Transmission 11: Battle on Two Fronts
Back at the Treehouse, Maurice and Bradley are observing the situation via the main computer. "Let's hope they won't run in to any bad surprises in there, ain't that right little buddy?" Bradley nods and stares intensely at the screen when all of a sudden, the computer springs to life.
"Alert! Intruder detected at Floor Level 3. Threat level: T." The mechanical voice informs them.
"What? That's the armory level. Let's move Numbuh 6, I don't like where this is goin'." He jumps off his chair and runs to the emergency chute, followed by Bradley. As he reaches the 3rd floor, he sees smoke filling the hallways. The internal security system is already active and heavy metal doors have separated the area where the intruder has arrived. As Maurice arrives into a dark room he notices something that doesn't belong in the Treehouse.
"A Teen Ninja Battle Ready Cycle? Keep yer eyes open buddy, we're dealing with a professional." He looks around the room but can't see anyone there. Bradley however notices a black figure suspended in the roof above. The skunk fires its eye-laser, alerting Maurice to the enemy's presence as the intruder dives at him but he rolls to his left to dodge the attack. He then pulls out Nigel's Stupefier and points it at the enemy. Likewise, the Ninja points their right-hand heat laser at him. "You picked the wrong place to get lost buddy."
"Hah, this would be the last place I'd get lost in." A female voice answers as the Ninja fires her laser at him but again, Maurice easily dodges it. He then takes out two M.A.R.B.L.E.'s from his pocket and throws them at the Ninja, causing her to loser her concentration for a moment, giving him the opportunity to counter-attack. He jumps and dives down on the stunned Ninja. Before she can react, Maurice presses her against the wooden floor with the Stupefier pointing at her head.
"What the heck are you doin' here?" He is surprised by the identity of the attacker as the female Ninja pulls back her helmet and also recognizes Maurice.
"Maurice?"
He jumps back, releasing the girl from his hold but still keeps his weapon pointed at her. "Cree, what are ya doin' in that getup? I thought you retired!"
Cree Lincoln stares in shock at her ex-boyfriend and lowers her laser. "I should be the one askin' you, how did you get inside this place? Wait, did ya come here to help me get my box back?" She asks excitedly.
"Nope."
"Then why are ya here?"
"Let's just say an old friend left me to keep this place safe from any intruders and it looks like I got one here." He steadies his aim while Cree becomes confused.
"You ain't makin' any sense Maurice! You're one of us, the Teenagers!"
"Not anymore. I was recommissioned." Maurice lies to Cree, who stares at him with disbelief.
"Recommissioned!? No, that's not true! There's no way YOU'd go back to those Losers Next Door!"
"That's just how it is. It happened around last Saturday. They said they needed more good operatives to combat the escaped Sector V. Too bad I don't share that view."
"So that old friend you mentioned is…" Cree struggles to say the name.
"Yup, you guessed it. It's Abby."
Cree takes a few steps back and clenches her fist. "That brat! She said she had someone else in her sights!"
"So, what's it gonna be Cree? You walk out or I make ya leave?" Cree is visibly shaken by the fact that her ex-boyfriend, whom she still harbors feelings for, is her enemy. Then, rage begins building inside her.
"First she lies to me about not liking you and now those Brats Next Door take you away from me…" She mumbles and looks at Maurice with rage burning her eyes. "I'm not leaving…Not until I've burned this place to the ground and made you and Abby pay for betraying me!"
"I thought so. Well, I hope you're prepared for this." Maurice takes a combat stance and Cree pulls out both of her heat lasers.
…
Meanwhile, down on the ground, Tommy is still trying to figure out what is happening inside the smoking warehouse. "Some sentry I am. I was supposed to keep him safe but I can't even contact him anymore. I need to do something about those transports…" Suddenly he hears the deafening roar of heliojets as Hoagie's M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P. arrives above the building. He immediately hatches a plan of his own. "Good timing big-brother!"
He jumps down from the tree and using the appearance of the large ship as a distraction, stealthily sneaks behind one of the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.S.'s. He brings out his special 2x4 multitool, the R.A.K.E. He presses the red button on the hilt of the small screwdriver-like gadget, which generates a laser beam. Using it, he cuts a small hole into the hull of the ship and silently crawls in. Once inside, he makes his way to the helm. "These fools! They made a big mistake when they decided to leave this ship unguarded! The Tommy will show you what the cost is!"
He then pulls a small cord from the tool and connects it into the ships main flight computer. In the blink of an eye, he hacks the ECU, making the ship unable to fly at all. He then goes to the rear of the ship and begins fiddling with the wires before he makes his getaway and goes back to the tree he was hiding. Tommy looks up at the ship as its lower cargo door opens. "The rest is up to you guys. The Tommy will provide support if he gets the chance."
…
Up in the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P., Wally removes the large chains holding the new weapon Hoagie had made for him. "Oh, crud this thing is heavy!" He barely manages to hold it with one hand and struggles to put it on the floor.
"HEY! Be careful! I worked my butt off to build it!" Hoagie howls on the communicator.
"Why the heck did ya make it so heavy!?"
"Because that's how it's supposed to be! Besides, you need to have your armor on to carry it in the first place!"
"Oh. Right…" Wally scratches the back of his neck and activates his armor. Kuki meanwhile is doing a final check on her mask's scanner and vision system. Abby already has her armor on and is waiting for the others.
With his armor ready, Wally easily picks up the heavy rifle and goes to the lower cargo hatch that's slowly opening. Abby puts her hand on his shoulder. "Scan the place first. We don't know who or what we're dealin' with."
Wally nods and engages his scanner. The smoke pouring from the front of the building does not hinder the scanners range and he starts recognizing the occupants. "Wow! There's like 50 troops in there. I can see Numbuh's 362, 60 and 86." He goes silent when he identifies the other two people. "It's Numbuh 1000! That cruddy bastard's beatin' up Numbuh 1!" He shouts angrily. Upon hearing this, Hoagie, Kuki and Abby become shocked but it quickly turns to anger.
"Wha…what's he doing in there!?"
"I dunno Numbuh 3, but we ain't gonna stay to find out. We need to get Numbuh 1 outta there right now!" Abby shouts.
"You guys ready!?" Hoagie asks through his communicator and receives a unified "Yes!" as an answer.
"Alright. Let's get this party started. Sector V, Battle Stations!" Abby sounds the team's battle cry.
…
Inside the building, Numbuh 1000 stops his assault on Nigel and takes out his P.I.P.E.R. "Yes, what is it?"
"Sir, an unknown ship has appeared above the warehouse."
"What do you mean unknown!? The only ships that should be in this airspace are ours. I told Sector V2 to keep anyone from coming here!"
"Apparently this one was had a friendly IFF so they ignored it, Sir."
"It can't be a friendly ship. I would've been made aware! Shoot it down, and ready the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.S.'s for launch!" He shouts and angrily closes the P.I.P.E.R. as Fanny approaches him
"What is it?"
"Some unknown ship is hovering above us." He grabs Nigel by the collar and looks at his other two captives. "It looks like our schedule has been tightened. We can't have any unwanted guests interfere. Move them to the ship." He hands Nigel over to two guards but he begins to laugh weakly.
"What's so funny?" The angered Numbuh 1000 asks.
"Everything is going according to plan, Numbuh 1000. You didn't think I'd let myself be captured just like that?"
"WHAT!?" 1000 shouts and grabs him by the collar again.
…
Outside, the operatives open fire on the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P. but their weapons do little against the ship's heavy hull armor.
"Hurry up guys! It won't be long before they bring out bigger guns." Hoagie shouts from the bridge as Wally looks down from the hatch and takes a deep breath.
"Alright, here goes nothing." Kuki puts her hand on his shoulder just he's about to jump.
"Be careful Numbuh 4."
"Will you two get movin' already?!" Abby shouts from behind them. Wally readies his new weapon and jumps out of the aircraft, followed by Kuki. Using his jet boots to steady himself, he takes aim at the roof.
"Why didn't he include instructions on this thing?" He laments and pulls the trigger. The long barrel releases sparks as it fires and the shell speeds down towards the roof, making a direct hit. It easily punches through it and keeps going, hitting the ground with a mighty explosion. Everyone inside are thrown off their feet as the shock wave sweeps through the building. It releases Nigel from Numbuh 1000's grip and throws him closer to Patton and Rachel.
Wally dives down through the hole in the roof and uses his HUD to identify all the occupants, prioritizing Nigel. "There he is!" He flips the switch on the side of the rifle and pulls the trigger, unleashing a burst of laser fire from the two small barrels above the main barrel, on the operatives, who are slowly regrouping. Wally flies across the room and lands in front of Nigel, placing himself between Numbuh 1000 and the captives. Kuki also arrives, using her telekinesis to blast the operatives off their feet again to buy time. She lands next to Wally and generates electric spheres from her hands.
Outside, the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P. lands behind the warehouse and Abby jumps out. She breaks down the backdoor with a simple kick and takes cover behind some rubble. Inside, Rachel quickly gets back on her feet and rushes to Nigel's side. He has a bloodied nose and various cuts on his face and bruises in his stomach but worst of all, his glasses are shattered. "Nigel, are you okay?"
"Ugh…what does it look like?" He asks sarcastically. Patton also gets up and goes next to Rachel to cover her, pulling his S.C.A.M.P.P. from his backpack. Oddly, the operatives don't make any movements until Numbuh 1000 stands up.
"Well, isn't this a surprise. I should've known you'd call your team to get you out of this predicament. Unfortunately, you are horribly outnumbered." He lifts his hand and every operative in the building point their weapons at the teens, who likewise point their weapons at the squad.
"I suggest you surrender right now, so I don't have to resort to any drastic measures."
"Heh, I think ya resorted to them already, you cruddy low-life." Wally aims his rifle directly at Numbuh 1000.
"You made a huge mistake when you decided to mess with Sector V." Kuki retorts.
"On the contrary, you're the ones making a huge mistake, traitors. Do you really think you can defeat me and my troops? Come on, I dare you to shoot me, Wallabee Beetles." He spreads his arms wide open and looks arrogantly at Wally.
"What are tryin' to do Numbuh 1000?!"
"Hmpf, don't worry Numbuh 86, he doesn't have to guts to…" Without hesitation, Wally takes aim and fires a laser burst directly at him. At the last moment, Numbuh 1000 dodges the blast but is visibly shocked by Wally's willingness to fire at him like that. Fanny runs to 1000's side and helps him up.
"Are ye hurt anywhere?" Numbuh 1000 pushes her aside and stands up firmly.
"Heh, you actually fired. Can't expect any less from a former bully fighter, but can you deal with this?" He removes the leather glove covering his right hand, revealing a silver gauntlet resembling an arm gauntlet of a B.R.A. The main difference being the color and cylindrical, hollowed out fingertips. He points all five fingers at the teens and fires five heat lasers, one from each finger.
Wally is the first to act and he activates his upgraded energy shields, but the combined force of five heat lasers pushes him slightly backwards. Nigel looks in disbelief at Numbuh 1000's new weapon. "Impossible! How could he have turned that data in to a functional weapon in 4 days?"
"Do you like it? I call this the P.O.W.U.H.-G.L.O.V.E. You can thank Nigel for giving me all the data I needed to make this. The KND Science division did spend a few extra hours to make just one but hey, it does its job pretty well." Numbuh 1000 closes and opens his fist in satisfaction. He then turns his attention to Nigel, who is helped up by Rachel.
"Oh, leaving already Nigel? I still haven't shown what else this device can do." He spreads out his palm and takes aim Nigel, Rachel and Patton. He fires an electric surge from his hand but before it can hit anything, Kuki uses her own lightning blast to nullify the attack. Sensing a chance, Wally opens fire from of his left wrist gauntlets. Numbuh 1000 grins and generates an energy shield from his palm, blocking the lasers.
"No cruddy way!" Wally shouts in disbelief.
"Now do you see what I meant? This weapon was designed specifically to deal with all of you, Sector V! Since you are using weapons stolen from Father, it would only make sense that the data Nigel handed to me would hold the very same weapons in it. Now, do you want to reconsider surrender? Oh, who am I kidding, you wouldn't do that no matter how many times I'd say it. All troops, open fire and suppress them!"
The operatives fire their weapons in unison. Rachel pushes Nigel down to the ground while Patton takes cover behind a piece of the roof that fell down. Wally brings out his shields and returns fire with his rifle's laser cannons. Kuki starts to hover and throws balls of electricity like grenades at the operative's feet. Patton also joins the fight, rabidly firing his S.C.A.M.P.P. at the operatives while Numbuh 1000 uses the crossfire as cover and flanks them, aiming directly at Rachel and Wally.
From the back of the building, Abby finally makes her way through the rubble and arrives to the scene. She immediately sees Rachel and Nigel pinned down by Numbuh 1000's lasers. "Looks like its Numbuh 5's time to join the fight." She says silently and activates her armor's stealth-cloak. Using her jet-boots, she goes behind the operatives closest to her and swiftly knocks them out with a well-placed chop.
"Are you having fun Nigel!?" Numbuh 1000 shouts as he continues to fire at Nigel's direction.
"Sorry, but I never enjoyed your company, Caleb!" Nigel taunts him.
"I prefer that you call me by my number!" Numbuh 1000 finally closes the distance and before any of the others can stop him, he pushes Rachel aside and grabs Nigel's forehead. The fighting stops as the operatives stop firing. Likewise, Wally, Kuki, Rachel and Patton can't do anything.
"That's more like it! Now, before I take you all back to the Moonbase, I need to administer some overdue punishment on the ringleader!"
"Let go of him! Haven't you done enough already!?" Rachel pleads.
"Oh no, he hasn't received nearly enough for defying the KND and ME! How about some electric therapy!?" His palm begins glowing as he charges his glove. Suddenly, a voice echoes in the building.
"OH NO YOU DON'T YA CREEP!"
Abby de-cloaks right above him and her fist lands a direct hit on Numbuh 1000's face. Blood spews out of his nose as screams in agony and staggers backwards but is too stunned to realize that Abby still coming at him with full fury. She grabs the soon to be 13-year-old by the collar and using the added strength of her B.R.A., flings him across the hall, back to his troops. The operatives are thrown in to disarray as they somehow can't do anything without 1000's commands while the fighting dies down momentarily.
…
In the Treehouse, the duel between Maurice and Cree is raging. While it has been confined to the locked down section of the third floor, Cree tries to do as much collateral damage as she can. Blinded by anger and betrayal, she fights her ex-boyfriend relentlessly. However, Maurice isn't losing any ground either. He counters almost every move she throws at him and it's becoming increasingly clear who has the upper hand.
"Man, you've gotten really rusty since yer time in the KND." Maurice says as he blocks Cree's right-hand chop effortlessly.
"Hah, I'm stronger than I was ever before. I'm just going easy on ya! You'll all pay for betraying ME!" She shouts as she flies up and dives on him. Maurice flicks a M.A.R.B.L.E. directly at her face but she blasts the small explosive before it hits. Maurice cartwheels sideways and fires at her with his Stupefier. She dodges and responds in kind with her own lasers. Even if she is clearly not hitting him, she doesn't care. She is hell-bent on taking down the Treehouse. Maurice takes cover behind a wooden pillar and looks back at the crazed Ninja.
"Man, she's really gone off the deep-end. I need to stop her before she brings this whole place down." Suddenly Bradley appears next to him. Maurice is impressed by the cyborg-skunks calmness in such a hectic situation. "Okay little buddy; you wanna help me take care of my ex?" The skunk nods and looks at him sternly. "Right, let's go with combat formation X-5-2. Ya got it?" The skunk nods again and jumps from behind the pillar. It repeatedly fires its eye-laser at Cree, who immediately recognizes her attacker.
"YOU! You reeking skunk! This is revenge for what you did to me 5 years ago!" Bradley receives her full attention and she fires repeatedly at the little cyborg. Thanks to Hoagie's modifications however, it easily dodges all shots. Meanwhile, Maurice manages to position himself behind Cree, who is too busy to realize that Maurice is trying to use a pincer-movement on her.
"NOW!" He shouts and the skunk fires four stink missiles at Cree. She quickly pulls up her helmet and brushes off the otherwise deadly stench.
"You thought I'd fall for that trick again, did ya?" She says boastfully but then realizes what is going on and turns around. However, it's too late as Maurice is already in position and he fires four shots from his Stupefier. Cree manages to dodge the first one but the other two hits left arm and both legs. With 3/4ths of her limbs stupefied, she harmlessly falls to the ground. Bradley victoriously jumps on Maurice's shoulder.
"Hey, you're not half bad buddy. I didn't think you actually knew about formation X-5-2." The skunk chuckles as Maurice kneels down next to a struggling Cree, and breaks her right-arm gauntlet.
"ARGHH! Let me go! I can still fight!"
"Just stop it Cree. You were no match for me in the first place."
"Shut up! You and Abby, you both betrayed me! I can't afford to lose."
"Betrayed? How did she betray you?"
"She, said she liked someone else! Then she asks you to help her!" Cree says in despair. Maurice sighs and shakes his head.
"Man, for a 20-year-old, ya act like you were 16 or something." Cree glares at him murderously.
"I don't need that coming from you, KND dog…"
"Whatever. But it looks like you won't be going back with yer legs stupefied."
"Let me go and I'll show you how I'll kick your ass with them!" Her threats go on deaf ears as Maurice walks to Cree's Battle-Ready Cycle and starts fiddling with the controls.
"Hey, what do you think you're doin' with my bike!?"
"Settin' it on auto-pilot to take you away. It's the least I can do." His sullen tone surprises Cree.
"What?"
"This is the last time we'll meet like this. Next time, I'll fight ya seriously if I have to." He grabs Cree and carries her to the cycle. Cree turns red from embarrassment as he lowers her on to the seat. "I'd rather not see ya as an enemy, but I guess that's how things are now." Just as Cree is about to say something, Maurice closes the bike's armored side door and it takes off, with her as a passenger. He lets out a sullen sigh as he looks at the fading silhouette of the flying bike. Inside, Cree uses her one free hand to reprogram the auto-pilot.
"Sorry Maurice, but I ain't going home. Not until I've made Abby and the KND pay for what they've done to me." She says silently as the bike changes its course towards Father's Mansion.
…
Back at the warehouse, Abby helps Nigel to his feet and picks up his broken sunglasses. "Man, that psycho really messed you up." She uses her heat laser at low power to remove the Silhouette Brace from Nigel's wrist, but he's too weak to use the suit. The others quickly gather around Nigel. "Okay guys, we've got Numbuh 1, so let's get outta here."
"What about these two, Numbuh 5?" Wally points at Rachel and Patton, who take a few steps back.
"Let 'em take care of themselves. It's because of them that we got into this mess in the first place." Abby glares at Rachel and Patton.
"No, they're not our enemies." Nigel says, surprising his teammates.
"What are ya sayin' Numbuh 1?"
"He's right. Numbuh 1000 already declared us traitors, so we've got no one else to turn to." Patton says solemnly as Abby tries to argue but stops herself.
"Well, if Numbuh 1 says so…" She sighs and takes command of the situation."Right, you two keep Nigel safe okay? Numbuh 3, 4 and I'll cover ya. The ship's waitin' outside." Rachel and Patton respond with a nod. Rachel stays close to Nigel, while Patton readies his S.C.A.M.P.P. Then Abby starts leading them out of the building, with Wally and Kuki holding the rear.
Numbuh 1000, still in pain from the beat down he received from Abby, notices Fanny simply staring at the fleeing teenagers.
"WHAT ARE YOU JUST STANDING THERE?! CAPTURE THEM! DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!" He howls in blind rage.
"…Right." Fanny, despite her conscience telling her to join them, charges at her old comrades.
"I won't let you take my friends from me, Nigel Uno!" A voice screams in her head as she readies her shoulder-mounted Brace-Launcher. Wally's HUD alerts him of the threat but he can only shout "Oh crud!" when she pulls the trigger.
As if in slow-motion, the brace is launched from its container and it speeds at Nigel. Rachel sees the silver ring coming and interposes herself between it and him. Fanny's expression turns to pure horror as the brace clamps around Rachel's left wrist.
Since the brace was designed to both suppress a Silhouette Suit and subdue its wearer, she takes the full brunt of the electric shock. She screams in pain as the electricity goes through her body. After a split second, her unconscious body slumps to the ground but Patton manages to grab hold of her. "RACHEL!" He and Nigel shout in unison. Fanny lands and puts her hands over her mouth. She can't do anything else except stare in horror at what just happened as Patton lifts his head and glares angrily at Fanny.
"Look what you've done Fanny! Is this really what you wanted?!" Fanny takes a few steps back but can't answer him. Not only is she horrified by the fact that she had just shot her closest friend, she is equally shocked by the expression on Patton's face. She falls on her knees and goes into a complete, catatonic state. She has her arms wrapped around herself and stares at the floor.
To add insult to injury, Numbuh 1000 finally gets back up, his nose bloodied and starts taunting at Nigel and the others. "Hah, this just proves that she chose the wrong side! She would be standing here if you hadn't told her lies, Nephew!" The operatives regroup and once again they hold everyone at gunpoint. "Isn't it about time you admit that you've lost?"
Nigel adjusts his broken sunglasses and stands up. He starts limping towards Numbuh 1000 but Wally grabs his arm. "Hey, we ain't got time for this. We need to get outta here Numbuh 1." Nigel gives him a look that he hasn't seen since they saw each other in Father's Dungeon. An expression devoid of all emotion.
"You are right Numbuh 4, we don't have time. That's why I'll buy us a few extra seconds. Numbuh 5, lead everyone back to the ship, I'll join you momentarily." Abby gives him a stern nod and gestures the others to follow. As they leave, Nigel faces Numbuh 1000 and his troops alone.
"So, what do intend to do now, Nigel? Are you going to make a heroic sacrifice so your accomplices can escape?" He asks with contempt written all over his face and signals his operatives to aim at Nigel, who simply stands there.
"No Numbuh 1000, I am going to leave. I simply wish to give you a little taste of what it feels like when you make me angry." In the blink of an eye, his suit lights up. The normally orange hued flames surrounding him are now burning in a much more intense purple color. Numbuh 1000 defiantly activates his energy shield and smirks.
"Hmpf, do your worst! Didn't I tell you that my gauntlet was designed to counter you and your team!? No matter what you do, you can't penetrate this shield!"
"Oh, trust me, I intend to." Nigel hovers a few meters off the ground as a dark, fiendish, cackling silhouette appears behind, casting a towering shadow over Numbuh 1000 and his troops. Then, he creates two purple balls of fire from his hands.
Without saying a word, he unleashes a powerful stream of fire from the spheres. The surge lands just a few meters in front of Numbuh 1000 and its sheer power disintegrates the shield and hurtles him backwards.
"AAAAARRRGGHHHH!" Numbuh 1000 screams as he flies across the hall and lands near the entrance. Nigel then spreads his arms open and generates a wall of purple fire than spans the entirety of the warehouse. Remarkably, the flames do not spread and simply act as a barrier between him and the operatives. He then lands and his suit fades away. "You were lucky that I'm not at my full strength at the moment." He says and turns around; still limping from the injuries he received.
Numbuh 1000 struggles to stand up and starts howling orders. "AFTER THEM! DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!" He can't get a good footing as the heat has burned through his trouser legs, consequently leaving him with slight burns. Gritting his teeth, he notices that the wall of fire is denying the operatives any chance to pursue. "Argh! All troops! Flank the warehouse and attack their ship!" The troops begin to leave the devastated warehouse but 1000 stops a short operative who is carrying a M.U.S.K.E.T. "Numbuh 4,4, target Matador. No matter what happens, aim all of your shots at him. Understood?" The small operative nods and goes along with the others. Numbuh 1000 also notices Fanny, who is still in massive shock.
"She is of no use to me in that state. You two, take her to the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.S." As Fanny is led out of the building, 1000's P.I.P.E.R. starts ringing.
"What is it? WHAT!? You can't advance? A Stupefier!? Well neutralize it then!" He cuts the call and angrily stares at the wall of fire.
"Damn you Sector V! Everything is a mess because of you!" He slowly turns around and like Nigel, limps away.
End of Transmission 11
Note: Ah this was an action-packed chapter. Originally this was the second half of Chapter 10 but I decided to split it in two, to make Word's page count a bit more streamlined. We're closing in on the end of the first story arc, but there's still some twists and turns ahead before that happens.