portal to the Treehouse's armory, so all we need to do is open a portal here and we can just drop anything we need directly to the armory. I'll show you." Hoagie grabs the weapon's handle and fires at the ground. A blue portal appears on the ground and the armory can be seen through it, impressing Wally.
"Whoa, this is pretty cool."
"Am I a genius or Am I a genius?" Hoagie puffs his chest. "Too bad it's still a prototype. It can only make one entrance and exit before it's out of juice. Now just start throwing stuff through the hole. We'll need everything in this pile and maybe those other two piles as well."
"Right, I'm on it." Wally activates his B.R.A., as it enhances his physical strength, and starts throwing scarp into to the portal.
Meanwhile, Kuki and Abby stop at her house's front door. "Okay, just keep ya cool. My parents still remember ya so they shouldn't be a problem. Cree is a whole different story though."
"No problem, Numbuh 5."
"Oh, and let's use our real names while we're here. She'll be less suspicious about us." Kuki nods. Abby rings the doorbell.
Soon the door opens and Abby's father, a visibly relieved Dr. Lincoln greets them. "Well, well, if it isn't my youngest daughter. You've been away for two days and your mother's been worried about ya, with the phone calls and the crying and the tissues, oh you know what I'm talking about."
"Yeah, I'm sorry Daddy; I hooked up with some old friends. This is Kuki, you remember her, right?"
"Oh yeah, I know little Miss Sanban. It's so great that you bring friends here again. Come on in."
The girls enter the house and head upstairs. "By the way Daddy, is Cree here?"
"Yup, she's here alright, but be careful. She's been dumped by her boyfriend or something, with the screaming and the cursing and the door banging…"
"Thanks Daddy, I'll be careful." Abby turns back around and leads Kuki through the hallway. "No way, Maurice dumped her? Serves her right." Abby thinks as they stop by her room. "Okay, give me a sec. Abby's gonna pick up some clothes and other stuff for my room." Abby goes to her room and takes the messenger bag hanging on her wall before filling it with various essentials. "All done, let's move on." Abby says as she puts on her signature piece of clothing: a red hat that she received from her older sister Cree, former Numbuh 11. Then, she and Kuki head towards her sister's room and she knocks gently on the door.
"Who's there?!" An angry voice responds.
"Uhm…hi sis. It's Abby."
"Go away! I don't wanna see anyone, especially you Crabigail!" The voice answers, making Abby to silently curse as takes a deep breath.
"Come on sis, I need to talk to ya."
"But I don't. Now buzz off!" Abby becomes even more agitated but Kuki puts her hand on her shoulder and gestures her to calm down.
"*sigh* Is this about Maurice?" The voice doesn't answer. "Cree?"
"How did you know?"
"Daddy told me. Now let me in, I wanna talk to ya."
Footsteps approach the door and it opens a little as Cree Lincoln glares from the other side, wearing a red t-shirt and long baggy pants. Considered one of the most dangerous enemies the KND ever faced, Cree a.k.a. Numbuh 11, didn't want to be decommissioned and fled the KND. She soon joined the Teen Ninjas and became Abby's arch nemesis. They fought many times and only pretended to have a good relationship in front of their parents. She is the one who taught everything she knew about espionage and hand to hand combat to Abby. Cree had a one-sided relationship with Maurice a.k.a. Special Teen Operative Numbuh 9, who had used her to gain info on the teens plans and given the chance, undermine said plans. She however never knew of his double agent status. "Why should I trust you? You're just gonna laugh at me since now you can take Maurice to yourself." She hisses angrily as Abby rolls her eyes.
"Ugh, come on! Abby's not interested in Maurice. She's got someone else on her radar." Both Cree and Kuki look at her surprise.
"WHO!?" Both ask simultaneously.
"That's not important. So, you gonna let us in or not?"
"Maybe, but first I wanna know what she's doing here." She glares at Kuki with suspicion.
"Look, you know I haven't been a part of the KND for three years. We just met two days ago at the Arctic Prison." Cree's eyes widen.
"What were you doing in there?" She asks curiously.
"Abby will tell ya if you let us in." Abby looks at her older sister sternly.
"Fine, but don't get any smart ideas." she then lets the two girls in. Cree sits down on her bed while Abby leans against the wall opposite to Cree. Kuki sits down on to the floor with her legs crossed. "So, talk to me."
Abby explains the events of the past 4 days, how she was sold off by her crew, how she was reunited with her old team and how they escaped, impressing Cree. "Heh, those snot-nosed brat were no match for you. Your big sister is so proud." She hugs her younger sister because even though they had been enemies, she only hated her sister because she was in the KND and Abby equally hated her only because she was a Teen Ninja. Deep down, they are still sisters and Abby hugs back reluctantly.
"So, what did you wanna talk about?" Cree sits back down on her bed while Abby adjusts her hat.
"I need some help."
"Help? What kind of help?" Cree becomes suspicious again.
"I need you to…get me a B.R.A."
"What? You want a B.R.A.? Oh, I see, you wanna join the Ninjas is that it?" Cree's eyes light up, but Abby quickly shoots her hopes down.
"Heck no. You know Abby can't stand those creeps."
"Are you saying I'm a creep?!" Cree becomes agitated.
"No, no, what Abby means is that I need it for protection. We gotta be prepared because the KND know where we are. I'm the only one in our team who doesn't have any special stuff."
"What about her then?" Cree again glares at Kuki. Abby sighs and gestures her to stand up.
"Show her what you can do."
Kuki's medallion glows and she uses her telekinesis to move all the rolled-up tissues around Cree's room to the trash bin under the desk. Cree's jaw drops and she stares blankly at the girls. "How…What did she just…?"
"Believe me, I was spooked by that too. Anyway, do ya believe us now." Cree doesn't reply and instead lies down on her bed. "Hey, are ya listenin' sis?"
"Yeah, I am, but I'm still not sure. This just all seems so…too good to be true. There's gotta be a catch!" She stands up and becomes angry again.
"What the heck is wrong with you Cree? I just wanted some help from my big sister!"
"Oh really!? How do I know you won't just turn me in to the KND!?"
"Are you serious!? Abby's not been with 'em for 3 years! Why would I do that!? "
"I…I don't know!" Cree starts to hesitate as Abby sighs and puts her hand on her sister's shoulder.
"Okay, I didn't want to resort to this, but here goes: If you get me a B.R.A., I'll do something for ya in return." Cree's eyes widen and she begins to grin.
"What do ya mean by something?"
"Anything you ask, but nothing stupid." Abby crosses her arms.
"Anything huh? Well how about you tell your big sister who you have in your radar." Abby's face turns red and she pulls down her cap to cover the blush. Kuki starts getting excited and begins smiling.
"What!? No way! Why do I have to do that!?" Abby yells in embarrassment.
"If you ain't tellin', then I ain't givin' anythin'"
"Come on Abby, I think that's a pretty cheap deal." Kuki looks at Abby gleefully, as she and Cree both corner her.
"So, what's it gonna be, Abby?"
"Can't I do somethin' else?" She pleads but Cree shakes her head.
"Nuh-uh, I gotta make sure you're not after Maurice anymore."
Abby takes a deep breath and tries to regain her composure. She was never good with talking about relationships, but Kuki and Cree's expectant stares break her. "Okay, but you gotta promise me that ya won't tell this to anyone, okay?" Both girls nod rapidly. "Alright, the one I'm talkin' about is…" She whispers a name to them and immediately Kuki shrieks happily.
"OH THAT'S SO CUTE! I KNEW IT WAS HIM!" She shouts happily as Abby's face turns red as Cree starts laughing.
"No way! Him? That fatty? Girl, you really have a weird taste in guys!" Cree holds her stomach as she rolls on the floor and laughs uncontrollably but her reaction annoys Abby.
"He ain't a fatty anymore. And besides, Abby don't care about appearances. Now can we move on?" Cree finally stops laughing and stands up.
"Alright, thanks for the laughs. Okay, like I promised, I'll give ya a B.R.A., but you gotta learn how to use it yourself." She walks to her closet.
"Oh, don't worry about that, sis." Abby replies as she and Kuki follow Cree. She opens the doors and presses a button on the back wall, revealing a small compartment that holds various Teen gadgets. She pulls out the entire compartment and puts a lid over the top of it.
"Here, take the whole thing, it's got more than just a B.R.A. Maybe you can find some use out of them."
"Whoa sis, this is way too much."
"Take it anyway. Think of it as me passing down my mantle to you, Abigail." Cree says with a sincere smile. Abby is stunned by this, as the last time Cree had smiled like that was when she gave her hat to Abby over 7 years ago.
"Gee, thanks Cree…I don't know what to say…"
Cree gives her little sister a hug and Abby hugs back. "Thanks for not losin' hope on me, Abby. And thanks for giving me a good laugh, I really needed it."
"Anytime Cree."
Their sisterly moment is cut short by Kuki's communicator ringing. She answers cheerfully. "Hello? Hi Wally. You two are done already? Okidoki, come to Abby's house, we'll be waiting. Bye bye." She hangs up and turns towards Abby.
"They, said they've finished their work. They'll be here soon."
"Who?" Cree asks.
"Wally and Hoagie. They had to do some…errands."
"Oh, I see…I guess I could take a look at them. See how well they've grown." She grins slyly.
"If you say anything about you-know-what, I ain't gonna speak to ya ever again." Abby hisses at Cree.
"We'll see…" Cree replies and walks out of the room.
"Oh man this is not good, come on Kuki." Abby picks up the container and runs after Cree with Kuki in tow. As they reach the top of the stairs, the doorbell rings. Cree glances at a mortified Abby and opens the door. Hoagie and Wally are waiting on the other side and as the door opens, Hoagie immediately recognizes who the girl standing in front of them is, causing his trademarked grin to appear on his face.
"Helloo…'" He winks at Cree and starts to flirt with her while Cree stares blankly at the two teenage boys standing before her and struggles to speak.
"Hank...?"
"I think you mean Hoagie, my dear. Hank is a name I haven't heard in 5 years."
Wally groans and covers his face with his hand. "Dude this is not the time to be hittin' on Abby's sister." He hisses at Hoagie, who tries to keep Wally quiet.
"Shh, I'm on a roll here." Hoagie whispers and turns back towards Cree. "So, are ya gonna lets us in? We just came here to pick up our friends, but if you want, I could pick you up instead." At that moment, the container that Abby was holding flies through the air, hitting Hoagie in the stomach and causing him to fall on his back while Wally breaks out laughing and Cree stares down at him. Then, an enraged Abby walks out of the house, followed by a giggling Kuki. Abby grabs Hoagie by the back of his collar and starts dragging him away, with the box on his lap. "Hey, why did ya do that for? I was so close to getting a date."
"My sister is off limits and besides, you ain't getting any dates with those kinds of moves, Romeo. Now come on, we're going back to the Treehouse." she and Hoagie disappear behind another house.
Kuki meanwhile pulls on Wally's sleeve and heads to the opposite direction. "Come on Wally; let's go to my house now."
"So uhm…what was that all about?"
"Not telling, it's a secret." She replies.
Wally shrugs and follows her lead while Cree is left to stare out of the door. "No way, he really did lose all the weight." she says to herself and closes the door behind her. But as she does so, she takes out a red communicator from her pocket. "Sorry Abby, but I still don't trust you enough."
…
Kuki happily skips along the sidewalk, followed by Wally. He has his hands in pockets and walks slower than Kuki. She turns towards him and looks straight at him. "So, Wally, how did the junkyard trip go?" she asks casually.
"Pretty well, we moved like 3 piles of junk, an old yacht, some jet engine parts and a few cars."
"How did you guys move all of them from the junkyard without the owner noticing?"
"Hoagie had a new gadget, called it the 'Portal Gun' or something. It can make portals. We just threw all the stuff through it and they all ended up in the armory. I bet the owner will piss his pants when he sees that half of his stuff is missin'" Wally explains with a slight grin as Kuki chuckles and continues to skip around. Wally then remembers how she used to skip around all the time when they were younger. It got to the point that she even dodged attacks by simply skipping and hopping. He smiles at the memory as Kuki looks back at him, noticing the smile.
"Wally, you've changed you know. You're smiling a lot more then you used to."
Her comment causes Wally to turn slightly red and irritated at the same time. "Hey, are you saying I don't smile?"
"No, I just said you smile more than before."
Wally lets out a deep sigh. "Like I told ya yesterday, I only smile when I feel like it."
"Then why did you smile now?"
"I just…remembered something. It's nothing important." Wally hides his eyes under his hair as Kuki moves closer and tries to see his eyes.
"Reealy?"
"Yeah really!" Wally walks past her and she goes next to him.
"It must've been important since you smiled." She stares at him with her brown eyes.
"Come on, will ya give it a rest already. I said it's nothing important!" Kuki huffs and crosses her arms.
"Fine, Mister Cranky."
"What did ya call me?!"
"Nothing."
Kuki huffs as she starts walking in a faster pace and Wally starts to mumble. "Why did she have to come so close, I can't keep my cool when she's like that…" They both keep quiet for the remainder of the walk until they reach the Sanban residence.
"Okay we're here. I'll take a quick shower, pick up my stuff and we return to the Treehouse."
"How long is a 'quick' shower?"
"I don't know. You'll just have to wait for me. Now let's go in." She gestures him to follow but as soon they enter the front yard, the door flies open violently. Kani Sanban, Kuki's father, rushes out of the house towards the two teenagers. Before either can react, he punches Wally in the face, the sudden impact causing him to lose his balance and Wally falls on his behind.
"Stay away from my daughter, you little bastard!" Kani shouts in a fit of rage as Kuki immediately goes between the two.
"Dad, why did you hit him!? He's my friend!" she shouts while Wally notices that his nose is bleeding and he starts wiping off the blood.
"Oh, I know who he is! He and those other so-called "friends" of yours are the reason why you tried to commit suicide!"
Wally clenches his fist in anger and gets up. "They had nothing to do with it, dad!" Kuki tries to defend Wally, but her irate father is having none of it.
"Of course, they did! Because they left you, you started cutting your wrist! Now get inside, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Kani grabs Kuki by her upper arm and starts pulling her in to the house.
"Hey stop pulling me! Wally, I'm sorry!" Kuki shouts as Kani pushes her in to the house and as he closes the door behind him, he glares at Wally.
"And you get out of our property before I call the cops!" He slams the door shut and Wally kicks the ground in anger. He then starts walking back the way they came.
Kuki looks out of the window and seeing Wally walk away, she becomes sad and angry. She turns towards her father who is standing in front of the door with arms crossed. "Once your mother comes back from work, you've got a lot of explaining to do young lady!"
"Explain what?" She looks at her father with an angry frown.
"You have been away for two days, TWO DAYS! Your teacher was furious and your mother has worried sick! You better have a good reason why you thought it was a good idea to skip two days of school."
"I had important things to do, something you wouldn't understand." She replies and starts walking towards the staircase but her father however steps in front of her.
"That kind of explanation is not good enough! Don't you realize that we worry about you?! Now tell me, where were you!?"
"That's not your business!" Kuki shouts as she forces herself past her father and starts climbing the stairs.
"Get down here right now Kuki Sanban!"
"No, I won't, you old jerk!"
"You do not speak like that to your own father!"
"Yes I do, because it's true!" Kuki slams the bathroom door behind her and locks it. Kani is left standing at the bottom of the stairway in shock. He had never seen Kuki so furious and instead of going upstairs, he goes to the living room and sits down, staring blankly at the floor.
Kuki meanwhile takes off her clothes and begins showering. As she notices the scars on her wrists, tears start to form in her eyes. "It's not their fault, dad…" She shakes her head and turns on the shower.
At the same time, Wally walks along the street with his hands in his pockets. His nose is still bleeding from Kani's punch. "Her dad's got a point; she wouldn't have done that if all of us had stuck together. But why does it feel like it's my fault…" He thinks as he arrives to an intersection and has to wait for the green light. Then, Wally sees something black flying to the opposite direction with the corner of his eye: Three Teen Ninjas flying in broad daylight. "Teen Ninjas?! Damn, they're headin' straight to Kuki's house." He shouts and turns around, running back towards the Sanban residence.
…
Hoagie and Abby are also running, towards a vacant construction yard. They too had been attacked by a team of three Teen Ninjas. "How did they know we were here!?" Hoagie shouts, carrying Cree's box.
"Don't ask Numbuh 5, just keep runnin'. We'll lose 'em in that construction yard!" The Ninjas open fire with their heat laser cannons, laying a barrage of fire on them. Both teens increase their pace and finally reach the construction site.
"Get behind that pile of concrete pipes! We'll hide there!" Hoagie points at the stack of pipes at the north-east corner of the construction yard. Right as they reach the pile, the Ninjas arrive. As they use standard Battle-Ready Armor, they do not have long range scanners like Wally's version. Thus, they can't simply sweep the area and stop at the entrance.
"They want to play hide and seek ey? Spread out! We need to get that box no matter what!"
The Ninjas disperse and start looking for Abby and Hoagie, who are huddleing behind the pipes. "So, what now? We can't keep runnin' forever you know." Abby whispers.
"I know. I just needed to buy some time to come up with a plan."
"And that plan is?"
"Even with these Stupefiers, we're outgunned. They have the mobility and numbers on their side."
"So? We've fought bigger odds than this."
"Yeah, I know. Let me think." Hoagie crosses his arms and concentrates as Abby peeks out from behind the pile and notices the Ninjas getting closer.
"Hey, I think they know where we are. Can you hurry up with that great plan of yours?" Abby glares at Hoagie as she still hasn't forgiven Hoagie about his hitting attempt on Cree. "Are you listenin' Mister Genius? They're comin' this way!"
Hoagie takes a deep breath. "No other choice." he mumbles and stands up, pulling the Stupefier from his pocket.
"What the heck are ya doin'!?"
"That box has a B.R.A. right?"
"Maybe, Numbuh 5 didn't get chance to look in yet." Abby replies and takes the box on to her lap.
"Well, it better have one, because it's our only chance. I'll keep those Ninjas distracted while you put on that B.R.A. and kick their butts."
"Now wait a minute, you'll distract them? You aren't gonna last more than ten seconds against them!"
"Is that how much you trust me, Numbuh 5?" Hoagie looks at Abby with a disappointed look.
"Look, why don't we call the others to help us?"
"You think I haven't considered that option already? Numbuh 1 is watching over the Treehouse and Numbuhs 3 and 4 are too far away. Sure, they can fly, but even they wouldn't reach here in time. This is the only choice we've got!" Hoagie almost shouts in frustration as Abby hides her face under her hat and looks down at the white box on her lap.
"But…Numbuh 5's never used a Battle-Ready Armor before…"
"Well you better learn to use it. I'll buy you time." Before he can leave, Abby grabs his arm.
"Ya don't have to do this! You'll get fried by them!" She pleads but Hoagie looks away, towards the Ninjas.
"That's a risk I'm willing to take. You'll get the hang of that armor in no time, if your sister could do it, then you can too."
"No way! Not if you'll get hurt because of me!"
"Come on Abby; let me be cool for once." Hoagie smiles slightly as Abby let's go of his arm.
"Why you gotta act like this now…?" Abby thinks and gives Hoagie a weak smile. He nods and starts running to the opposite end of the construction yard.
As he runs, the Ninjas notice him. "Over there! Take him out!" The leader shouts as all three Ninjas open fire on him.
Hoagie rolls and changes his direction, zigzagging between the stacks of construction material and heavy equipment. "Aw man, I should've taken a better long-range weapon with me! This peashooter can't hit them at this range!" He thinks, glancing at the Stupefier.
Abby takes a look from the stack and sees Hoagie running around with laser fire raining on him. She slaps her cheeks and grabs the box. "Alright Abigail Lincoln, pull yoself together. You gotta help Hoagie." She opens the container and goes through the contents. The box is filled with various equipment, tools and weapons used by the Teen Ninjas. In the right corner of the box, are three pink B.R.A.'s. Abby gags at the color. "Yuck, why did they have to be pink? Abby hates pink!" She grabs one of them and inspects it. Just then she hears a large explosion from behind her and upon peeking behind the pipes, she see that one of the Ninjas lasers had hit a tractor, blowing it up and causing Hoagie to lose his balance.
"Whoa! Urgh..." he shouts as he stumbles to the ground but quickly gets up and continues to run.
Soon he's surrounded by all three Ninjas and pushed to the ground. "You're pretty fast for a wimp, I'll give you that. Now tell me, where is the box!?" The leader puts his foot on top of Hoagie's head and presses him to the dirt.
"I don't know, it might be still here or not. Who knows, maybe my friend gave it to the KND." Hoagie says defiantly as the leader presses him to the ground again.
"Don't try me! We know you are not a part of the KND. Your girlfriend has the box, am I right?" Hoagie grins.
"Did you just call her my girlfriend? Man, if only that were true."
Hoagie smirks as the leader presses his down again. "Enough with your stalling!"
"What's so important about that dumb box anyway?"
"Are you stupid!? That box belongs to the greatest Teen Ninja in our organization's history: Cree Lincoln! You didn't think we'd just let you take it? Not a chance!"
"Then how did you find us so fast?"
"Simple really: Every Teen Ninja's personal equipment box has a special system that can recognize when it's not carried by its owner. If it's not in contact with its owner for longer than 5 minutes, it sends a distress signal to the closest hideout. We can't have the KND or anyone else to learn how our technology works!"
Abby clenches her fist as she overhears the conversation.
"No wonder Cree gave it so casually! That stupid zit-face knew they'd come after this thing. And I just had to fall for all that sweet talk. Hold on Hoagie, Abby's comin' to help ya!" she glances at the B.R.A. one more time and puts it over her shirt. "Come on you stupid thing, WORK!" She shouts and immediately, the armor unfolds around her. It forms a black and red Ninja-like armor, covering every part her body apart from her eyes. The helmet is samurai-like and has two small horns on it. With the face plate covering her mouth, she looks identical to her sister when she was the same age and wore the same armor. "Oh, it's on now, baby!" she shouts and flies up with her jet boots.
End of Transmission 6.