Transmission 9: Unknown Feelings.
The next morning, Wally wakes up in the armory, having had to run around the Treehouse to evade an enraged Kuki. Soon Hoagie and Abby walk in to the room. "So, this is the place you've been hidin' all this time." Abby says as she sits down on a chair while Hoagie goes to the tinkering table and continues his upgrade work.
"How's Numbuh 3? Is she still huntin' me?"
"Nope, she's asleep in the common room. I think she ran around until like 2am." Hoagie says as he opens the blueprints. "I tell ya, she is persistent."
"I know that, Numbuh 2."
"Anyway, how's the work going along?" Abby looks over Hoagie's shoulder.
"Well, now that I've got the hang of this Teenage Technology, I can get to work on the upgrades. I'll start with Numbuh 4's armor since it's a bit more complicated. Once I'm done with that, your armor's next Numbuh 5. So, I need some time alone."
"Got it. Let's go, Numbuh 4." Abby gestures to Wally, who follows her out of the armory.
"So, what do we do now?" Wally says while they go to an elevator.
"I got some good news for Numbuh 1. You wanna tag along?"
"Eh, I got nothing better to do."
"Oh really? Don't ya wanna know if Kuki still wants to have that rematch?" Abby smirks.
"Nope. That was a once in a lifetime event and I'm gonna savor every bit of it."
"How did ya beat her in that video game anyway?"
"I dunno. I just did what I always did and somehow won. It just sorta happened." Wally shrugs while Abby smirks.
"More like dumb luck."
"Yeah…hey!"
"Heh-hee." The elevator stops and they got to the briefing room, where Nigel sits in front of the main computer, monitoring information traffic. "Yo Numbuh 1! Whatcha doin'?"
"I've been keeping an eye on the communications that are going to the new Treehouse. Apparently, their sector commander is pissing his pants about the fact that we are not far away from their location. He keeps asking that they send more operatives to reinforce their sector but the Supreme Leader herself has denied all requests."
"Who was the Supreme Leader again?"
Wally's question causes Abby and Nigel to look at him as if he was an idiot. "Ya really don't know?"
"Yeah! I haven't really cared about the KND since we left."
"The current Supreme Leader is Numbuh 78. It seems she has taken a very firm stance against Numbuh 1000's attempts to send an attack force here to capture us."
"Man, that dude is really weird. Does he have some sorta problem with us or something?"
"Good question. I've been digging some information on him and apparently his older brother was Numbuh 100."
"No way! The Steve is his brother?"
"That's an affirmative, Numbuh 4."
"Heh, no wonder he hates teenager. The Steve was the leader of the Teen Ninjas after all."
"Well anyway, Numbuh 1, I got something to tell ya. It's about the phone call Numbuh 5 got yesterday evenin'"
Nigel turns around on his chair and stands up. "Ah yes, well who was it?"
"Maurice."
"Maurice!? What did he want?" Wally says.
"Well, he said he wasn't our enemy. He too believes that we were framed."
"I see…" Nigel scratches his chin. "Did he say anything else?"
"Yeah, apparently Cree's been missin' since yesterday evenin'"
"What!?"
"I know, what a coincidence. Maurice suspects that she went back to the Ninjas." Abby adjusts her hat.
"Is that so…Then why did she give you that box if she was planning on rejoining them?"
"Don't ask Numbuh 5. It might be because we came back. You guys remember that she lost interest in their cause after we were framed. She hasn't used any of her gear for three years. Maurice did break up with her a few days ago but he still kept his eyes on her."
"Maybe she's just pissed about bein' dumped and wants revenge?"
"My sistah couldn't be that dumb…Or maybe she is…Anyway, if she did rejoin the Ninjas, it means that she probably went for Father. She was one his main lackeys."
"We'll have to keep our eyes open." Nigel sits back down on the chair.
"And he also said that he wanted to help us catch whoever framed us."
"Did he now? He's taking quite a big risk."
"Don't worry, you know he's the best right?"
"That is hardly any consolation…"
"Look, we could use his help. He was the best at intelligence gatherin' and usin' computers…Wait a minute! Numbuh 5's just got a great idea!" Abby pulls out her phone and goes through her call history.
"What kinda plan?" Wally asks skeptically.
"Why don't we ask him if he could break the code on that data disc?"
"Are ya out yer mind!? What if the KND learn that he's helpin' us?!"
"Numbuh 4, ya do know who we're talkin' about here?"
"Hmm…that might work, but I need to speak to him as well. We need to be sure he is willing to cooperate."
"Right. I'll try an' call him now." Abby calls the number Maurice used yesterday.
"Yo, what's up Abby?" Maurice answer almost instantly.
"Hey Maurice, I told the others about your proposal and Numbuh 1 wants to talk to ya about it."
"That's fine, give him the phone."
Abby hands to the phone to Nigel and he starts talking with Maurice while gestures Wally to follow her. "Let's leave this to Numbuh 1. Why don't we go and eat something? I still got some leftover pizza from yesterday."
"Sure Numbuh 5. I haven't eaten breakfast yet anyway." Just as they are about to leave, a general alarm is sounded.
"What the heck!? Who triggered the alarm?" Wally shouts as they run back to Nigel.
"Numbuh 1, what's going on here?!" Abby opens the surveillance camera's live feed.
"Hey, isn't that…Maurice?!"
"How did he get here so fast?"
"Well, he was just about to tell me that he was close to the Treehouse when the alarm went off. Overwrite the alarm and let him in, Numbuh 5."
"Got it."
"Are you sure about this Numbuh 1? What if it's a trap?!"
"Since when did ya become such a scaredy-cat Numbuh 4?"
"I'm not! I'm just…cautious."
"Right...Anyway, the alarm's off now." At the same moment, Hoagie and Kuki rush to the briefing room.
"We heard the alarm. Are we under attack?"
"Not this time, Numbuh 2. We're simply letting an old friend in."
"Oh, an old friend? Who is it?" Kuki asks excitedly.
"You'll see." Abby says with a smile. Soon they hear the sound of the elevator stopping in the same floor. The briefing room's door opens and Maurice walks in. He's about the same height as Wally and wears a blue and white striped t-shirt underneath a green unzipped jacket, blue jeans and brown shoes. He also has white headphones hanging on his neck. Hoagie and Kuki are shocked by the visitor.
"Whoa, I didn't think he of all people would come here. You sure he isn't being tracked?" Hoagie whispers to Wally.
"Don't ask me. Those two just decided to let him in. They have a plan or something I guess."
"Hey everybody. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Maurice greets everyone as Nigel steps forward and shakes his hand.
"It's an honor to have you here Numbuh 9. If only we could've met under better circumstances."
"Don't worry about it. I made sure to make this visit as confidential as possible. Besides, I've wanted to see all you guys again." He looks at the others and goes to greet everyone personally, starting with Wally.
"Well, you've been drinking your milk, haven't ya Numbuh 4."
"Yeah, I guess…great to see ya again."
"Nah, the honors all mine." They shake hands and Maurice proceeds to shake Kuki's hand as well before he goes to Hoagie.
"I think you've changed the most out of all of ya'll. I'm kinda jealous of that height."
"Heh, I've been just keeping myself in shape." Hoagie replies cheekily and they shake hands. Lastly, he goes to Abby.
"Even though we talked yesterday, we really haven't seen each other for four years. You've grown a lot, Abby."
"Thanks Maurice. I really missed ya." Abby hides her eyes under her hat and Maurice spreads out his arms.
"Come on; give your old friend a hug." Without hesitation and to the surprise of the others, Abby dives in to Maurice's arms and hugs him tightly. This rare show of affection surprises her teammates and Hoagie starts feeling somewhat uncomfortable about Abby hugging Maurice so affectionately.
"Uhm…I think I'll go back to work…" He says silently and heads out of the briefing room, which Wally and Kuki notice but don't follow. Then Abby lets go of Maurice and takes few steps back, her face slightly red.
"Wow you've still got quite the grip Abby." Maurice says jokingly and goes back to Nigel.
"So, are we gonna get to work on that disc?"
"Yes of course. Numbuh 5, why don't you show him to the armory? You can use the D.E.F.E.N.S.E-G.R.I.D.'s processing power to aid you."
"Alright, let's go Maurice." Abby leads him out of the room and Kuki goes next to Wally.
"Numbuh 4, did you notice Numbuh 2 running out of the room when those two hugged?"
"Yeah, I did. Never seen him make that kinda face before. You got any idea why he did that?"
"I think so…You wouldn't feel happy if another boy hugged me, right?"
"Yeah, I guess…but what's that got to do with Numbuh 2?"
"...Anyway, I just don't understand why Numbuh 5 did that right in front of him. Even after she told me and Cree that…"
"What did she say?"
"I promised her I wouldn't tell."
"Right…Well I'm gonna go to the kitchen. I haven't eaten breakfast yet."
"Oh, you want me to make you something? I've been practicing my cooking skills."
"Uh…I think I'll just take some of the leftover pizza in the fridge…"
"Are you saying you don't want food made by me?" Kuki crosses her arms as they walk out of the door.
"No, I just feel like having pizza for breakfast."
"Riight…"
Nigel is left alone in the briefing room. He continues to observe the communication network until his cell phone rings. The number is unknown and he answers with caution.
"Nigel Uno speaking…"
"Nigel! It's me Rachel."
"What do you want?" He answers wearily.
"I know I might sound like a broken record but I need to talk to you."
"*sigh* Look Rachel, I am aware that you've been ordered to not attack us, but I simply cannot find myself trusting you right now. I'm in the middle of something urgent and I don't have time to talk to you."
"I'm serious Nigel. I want to clear this trust issue between us so I can I help you." Rachel pleads while Nigel lifts an eyebrow.
"Help?! YOU want to help? Why exactly do YOU want to HELP us?"
"I've been going through some data regarding the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E. incident and I found something major."
"What 'major'?"
"All the communication records and surveillance camera footage from that day has been deleted, except the one clip where you all supposedly lead the DLCFDTL to the vault. There isn't any other piece of data about the incident in the archives."
"What?! How can I be sure you're not lying about this?"
"I'm not lying! I saw it with my own eyes. If you had access to the KND archives, you'd probably find the same result."
Nigel sits down on a chair and scratches his chin. "Hmm…so the mole deleted all the evidence…Did the records mention when exactly the data was removed?"
"Two days after you five escaped decommissioning."
"On the same day they emptied our Treehouse…You're right Rachel, this is a major find. But why do you want help us all of a sudden?"
"It's because of what you said to me when we fought on that arctic island. I realized that I was so caught up with the fact that you worked for Father that I let my judgment be clouded. I want to apologize for all the things I said to back then and all the other times we've fought during the last three years."
"Well…I really don't know what to say…"
"Can we meet somewhere? Maybe we could talk about the incident a bit more?"
Nigel is still conflicted by Rachel's sudden change in her attitude towards him and the others. "This just sounds too good to be true…But if she's not lying then this could put us all closer to the truth we seek…"
"Nigel?"
After a moment of silence, Nigel answers."I'll take your suggestion under consideration but I must consult my team first."
"Okay, call me when you come to a conclusion."
"Right."
"Bye Nigel."
Nigel hangs up and takes a deep breath. "I need to think this through. I can't simply grab this chance without any precaution."
…
In the armory, Hoagie works on the upgrades and weapons to take his mind away from what he witnessed a few minutes ago.
"Why do I feel like this? I've never had any problem with seeing people showing affection towards each other, then why now? Well, I'll just concentrate on finishing the upgrades for Numbuh 4's armor and this feeling will just go away."
Suddenly Hoagie hears footsteps echoing in the hallway. He didn't have enough strength to close the door fully as it opening it was hard enough. Then, Hoagie lifts his head and sees Abby and Maurice walk in to the armory. He starts feeling uncomfortable again, but continues his work.
"Hi Numbuh 2. Hope ya don't mind if we join ya? Numbuh 1 figured we could use the D.E.F.E.N.S.E.-G.R.I.D.'s analytics program to decipher the data disc."
"Yeah yeah…" He tries to act as incognito as possible, which makes Maurice curious.
"So, whatcha workin' on?" He looks over Hoagie's shoulder.
"Upgrades…weapons…equipment…" Hoagie struggles to reply as his voice shakes. Abby then pulls Maurice away from him.
"Give the guy some space. He's been workin' non-stop for almost two days."
"Oh, sorry about that Numbuh 2. Well, let's take a look at that data disc." They sit down with their backs towards Hoagie and start deciphering the disc. "I see…this thing's got a high-level encryption lock only used by the Teen Ninjas."
"Can ya crack it?"
"Are ya kidding? I'm the best. I've cracked about a dozen of these."
"Yeah, I know you're the best but that alone ain't gonna crack any lock."
"Heh-hee, I know. This kinda encryption lock is kinda old though. Actually, it was only used for a year before the Ninjas changed their codes. They really got paranoid after that incident with the Treaty and all."
"Then, let's get crackin'. If ya need any help Maurice, just say the word."
"Got it."
As they get to work, Hoagie can't get his work routine on track. He sweats more than usual and his stomach feels funny.
"Come on! Keep it together Hoagie! They're just working together to decipher the disc…but why can't I stay calm…Stop being stupid…" He glances at the two African-American's behind him and notices that Abby is leaning on Maurice. This irritates him even more and he almost breaks one of the fragile pieces Wally dug up yesterday. Agitated, he hits the table, startling Abby and Maurice.
"Hey Numbuh 2, everything okay?" She asks and Hoagie struggles not to turn around.
"I'm okay; I almost hit myself with my hammer…" He lies.
"Try bein' more careful boy. Ya don't wanna overwork yo'self."
"I won't…" Abby takes one more look at him and turns around.
An hour later, Wally and Kuki arrive. They can both sense the tension emanating from Hoagie.
"You were right about Numbuh 2..." He whispers to Kuki.
"He looks like he's about to explode." They go to Hoagie, who has already finished his work on the B.R.A. and some other equipment.
"Hey mate, you okay? Ya look tired."
"Oh, hi guys. I just finished upgrading your armors. Now I need to start working on the weapons and the vehicles…" He says with a shaky voice and tries to stand up but he almost loses his balance.
"Numbuh 2!" Wally shouts as he grabs Hoagie before the technician falls on to the floor. Abby and Maurice also come to his side
"You really need some rest mate."
"No, I'm alright. I just need to get to the hangar to fix the ships…"
"Not gonna happen boy! We can't have ya faintin' on us."
"Abby's right. Ya can't overwork yo'self."
Somehow Hoagie feels a bit angry from Maurice's comment and snaps at him. "I don't need any advice on how I do things from you."
"Hey, even if yer tired, ya don't hafta be rude. He's just concerned about ya." Abby snaps back at him.
"Come on Numbuh 2, we'll take ya to yer room." Wally tries to help Hoagie but he turns towards the table.
"Yeah, I think I'll have that nap." He reaches for the small backpack on the table and pulls out the Portal-Gun. He then points it at the floor directly under him.
"Good night." He says sullenly and opens a portal to his room. Everyone except Wally are surprised by his gadget as he hops through the portal and closes it behind him.
"What the heck was that thing?"
"His pet-project. Kinda handy when ya need to move stuff fast."
"That so…Anyway, Numbuh 5's never seen him so stressed out. You guys think he's overworkin' himself?"
"I dunno. He did finish all the upgrades on our armors." They all look at the table, where Hoagie has left Wally and Abby's B.R.A. The other thing he has left there is a white and red Kitsune mask, which makes Kuki curious.
"Wow, this is really cool! I wonder what it does..." She admires the craftsmanship and takes the mask.
"Why the heck did he make a party mask?"
Abby looks at it skeptically while Kuki's curiosity gets the better of her and she tries it on "Ohmigosh, this thing is so cool! Did he make this for me? It has my communicator number." Not only does the mask have an in-built communicator, it grants her X-Ray, infrared and thermal-vision while also possessing a powerful zoom function.
"Heh, let's see what he did with my armor." Wally grabs his wristband and activates it. The armor's color has changed from charcoal black and dark red to dark gray and orange, it's more form fitting with a new helmet visor in the shape of a wide V and it has a gauntlet identical to the one on his right wrist on his left wrist. The HUD is also simpler, showing only the necessary information and the helmet has a retractable short antenna to increase the range of his long-range scanner. "Oh man, this is so cool. Now I got four lasers to blast things with."
Abby takes her B.R.A. but doesn't put it on. "Hey, he changed the color. It's not pink anymore…"
Maurice too is awed by all the work Hoagie has put on the equipment."I gotta say he really puts a lot of effort on his work. I'm pretty impressed."
"Damn right." Wally says when suddenly the intercom springs to life.
"Attention everyone. An hour ago, I received some rather sensitive information and I would like to discuss about it immediately. Please come to the briefing room as soon as possible." Nigel speaks through the intercom.
"Hmm, wonder what he wants to talk about…" Abby says as she tucks the B.R.A. under her shirt. Wally shuts down his armor and they all leave the armory. As they go there, Kuki becomes concerned about Hoagie.
"What about Numbuh 2? Should we wake him up?"
"Nah, let's let him sleep." Wally says nonchalantly.
Abby adjusts her hat a bit as they get on the elevator. "Numbuh 5 doesn't understand why he didn't say anything. Anytime he was tired or overworked, he'd complain about it so why not now?"
"Maybe he was too busy to notice. He was going to work on the vehicles next…"
"It doesn't make any sense Numbuh 3." Abby crosses her arms as the elevator stops at the designated floor.
Once they arrive, Nigel is already standing on the podium. His eyebrow rises slightly because Hoagie isn't among the others. "Where's Numbuh 2?"
"He's sleepin'. The guy's been workin' non-stop for almost two days. Numbuh 5'll tell him for ya."
"Understood. Now the reason I called you here is because someone tried to contact me again."
"Lemme guess, Rachel?" Abby crosses her arms again.
"Yes. She called right after you all left."
"What did she want?"
"Well, Numbuh 3, she wishes to…bury the hatchet if you know what I mean."
"Again, with that stuff. Numbuh 1, how many times do I have to tell ya that we are public enemy number one for the KND. And she is a member of that organization. Why does she keep tryin' to do that?"
"I believe she is really trying to amend our sour relationship. She said she wants to apologize."
"Sweet words comin' from someone who tried to get us for three years…"
Maurice nudges Abby before she say anything else. "Come on Abby, stop bein' like that. I wanna hear what he has in mind."
Abby rolls her eyes but stays quiet as Nigel continues. "She also mentioned that all the visual and communication data from that day three years ago has been deleted."
"*gasp* But aren't the archives meant to keep every piece of information that the KND has? Why would anyone do that?"
"A good question, Numbuh 3. The only data left about that day is the false video footage of us leading the Delightful Children to the vault. Everything else is gone but that's not the thing that bothers me."
"Well, what then?" Wally asks.
"The data was deleted two days after we escaped the prison transport. That's also the same day the Treehouse was emptied. It's as if someone wanted to cover their tracks…"
After a moment of silence, Abby speaks up."So, did she say anythin' else?"
"She wishes to meet with me personally. And before you say anything, I am well aware of the risks this proposal poses."
"Did she say when and where?"
"She didn't, Numbuh 4. I believe she doesn't want to meet anywhere public if we consider the effectiveness of the KND's surveillance system. That's why I called this meeting. We need to come up with some sort of plan B in case the meeting goes sour."
"Well does it only have to be you? Why can't we all go?"
"That's out of the question Numbuh 3. We can't risk us all getting captured again. No, I will go by myself."
Then Maurice makes a suggestion. "Lemme get this straight: You're gonna go by yo'self and the rest of us are gonna stay here. If that's your plan then I suggest we get someone to keep an eye on ya. The rest of us can wait here and if something happens, the guy who's watchin' ya calls us and we'll get ya out. How about that?"
"Why do we need someone to keep an eye on him?" Wally has a hard time understanding Maurice's plan.
"Well, let's say the meeting goes sour and Nigel can't use his communicator to call us. If we had someone out there as well, we'd have that problem covered."
"Who do ya have in mind Maurice?"
"Actually, I'm not sure Abby. All my fellow Teen spies have their hands full right now. I figured you guys would have some connections."
"Too bad most of our 'connections' are gone…" Wally slumps on the sofa.
"I got just the right guy for the job!" A voice answers from the door and to everyone's surprise, it's Hoagie. Abby immediately get's up and goes to him.
"Numbuh 2! What the heck are ya doin' here!? Weren't you supposed to be resting?!"
"It was just slight fatigue, I'm fine now." He responds, trying to hide the fact that he is still feeling down. Abby walks with him to the sofa and they sit down, Hoagie sitting on the opposite end while Abby sits down next to Maurice.
"So, who do you have in mind Numbuh 2?" Maurice asks.
"Who else? You'll find out when I call him." He takes out his cell phone that he had brought from home earlier in the morning.
"Who is calling at this time of day?" A mysterious voice answers.
"You know exactly who this is. I got an interesting job for ya."
"Why should the greatest 12-year-old vigilante in the world help YOU?"
"Okay, fine. I was gonna show you some very rare Teenage tech I got yesterday but I guess you're not interested."
The voice falls silent for a few moments. "What kind of tech are you talking about?"
"Battle Ready Armor."
Again, the phone goes silent. "Very well. I shall answer to your request and will arrive shortly."
Hoagie huffs and hangs up."Now we just gotta wait."
Three minutes later, a small 2x4 rocket hails the Treehouse. The main hangar doors open slightly and the rocket lands swiftly. As they wait for the occupant to arrive, Wally breaks the silence."So, who the heck did ya call?"
"You'll see."
The briefing room door opens and a 12-year-old boy runs inside. He is wearing a dark blue trench coat, dark blue finger-less gloves and a dark blue fedora. His brown hair is tucked under the hat but it reaches to his lower neck. He also wears yellow aviator goggles like Hoagie.
"Behold, The Tommy arrives!" He shouts dramatically as everyone recognizes the boy immediately.
Tommy a.k.a. former Numbuh T is considered one of the greatest unsung heroes of the KND. Not only was he the first operative to use a letter instead of a number in his codename, he also single-handedly defeated Father after the latter had turned all KND operatives in to animals apart from Tommy. As he had removed his DNA from the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E., he was unaffected by Father's animalization ray and it allowed him to bring Father down. However, he could not rejoin due to a fail-safe installed on the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E. and thus he became "The Tommy", a vigilante who cooperated with the KND multiple times.
"Is that really you Tommy?" Kuki says excitedly.
The teenagers gather around Hoagie's little brother, who feels slightly overwhelmed but tries to stay in character. "Uhm…of course! There is only one Tommy." He puffs his chest.
"Aw look at my little bro trying to act cool in front of the girls." Hoagie pulls Tommy's fedora off and starts messing his hair.
"Hoagie, stop that! You're making me look bad!" Hoagie chuckles and gives Tommy back his fedora.
"Heh, don't take it the wrong way. It's just been a while since I saw you Tommy, that's all."
"Hmpf!" Tommy huffs and puts his hat back on. "If you only called me here to make fun of me, then I'm going."
Before Tommy can even lift his foot, Nigel puts his hand on his shoulder. "Don't misunderstand Tommy. We really need your help."
Tommy turns around and adjusts his fedora. "What kind of assistance do you require from The Tommy?"
Nigel explains the current situation and tells him about the plan Maurice proposed after which, Tommy scratches his chin and contemplates. "Hmm…so you want me to keep an eye on you and call the others if the communications break down?"
"Exactly. I think Numbuh 2 couldn't have picked a better candidate for the job."
"Is that so…" After a bit more thinking, Tommy gives his answer. "Very well, The Tommy will assist you but on one condition: Hoagie, you're gonna help me build a Battle-Ready Armor of my own. I can't stick to just 2x4 tech all the time."
"Okay but I need some help for a ship I'm working on so I'll just give you the plans to make the B.R.A. BUT you'll build it here. We can't risk the KND or the Ninja's getting their hands on anything in the armory, got it?"
"You've got yourself a deal." The two brothers shake hands, followed by Nigel and Maurice leading Tommy to the sofa and they begin working on a plan for the meeting.
Hoagie nods in satisfaction and starts walking towards the door. Abby nudges him as the walk out of the briefing room. "Numbuh 5 never thought you'd become such a negotiator Numbuh 2."
Hoagie shrugs and pushes the elevator's button. "I might not be the best but I try to do my best at least" He says rather nonchalantly.
"What do ya mean by that?" Abby raises an eyebrow as Wally and Kuki follow them to the elevator.
"Nothing…"
"Oh Numbuh 5 knows that look. You really meant something with that comment didn't ya?" Wally and Kuki look at each other, both knowing that this could get hairy.
"I didn't mean anything with that. Don't worry about it."
"Don't give me that! Does this have somethin' to do with Maurice?" Hoagie looks at her in surprise.
"You think I didn't notice? You don't like that Maurice has been with Numbuh 5. Am I right?" She glares at Hoagie, who tries to look the other way but Abby goes right in front of him.
"This ain't lookin' good…" Wally whispers to Kuki who nods.
"Stop avoidin' me and look here! If you've got a problem with me working with Maurice, then say it to Numbuh 5's face!"
"It's not about him…" Hoagie feigns ignorance, but Abby is not buying it.
"Oh really? I saw you looking at him funny when we came to the armory and ya didn't even answer him properly when he asked about what ya were doin'" The atmosphere inside the elevator gets really heated as it stops and the occupants walk out, but as Hoagie tries to go to the armory, Abby stops him.
"I'm getting' really tired with the way your actin' Hoagie! Now explain what your deal is!"
Hoagie starts getting uncharacteristically agitated by Abby's questions. "I said this has nothing to do with Maurice! I'm really tired so can you please just let me go! He tries to force his way through her but she doesn't budge.
"Will ya stop bein' such a baby and start explainin' what your problem is?!"
"There's nothing to explain!" Hoagie again attempts to push Abby aside but she is stronger than him and he stumbles, falling face first on to the floor. His nose scrapes the wooden floor and it starts to bleed slightly.
"Hoagie, are ya okay!?"
Abby tries to look at his bloodied nose but he swipes away her hand and stands up. "Get off my case!" He shouts, his expression being a mixture of anger and frustration.
"All you do is hit me and ignore me anyway! Why don't you just leave me alone and go back to Maurice since you enjoy being with him so much?!" He shouts again and before anyone can react, Hoagie runs away to the opposite direction, to his own room. Abby is left staring blankly at his retreating silhouette as Kuki and Wally realize the severity of the situation. Then, Wally runs after Hoagie while Kuki stays with Abby.
"Abby…"
"Sorry Kuki…Numbuh 5 needs some time alone." Abby hides her eyes under her hat and starts walking back to the elevator, followed by Kuki.
Hoagie reaches his room and slams the door shut. He leans against the door and takes a deep breath. He shakes his head as he tries to collect his thoughts. It's as if no matter what he does, Abby almost always speaks to him with a passive aggressive tone and hits him.
"What...Am I not good enough?! What do you want from me anyway?! Gaah, I don't get it!" He shouts as his legs give away and he slides down the to the floor. After a few minutes of thinking, he mentally slaps himself. "Great job Gilligan! You just messed up big time! Why did you have to say that…?" Hoagie huffs as gets back up on his feet and looks around his room, which acts as both the ship repair bay and as the secondary hangar for the Treehouse. At first, he thinks of going to his bed which is an F-14 fighter jet merged with the wall but quickly dismisses that idea. He then notices a massive tarp covering up something at the far end of his room. Out of curiosity, he pulls the tarp down, revealing a large ship, namely the M.O.S.Q.U.T.T.O.H.
"Hey, I remember this…" He runs his hand along the large mechanical leg of the ship. In the last year before they left the KND, Hoagie had started working on an upgrade for the venerable M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H. as it was being frequently overshadowed by smaller and faster ships like the S.C.A.M.P.E.R. and the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.S.
"Heh, you're kinda like me, old friend…" He slaps his hands together and as he is about to inspect the ship any further, someone knocks at the door, bringing him back to reality. "Who is it?"
"It's me mate! We need to talk." Hoagie's shoulders slump down as he cautiously opens the door. He peeks out and sees Wally standing in front of him with a serious expression.
"If you came here to point out the obvious and say that I messed up, then don't." Hoagie tries to close the door but Wally easily stops him.
"Come on, Numbuh 2, I just wanted to ask if you're okay?"
Hoagie sighs and opens the door fully. "Yeah, I don't know what got to me. I've just been working so much and the stress must've gotten to me or something…"
"Right...well, just make sure ya patch things up with Numbuh 5. Ya don't want to leave this hanging, you know?"
"Heh, never thought you of all people would say, Numbuh 4...Okay...I'll try…if I get the courage to. Anyway, can you go to the armory and create a portal there? I need to work on something to clear my thoughts."
"Are ya sure? You've been working pretty hard."
"I'll be fine. Just do this for me please." Wally nods and Hoagie hands him the Portal-Gun. Wally then heads back to the armory and creates a portal in to the main room, allowing Hoagie to take back the tools through it and restart his upgrade work on the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H., that's been due for 3 years.
…
A few floors below them, Abby and Kuki walk in the hallway in complete silence. Though Kuki has tried to speak, she can't come up with anything to say. They arrive to Abby's room and she goes in first, followed by Kuki.
"Numbuh 5, if there's anything I can do, just say so…" She says hesitantly.
"Is okay Numbuh 3. Numbuh 5 just needs to clear her thoughts…" She moves her hat over her eyes and sits down on her bed as Kuki closes the door and sits down next to her.
"I just don't get that guy…If he was so tired or stressed, why the heck he didn't say anythin' about it earlier. Numbuh 5 ain't no mind-reader."
"Maybe he just didn't want you to worry about him…I know Numbuh 4 always hides his problems so that others don't have worry but it's not like Numbuh 2 to do that."
"Or maybe the fault's with Numbuh 5…I could tell he didn't like me being with Maurice all day." Kuki takes a deep breath and looks at Abby with a cautious expression.
"Now don't misunderstand what I'm going to say, but I think the main reason why Numbuh 2 freaked out like that is because of how you've been acting around Maurice…"
Abby stares at Kuki in disbelief. "Now why would he…" She suddenly stops and slowly moves her gaze down to the floor. "Heh, you are a blind girl Numbuh 5…" She says solemnly.
"I get it now…Numbuh 2 misunderstood the whole thing. He thinks I like Maurice…that dummy." She tries to smile but it turns in to a scowl. "That stupid gear-head! Why the heck would he even think that Numbuh 5 likes Maurice!"
Kuki however can see through her anger. "Are saying you've never had feelings towards Maurice, then?"
Her question causes Abby to slump down slightly. "I…I used to like Maurice that way but…now I'm not so sure…"
"Remember you said to Cree and me. You shouldn't try to deny those feelings either." She puts her hand on Abby's shoulder. "Just give it some time. You know what kind of a person Numbuh 2 is. I bet he's feeling sorry about this whole thing as much as you are." She gives Abby a reassuring smile and heads towards the door. Abby stands up and hugs Kuki from behind.
"Thanks, Numbuh 3. Ya know how to lift a girl's heart."
"It's what friends do right?" She smiles cheekily and Abby lets her go. Now alone in her room, she takes out the B.R.A. that she had tucked under her shirt. She didn't have a good chance to take a look it earlier so she inspects and immediately smiles when she sees that the color is changed from pink to light blue.
"That guy really knows what Numbuh 5 likes…" She puts on the new B.R.A. over her shirt and this time she doesn't even have to say anything to make it activate. Once the armor has fully unfolded, she goes in front of the mirror.
The main new feature is the coloring: the dark red and dark gray color scheme has been replaced with a blue and light gray one. Only the horns on the top of the helmet are still red. Another feature she notices when she moves around is the fact that it doesn't feel as stiff and clunky as it did before. Now the armor fits her body to a t. She also finds out that the fingers of the armor feature small retractable claws, one per finger. Abby proceeds to do a few martial arts moves to test the armor out and it responds almost flawlessly. She then sees the sword she had left on her table. It's a very intricate sword made of condensed white peppermint, the hardest type of candy sword in the world. Stickybeard had given it to her as a farewell gift when she left his ship.
"This could work well with my B.R.A." A thought pops in to her mind. She could ask Hoagie to make the sword adaptable to the armor so she would have to carry it around but then brushes those thoughts aside. "Yeah right. Besides, Numbuh 5's not gonna talk to him until he apologizes." She sighs and puts the sword back on the table.
…
As Kuki goes to the third lowest floor where her room is, she bumps into Wally, who is also heading to his own room. "Oh, hi Wally. How was Numbuh 2?"
"Eh he's fine, I guess. He wanted to be alone and work on somethin' to clear his mind. What about Numbuh 5?"
"She needs some alone time too. I just hope they don't start hating each other…"
"Yeah...anyway, I'm gonna go to my room to test out the upgrades Numbuh 2 made."
"Hey can I come too? I want to try this mask." She pulls out the mask from under her shirt.
"You had that there this whole time?" Wally looks at her weirdly.
"Yup, but I won't tell you how. It's a secret." She says cheekily.
"Whatever. You comin'?"
"Off course I will silly." She chuckles as they head to the elevator. To their surprise, Maurice, Nigel and Tommy are in it when they try to board.
"Ah good timing, you two. We were planning to go to you directly but this makes it easier." Nigel says as they leave the elevator.
"I called Rachel and we agreed on a time and place. Please tell Numbuh's 5 and 2 that we'll have a briefing about tomorrow in the morning before school."
"School? Oh crud, the teachers are gonna kill me for skipping 2 weeks of school!"
"Most they can do give you extra homework but that's not important. Just remember to come to the briefing room at 9am." Nigel boards another elevator that takes him to his own room.
"The Tommy shall go to find his older brother!" Tommy proclaims loudly.
"Numbuh 2's room is in the opposite direction, genius." Wally yells after him, causing Tommy to stop on his tracks, smile apologetically and then he runs past them.
"Well, Imma head home now. See ya guys tomorrow mornin'." Maurice says his good bye and makes his leave. Kuki and Wally then board the elevator and go to the floor where Wally's room is. As they enter, Kuki is appalled that Wally has not bothered to clean the mess he's made.
"Wally! Why haven't you cleaned this place!?" She crosses her arms.
"Since when did you become such a neat freak? This is my room and I do what I want with it."
"That's not a good enough explanation! We're gonna clean this room before we do any training."
"No way!"
"YES WAY!" Kuki displays her signature, fear-inducing Oni face and it has the wanted effect.
"Uhm…."
"That's what I thought. Now let's make this room squeaky clean!" She grabs Wally by his hoodie sleeve and they start cleaning the room.
…
At Rachel's house, she calls Patton to talk about the conversation she had with Nigel but he's not convinced.
"Numbuh 362, are you sure you want to do this? Global Surveillance could alert the Decommissioning Squad the moment we make contact with Nephew."
"I have taken that into account, but don't worry. I just want to discuss the current situation with him and see his point of view. I think it would be best if you came too."
"Is that so…maybe I will. I've wanted to speak to him as well, but what about Numbuh 86? You know she would not miss a chance to catch even one of them."
"Yeah…I think it would be best if we kept this meeting confidential. If need be, we would only report it to the Supreme Leader."
"I agree." Rachel starts smiling a bit.
"Okay it's settled. We'll meet him at the location I sent you. Be there on time."
"Just remember to have your B.R.A. on this time."
"Wha…of course I will! Don't be stupid, Numbuh 60."
"Yeah, yeah. See ya tomorrow, over and out." He closes the call and Rachel lies down on her bed.
"Maybe I can get the answer I want from him…" She says to herself but unknown to her, someone else has heard everything.
"You're not gonna invite me to yer little meeting eh'? Well, guess I'll have to take matters in to my own hands." A shadowy figure stands up on the roof of Rachel's house and jumps off in to the twilight.
End of Transmission 9
Note: This chapter...this chapter was a real pain to finish back in 2016. Even though I needed to slow the story down here, it took me 2 weeks to write this one. Now, after many re-writes and a complete over-haul of the dialog, it's much more...solid. But not perfect, which of course applies to this whole project.