Welcome back. I was planning on taking a longer break but since proof reading of part 2 has been going pretty well, I decided to keep the releases coming. I'd like to think this is the point where the story gets better, since I took a completely different approach to writing in general compared to part 1.
Disclaimer!
I'd like to give a huge shout out to fellow author KicaCris and her KND fanfic "GKND: Operation: A.L.P.H.A." I was so inspired by the said work and especially the phenomenal art that accompanied it, that it got me back to working on this story back in 2019. It was so impressive in fact, I just had to incorporate the use of Greek letters as codenames and my depiction of Numbuh 10 was VERY slightly influenced by how she appeared in the aforementioned fanfic.
This disclaimer applies to everything part 2 onward, due to the time gap between writing part 1 and 2. and to avoid any accusations of plagiarism. This story has no connection "Operation: A.L.P.H.A.". It only acted as source of motivation and inspiration.
Phase 2: Found & Lost
Numbuh 1000's unexpected coup has thrown the world into chaos.
Backed by the mysterious Splinter Cell, he has turned the KND into an army of mindless,
subservient operatives, whose only purpose is to fight against adults and teenagers,
regardless of whether or not they are evil.
As his war against adulthood rages on, Sector V have been forced to lay low,
and wait for contact from Maurice and the Teens Next Door.
Transmission 16: Enter the Teens Next Door
The month goes by slowly. Since the end of March, the team has laid low and acted like normal middle-school students but they are continuously observed by KND surveillance units. Be it on the streets, in the super market or at school, Numbuh 1000's troops are always watching them.
As this is going on, Sector V can see what effects his declaration has had: kids have become increasingly rebellious, to the point where they cause trouble where ever they go. It doesn't matter to them if it's a random stranger or their own family, even normal, non-KND kids act rebelliously. They also witness almost daily battles between the KND and Father's forces, seeing the constant pain and suffering their clashes cause. While living their normal lives has been challenging to say the least, Abby has had it the hardest, as Cree has stopped communicating with her completely and is only rarely present at their home.
Finally, the end of April arrives, yet they haven't received any contact from Maurice. Despite the constant threat posed by the KND's orbital weapons, they have kept a cool head, though more than once, they have had to restrain Wally from attacking at any threat he sees. It's Friday and after another stressful day in school, the team has gathered in a secondary living room, in the lower floors of the Treehouse, as the main living room is near the top and exposed. Wally is lying on a small sofa with his feet over an arm rest while Kuki and Abby are doing school work on a table nearby with Bradley napping on Kuki's lap. Nigel sits in an easy chair next to Wally's sofa and types on the L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S. on his lap while Hoagie is sitting on the floor with his legs crossed, his mind immersed in an engineering book.
"Man, why the crud do they have to give me 2 extra sets of homework…" Wally laments. He has replaced his zipped hoodie with a sleeveless orange hoodie and also wears a yellow T-shirt underneath it and blue jeans.
"Well, you did miss 2 weeks' worth of school so you'll just have to get used to it." Nigel replies sternly. He is now wearing a red hoodie with a black t-shirt underneath, khaki shorts, long, red socks and brown sandals.
"Yeah, otherwise you ain't gonna graduate." Abby remarks as she adjusts her new long blue and white shirt.
"Don't remind me…my Mom and Dad are gonna kill me if I don't graduate middle school." Wally puts his hands behind his head and sighs as Kuki puts down her pencil. She has dropped her Goth-look and is now wearing a green blouse with long sleeves, a green skirt, black tights and green shoes and her hair, which has grown very slightly, is in a short ponytail.
"Hey, are you all going to go to MClintock Highschool after you graduate?" She ask cautiously.
"Uhm…yeah I think so. We're all within the same district so…" Hoagie replies, having also changed his wardrobe slightly. He has switched his unbuttoned blue shirt for a long, unbuttoned blue trench coat and also wears finger-less leather gloves.
"Great! I was worried we'd go to separate schools."
"Come on Numbuh 3, ya don't hafta worry about that. Even if we didn't go to the same school, we'd still be friends. My Daddy promised I'd get Cree's car when she starts University next September, so we can go cruisin'."
"But you don't even have a license yet"
"Numbuh 5 knows that, Numbuh 2. I'm just plannin' ahead ya know?"
"Well, if were talking about planning ahead, when I get my license, I'm getting a truck or a van. I'm gonna soup that baby up." Hoagie puts down the book and sits on an empty chair next to the table. "What about you Numbuh 1? You gonna get a car?"
"Uhm, that depends on my parents. You know they're a bit eccentric. Though it would be nice to have a sportscar or something…"
"I wanna get a sportscar too! I'm gonna paint it green and, and put rainbow monkey stickers on it and…" Kuki's cheerful rambling makes the others chuckle.
"I wanna get a motorcycle. They're way cooler than a car." Wally says from the couch.
"Yeah, I kinda figured. Hey, we can check on some used car websites later. I love window shopping for cars."
"Ya'll know that we'll be together only if Mister Perfect Grade over there graduates."
"Hey! Are ya doubtin' my academic skills?"
"Heh, this comin' from the guy who tried to spell "four" with a q back in 4th grade." Abby's jab makes everyone laugh except Wally, who's face flares up.
"I was a dumb kid back then!"
"Don't worry Wally, I'll keep helping you with your homework until the last day if I have to." Kuki says cheerfully, causing Wally to hide his embarrassed face from the others, who snicker.
"Yeah…whatever…"
Their conversation is interrupted by the ringtone of Abby's phone, startling everyone. As she takes the cellphone into her hands, she notices that the caller is unknown again. She then looks at the others and they nod back to her. "Abigail Lincoln speakin'."
"Greetings Sector V." A highly distorted voice answers her. She puts her cellphone to speaker mode and places it on the table as the others gather around it. "As was agreed by our agent, we wish to speak to you."
"Go on." Nigel responds.
"You are hereby requested to appear in this location within the next hour. Wait there for your contact. That is all." The caller hangs up and a message pops up on the screen, showing a set of numbers and letters.
"What the crud is that? I don't see a single word in there."
"That's because it's code, genius. All we gotta do is decipher it and meet that contact."
"Numbuh 2, what can you make of this?"
All eyes turn to Hoagie who puts his 2x4 scanner over the screen. "Hmm…this isn't KND code, that's for sure…Hold on…I've seen this somewhere." Hoagie crosses his arms and looks at the message with a puzzled look. Then, as if struck by lightning, he snaps his fingers and a victorious smile appears on his face. "Eureka!"
"So, did ya figure it out?"
"You bet your grandma I did. That's Teen Ninja code language, except that, this is inverted and reversed. I saw the Teen Ninja's code language in Cree's box, but this is much more advanced. I bet no one, not even the Ninjas themselves would understand this, excluding me of course." Hoagie puffs his chest while Nigel pulls the others aside.
"Then let's get cracking. While Numbuh 2 deciphers the message, we'll head to the armory to get the equipment we've prepared and activate Maximum Lockdown. We can't have anyone enter this place while we're gone." Wally and the girls nod and they all run towards an elevator that takes them to the armory. After 5 minutes, everyone returns to the living room, where Hoagie is still working on the coded message. "Well, have you figured anything out yet?" Nigel looks over Hoagie's shoulder as Wally and the girls bring a small container into the living room.
"Almost done…there! Alright, let's see here…huh? That's weird, they want us to go to the forest, at the other side of the hill where The Point used to be."
"That ain't right, there's no way we're gonna make it in time without a ship."
"And we can't use the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P., it's gonna draw attention."
"Hmm…Numbuh 3, can you teleport us there instead?"
"Yup. Though I've never been to that part of the forest…"
"Hold on, that gives me an idea: What if, instead of teleporting there directly, we just get a bit closer instead? There's gotta be a place you've been too that's closer to that location."
"That is an excellent idea, Numbuh 2. Numbuh 4, press that button over on that console."
"Huh? Oh, okay." Wally walks over to a computer terminal next to the TV and presses a green button with Earth's picture in it. Then, a holographic projection, similar to the one in the briefing room appears in-front of the TV.
"Alright, let's see here…" Nigel uses his L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S. and inputs the location coordinates to the projection and it changes to a map of Cleve and the surrounding areas.
"That's where we need to be. Numbuh 3, can you see any place you can vividly remember?" Kuki stares intensely at the map and after a few seconds, she notices a familiar place.
"Over there!"
"Wait…what the crud? That's that stupid Rainbow Dorkie theme park. You can't be serious about…"
"THEY'RE RAINBOW MONKEYS!" Kuki roars at Wally, her face yet again resembling an Oni.
"Gah…yeah yeah…sorry." Wally mutters.
"There's no time to argue. We have less than an hour to get there."
"Yeah, and that park ain't far from the rendezvous point. Let's get movin' already."
"Okidoki! Now, everyone, gather around me. I need to concentrate." Nigel turns off the projection and the team forms a circle around Kuki, who has closed her eyes and put her hands together. Then, her eyes and her medallion glow purple. In a flash, Sector V has disappeared from the Treehouse. However, the moment they do, the perimeter defenses shut down, as do all early-warning sensors.
…
The sun has already gone down as a thick, looming cloud layer rolls towards Cleve. Near the city border, Sector V appear in the center of the Rainbow Monkey Happy Sugar Land. "Oh crud, my head hurts…"
"Numbuh 5 is never gonna get used to that…"
"Good work Numbuh 3. Now, let's head to that rendezvous point!"
"Wait, we didn't have time to go through the equipment." Hoagie walks over to Wally, who is holding the box. He then puts it on the ground and Hoagie types a code into it, opening the lid. "Alright everyone, take these." Hoagie gives everyone their communicators. "I made some modifications to them. Press that red button and hold it for 2 seconds." The others do as their told and to their surprise, they all become invisible.
"Wow, this is seriously cool." Wally shouts. Despite them being invisible to others, everyone can still see themselves.
"You really outdid yourself, Numbuh 2."
"Heh, now we can go there without being tracked by the KND. I left holographic decoys in the Treehouse, so we'll let them think we're still there."
"Great job Hoagie. We'd be screwed without ya." Abby pats Hoagie in the back, causing him to blush.
"Well, you know…I'm just…doing my job…" Hoagie mutters as he closes the box and hands it back to Wally.
"Okay, enough mucking around. Let's go."
"Right!" The others respond and the five teens and the skunk go to the park perimeter fence. After clearing it, they cross a two-lane road and enter the forest.
With Nigel in the lead, they slowly make their way through the dense forest until they arrive at a small, upwards sloping path. "Alright, now we just follow this path and we'll arrive at our destination. Keep your eyes open." They form a single line with Nigel in front, Abby behind him, followed by Hoagie, Kuki, with Bradley in her arms and Wally holding the rear.
"Man, this place is creepy…" Hoagie says as a shiver runs down his spine.
"Don't tell me you're scared of the cruddy forest, Numbuh 2?"
"Of course not, Numbuh 4! I'm just being cautious…you never know what's gonna happen. Oh man, I should've put a flashlight into this thing…"
"That would've just drawn attention. Now quiet down. We're almost there."
"Finally! This box was getting' heavy."
"Numbuh 1 just said pipe down. You want everyone to know we're here?" Abby hisses at Wally.
"Hey, stop fighting!"
"Will all of you just shut up for a moment?!"
"Uhm, guys, what's that?" Hoagie points at an abandoned gas station with a worn, paved road going by it.
"So, is this the place?" Numbuh 5 puts her hands on her waist and looks around.
"Well, Numbuh 2?" Nigel turns to face Hoagie, who brings out his 2x4 scanner.
"According to the message, this is it."
"It's kinda creepy…" Kuki holds Bradley in a slightly tighter grip but then the skunk begins to growl. "What's wrong, Bradley?"
"It seems like we are not alone. Keep on your guard." The teens form a circle with their backs against each other. "I don't like this…"
"There's definitely someone here…" Wally puts himself slightly in front of Kuki.
"Be prepared for anything." Then, they hear footsteps coming from the empty gas station. With a loud creak, the door opens and a person walks out. At first, they can't tell who it is, until the stranger's face is illuminated by the lone streetlamp opposite to the station.
"Maurice?" Abby immediately recognizes him.
"You guys can come out now, you've already entered the cloak field." Sector V de-cloaks and approach Maurice.
"Wow, I didn't know you could do that."
"The cloaking devices were Numbuh 2's idea." Abby puts her elbow on Hoagie's shoulder, embarrassing him slightly.
"Man, you guys never fail to surprise me. Okay, follow me." Maurice opens the station door and lets the group in before he closes it behind him. "Now, before we go further, I'm just gonna say this: Not everyone in the TND agrees with lettin' you guys join us."
"I expected as much. We are prepared for confrontations." Nigel replies sternly.
"Good. I just wanted to give you guys a heads-up." The teens nod as Maurice leads them past the counter and down a flight of stairs. Halfway through, he puts his hand on a brick and it retracts back into the wall, causing a section of it to slide away, revealing a corridor.
"Okay, go inside." One by one, the group go into the small corridor that seems to go on forever.
"This is quite an elaborate system you have here."
"Considerin' the current situation, you can never have too much security." They group arrive at a steel door. Maurice again puts his hand on a small metal plate next to the it and the door opens.
"Wow, an elevator?" Hoagie says in awe.
"That's right. This whole place has bio-metric scanners so only TND operatives can enter." Maurice says as they enter the elevator which takes them further down until it stops. As the doors open, the group enters a large dark room. Suddenly, the elevator door closes behind them and, without warning, Sector V is blinded by a bright light.
"What the crud is this?!" Wally shouts.
"I'm guessing this is the welcoming party." Nigel slowly regains his vision and realizes that they are surrounded by over 20 armed guards, each wearing armor similar to a B.R.A. but it doesn't cover their whole body, only their legs below the knees, chest, shoulders and arms.
"Some welcomin' party…"
"Sorry guys, my words alone couldn't convince 'em." Maurice says as he takes a step back, behind the line of guards.
"If it's a fight they want, bring it." Wally cracks his knuckles.
"Stand down Numbuh 4. We don't know what their objective is." Nigel stops Wally, who huffs and lowers his fists.
"Then allow me to explain." A female voice speaks, catching Sector V's attention. A large door slides open at the back of the room and a mysterious person enters, who Nigel immediately recognizes.
"Wha…what are you doing here, Numbuh 10?!"
"Numbuh 10?" The others shout in unison as the person known as Numbuh 10 walks past the guards.
"It's been, what, three years since we last saw each other, cousin." Numbuh 10 a.k.a. Eliza Solis, Nigel's cousin from his mother's side, stands firmly before Sector V. The wildly popular former presenter for the KND Nightly News and the former leader of Sector L, she's a year older than Nigel and has green eyes, long orange hair tied in to a ponytail and a beauty mark on her right cheek. She is wearing white colored armor, similar to the one the guards have, but her armor is more elaborate with rounded shoulder guards, armored boots with small, backwards-facing exhaust vents in the shins, a white miniskirt and a green crystal in either of her wrist gauntlets.
"Yes, I believe it was at a family gathering, though that was after you were decommissioned."
"That's correct. Though, they never really decommissioned me. Oh, and just so you won't forget, my codename is Numbuh Alpha now."
"Heh, looks like somebody took a page from your brother's book." Abby nudges Hoagie, who giggles quietly.
Nigel tries to take a step forward but the guards aim their weapons at him. "Oh, I see it how it is."
"It's a necessary precaution, dear cousin. While we did receive Numbuh Sigma's report, we won't be taking any risks."
"Numbuh Sigma? You don't mean…" Abby turns her gaze towards Maurice, who sternly nods.
"Yup, that's my TND codename."
"So, what do you have in-store for us? I doubt those weapons are for show."
"More like insurance, in case you 5 get any smart ideas. Now then, I hope you are prepared for what's ahead." Eliza takes the short, white and green sword hanging on her waist and presses a button in its handle, making it glow green. She then takes a stance and in the blink of an eye, she charges at Nigel, who instinctively activates his Silhouette Suit, but this time, it only covers his right arm and uses it to block the sword.
The sudden attack alarms the others. "Numbuh 1!" Abby runs towards him but then, a masked guard wearing a turquoise and aqua-colored Teen Ninja-type B.R.A. jumps between her and Nigel, pointing a two-bladed lance at her.
"Okay, you wanna mess with us, then get ready for an ass kickin'!"
"Sector V, Battle Stations!" Nigel shouts as his team prepare to fight.
"Come and get it, ya punks!" Wally activates his armor but now it only covers his arms and legs, and he is immediately attacked by a guard wearing a heavier set of Battle Ready Armor and a large pole-mounted hammer. Wally brings out his shields and changes them into punching mode, charging head-on against the guard.
Behind him, three guards, each carrying a heat laser rifle, open fire on Kuki and Bradley. However, she uses her lighting to nullify the lasers before performing a somersault over her opponents and landing behind them. Before they can respond, Bradley fires his eye laser and knocks out one Ninja instantly.
"Now we're even!" Kuki's eyes glow purple and she prepares to fire more lightning at her opponents.
Abby attacks the guard with the lance without her armor active. Just her hand-to-hand ability is enough to push her foe back but once the gurd begins firing lasers at her, she brings up her armor but leaves the helmet off. She counters the lance with her extendable claws and brings out an extra blade from the tips of her boots, allowing her to counter the lance's reach more easily.
Hoagie however, is quickly surrounded by multiple guards, forcing him to back-off while they close in, laser rifles pointed at him.
"Okay, this really isn't in my comfort zone but, you're gravely mistaken if you think I can't fight back. Come on out!" Hoagie hits his belt buckle and his bulky, stout Exo-suit forms around him. Instead of the old samurai design, it's now much more machine-like, with heavier arm gauntlets, hollow-tipped fingers, a helmet visor that resembles his goggles and a pair of jet boosters in the back.
"You guys sure you wanna mess with my new and improved, Betsy Mk II Custom?!" He slams the suits fists together and the Ninjas respond by firing at him, but the laser have no effect on it.
"Hah, I designed her with complete laser immunity! Now it's my turn!" He aims the suit's hands at the Ninjas and fires blue beams from the finger tips, instantly stupefying ten guards. The others jump and attack him from multiple directions. "That's not gonna work either!" The jet boosters reform into an extra set of arms and Hoagie uses them to generate a concentrated sonic blast, sending the Ninjas above plummeting down to the floor. "Bring it on!" As the rest of Sector V fight the TND forces, Nigel and his cousin, Eliza are locked in a stalemate.
"I don't see the point in us fighting like this! We didn't come here for that reason!"
"But we did!" Eliza side steps and again, in the blink of an eye, appears behind Nigel, who again blocks her sword with his right hand.
"If defending is all you're going to do, this isn't going to take long! Or am I not good enough of an opponent to use your full power on?"
"If I used the Suit's full power, I can't guarantee that you'll leave this fight unharmed."
"So, you're looking down on me?"
"No, that's not what I…" Nigel is interrupted as Eliza's left gauntlet's crystal begins to glow and she puts her left palm against his back but just she unleashes a shock wave from it, Nigel rolls to the left, barely evading the powerful attack.
"This is a pointless battle!"
"Maybe for you but not for us!" Eliza jumps up and charges more energy into her sword's blade, doubling its length. As the blade comes down on him, Nigel's frustration reaches a breaking point.
"You stubborn fool!" He instantly activates the Silhouette Suit's full form and grabs hold of the blade with both hands. His transformation shocks everyone in the room, causing the fighting to stop. Even Maurice, who has stayed out of the fight, is speechless. "Well, I'll be damned…"
"So, this is your true form." Eliza tries to move her sword but it won't budge.
"…Why did you have to make me use this?"
"Huh?" To his cousin's surprise, Nigel's left knee buckles and he goes down on one knee. Then, the suit fades away, leaving Nigel panting on the floor.
"Nigel!" Abby tries to come to his side but the guards stop her. "Let me through! You lay a finger on our leader and you're dead!" Eliza glances at Abby before kneeling opposite Nigel.
"What do you mean by that, Nigel?"
"Guh…The Silhouette Suit takes its power from negative emotions…If I don't have them against my opponent, it's more difficult to use…"
Then to everyone's surprise, Eliza gives her cousin a tight hug. "Thank goodness, you're still the same Nigel I knew…"
"Wha…?" Her unexpected actions bring the fight to a halt. After a few seconds, she let's go and helps Nigel back on his feet.
"I'm sorry Nigel, but I had to confirm that it was still you under that Suit." Eliza then turns to face the guards. "Stand down, there's no need to fight anymore. Send all the Stupefied agents to the infirmary." The guards do as they're told and back away from Sector V.
"That's enough team, lower your weapons."
"Aw man, I was just gettin' started…" Wally, who had knocked out his opponent in a single hit, complains as he puts down a guard, he was holding by his collar. The other members of Sector V then come to their leader's side.
"I believe you owe us an explanation."
"Of course, but let's not talk here. Follow me." Eliza puts her sword back to her belt and orders another guard to reopen the door she used to enter the room as Maurice also joins them.
"Are ya sure about this, Numbuh 1? Numbuh 5 isn't likin' this set up one bit."
"I agree, but right now, our fate is in their hands. Besides, if they really wanted to fight us seriously, they would've had far more troops waiting for us." Nigel says over his shoulder as they the group walk through the door and into a corridor.
From there, Eliza leads them to a gray room with a table surrounded by chairs and a large screen on the wall opposite the table. "Please take a seat. We've got a lot to talk about." Still on their guard, the five teens sit down with Nigel sitting at the end of the table while Abby and Kuki sit on his left and Wally and Hoagie on his right. "Now then. First, I'd like to apologize for the "welcoming party". We needed to confirm that all of you were still on the same side." Eliza stands at the other end of the table, in front of the screen.
"Well, did we convince you?"
"You did convince me, Nigel. But unlike the KND, the TND isn't led by a single person, so we need to get the approval of all the other Commanders."
"So ya had to attack us. That's not the best way to ask people to join 'em." Abby crosses her arms and eyes Eliza with suspicion.
"Yes, but we had no choice. Father has become aware of the TND, so we need to be extra careful in letting non-TND people in to our base."
"Makes sense. So, why don't you explain the situation and where we fit in all this?"
"Gladly. As you know, originally, the Teen Spies reported to KND Global Command but after the destruction of the C.O.D.E.M.O.D.U.L.E., it was decided that our organization needed to change, since the whole fiasco happened because KND Intelligence failed completely. Of course, that also led to you all getting framed for its destruction."
"Wait, so you don't think we did it?"
Eliza nods back at Hoagie's question and stands up. "Yes, and so did many other Teen Operatives who had worked with you before they were decommissioned. Frankly, we were this close to saving you all from decommissioning but then Global Command got wind of it and threatened to end the whole Teen Spy organization." her words surprise Sector V, who up until now, thought they were the only ones who believed they were framed.
"Wow…that's the first time in 3 years Numbuh 5 has heard someone other than us say that…"
"I guess we really weren't the only ones then…" A sense of relief fills Nigel and his teammates, who for 3 years had lived under the impression the whole world was against them.
"On behalf of the TND, I'd like apologize that we couldn't do anything. Our hands were tied back then."
"No need to apologize, Numbuh Alpha. The existence of the Teen Spies has always been an integral part of the KND, so losing it for our sake wouldn't have been worth it."
"Well, I'm glad you think that way. Now, after Numbuh Eleventy Billion allowed us to branch out, we've been slowly growing in numbers. Some of our agents you might actually recognize, since most of us have worked with your team at some point. Numbuh Sigma was actually one of the founding members."
"Hey, you're givin' me way too much credit." Maurice says jokingly, causing Abby to chuckle.
"I kinda guessed ya had somethin' to do with it."
"The Teens Next Door, as we are now called, have had to split our operations, because we had to keep the restructuring a secret from Numbuh Eleventy Billion's successor, Numbuh 78. We've been silently keeping an eye on the KND and Father's forces and for a while, we thought the KND had the upper hand when that incident happened 2 months ago."
"Father's Day…Just thinking about it makes me sick…" Nigel clenches his fists and looks at the floor.
"Yes, what happened back then could be considered one of the biggest disasters in KND's history. I'm sure you are all aware what happened back then." The others nod, while Nigel has a strained expression, which is noticed by his teammates.
"Hey man, you okay?"
"Don't worry, Numbuh 2, it's nothing." Nigel's attempts of hiding his feelings aren't left unnoticed by Abby, but she does not say anything.
"When the KND eventually raided Father's mansion, we had some of our agents go in and copy Father's computer files, and we found something interesting. Take a look at this." Eliza presses a button next to the screen and a line of text appears on it:
"Message to Home: Preparations to eliminate the obstacle are now complete. Enter through port 09 and proceed to location X, prey has been moved to line of fire. Leech out."
"Is this, a message?"
"Yes Numbuh 1, this communique was sent from a public computer terminal in the KND Moonbase, two days before Supreme Leader Numbuh 362's 13th birthday party."
"No cruddy way…"
"Woah, you guys thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Indeed Numbuh 2, this "Leech" is the mole we've been looking for."
"Unfortunately, we couldn't find anything else regarding this "Leech" so at least on our end, the lead has run cold. That's of course, before Numbuh Sigma mentioned that data disc you took from Father on that same day, Nigel." Eliza looks sharply at her cousin, who in turn nods to Abby, who takes the aforementioned disc from her pocket and places it on the table. Nigel then picks the key-card from his own pocket and also places it on the table.
"It's true we have the data disc but we have been unable to decipher it."
"And that's where the TND comes in. We will help you clear your names and in return, you help us deal with Numbuh 1000. I think this was the deal you made with Numbuh Sigma a month ago, correct?"
"That's right." Nigel nods, which acknowledges with a confident smile.
"Good, then I'd like to welcome you to the Teens Next Door, even though only temporarily."
"Knowing that you're a part of the TND, makes the decision much easier." Nigel replies as he shakes hands with his cousin.
"Wait, you're sayin' I wasn't convincing enough?" Maurice's comment causes the others to laugh.
"Hehee, I guess you weren't, Numbuh Sigma." Eliza then walks over to the door and it opens from the other side.
"Since you're now "officially" a part of us, please follow me. I'll take you to the command center."
"Imma go on ahead, I got some things to work on. We just got a message that a recovery team managed to secure a runner an hour ago."
"A runner? What's that?" Kuki asks as Maurice walks out of the room.
"Decommissioning escapee. Numbuh 1000 has added memory erasing as a punishment for those that do not agree with his commands. After that, he chips them, to make them completely obedient." Eliza says with a grim expression, alarming Sector V.
"What? I thought ya need a really good reason to decommission an operative if they're not 13?"
"Sadly, that's not the case anymore, Numbuh 5. The KND we knew is just a shadow of its former self. You'll see soon enough." Eliza replies as she opens the door for Sector V As they exit the room, Hoagie notices that Abby is visibly angry.
"I guess we've been out of the loop longer than we thought…"
"Ya got that right, Numbuh 2. First he wipes their memories and THEN chips them...that's messed up..."
"Then we have to stop him!"
"Trust me Numbuh 3, that is exactly what we are going to do." Eliza says over her shoulder as the board an elevator, that takes the group up two levels. Then, they walk through another corridor and arrive in front large steel doors guarded by two guards.
"Welcome, Commander Numbuh Alpha!" The guards salute and Eliza gestures with her hand.
"At ease. I've brought our special guests; would you mind letting us in?"
"No problem Ma'am!" The other guard presses their hand on a bio-metric scanner and the massive doors slides away. Once they go in, Sector V is in awe at what they see:
A massive, crescent shaped, auditorium-like room lined with computer terminals, with TND members manning them, spreads out before them. Opposite to the entrance is a massive screen, which is divided into multiple smaller screens, each showing a different picture. At the bottom of the room, is a group of four people sitting around a round table, who seem to be in charge of the room's operations. Left of the door, is a large, elevated observation deck, that overlooks the entire room.
Sitting on a rotating chair near the edge of the deck, is a fark brown-haired, slightly portly looking bespectacled teenager wearing a headset, a khaki-colored, neatly buttoned-up shirt, grey shorts and black shoes. As the teenager notices the first person who enters the room, he immediately stands up. "Attention: Commander Alpha has entered the Switchboard!" Everyone present in the room salutes Eliza, who salutes back.
"As you were."
"What brings you here, Commander?"
"I'm on official business. You see, our newest members just arrived and I wanted to show them around." '
"Surely we could've gotten someone else to do that."
"Don't worry, they're a special case. What are you all waiting for? Come in." Nigel then leads his team into the room. The presence of Sector V causes a massive commotion among the operatives, who are shocked at their arrival.
"Sector V? No way…"
"That's really them, right?"
The headset wearing teen notices the chatter and shouts through his microphone. "Alright, get back to work!" He then turns to face the new arrivals, who stop behind Eliza. "So, you actually managed to bring them here." Nigel instantly recognizes the teen.
"Wait, is that you, Numbuh 65.3? Well, I can't say I'm surprised that you'd be here."
"I'm glad you remember, though now my codename is Numbuh Iota-3." The former KND Chief of Global Communications, former Numbuh 65.3, also known by his own name, Herbie, replies stoically and sits back down on his chair.
"Hey, is it me or has he lost weight?" Wally nudges Abby.
"Yeah, he used to be fatter that you, Numbuh 2."
"That's not funny…"
Nigel's puts his hands behind his back and walks beside Eliza."I'm guessing this is your command center?"
"Indeed, welcome to the TND Central Switchboard. You could say this is the hub of all the information we gather. All orders, mission details and messages go through here. Numbuh Iota-3 has been in charge of the Switchboard since we recruited him a year ago."
"Was he fake-decommissioned like Maurice?"
"No, Numbuh 5. You see, we use our own version of the Recommissioning Module, that only works on KND operatives. He was one of the first we recruited that way."
"Wait, you actually re-built my father's Recommissioning Module?"
"Not completely. It's a crude replica, but it does its job." Herbie says over his shoulder.
"I see. Still, that is quite remarkable."
"Over the years, we have recruited many former operatives who were officially deemed not worthy of joining the Teen Spies. We did this in secret, to ensure that our ranks would steadily increase."
"So, are you saying more people we know are here?"
"That is correct, Numbuh 2. Though, most of them are field agents, like Numbuh Sigma. Now, Numbuh Iota-3, give me a situation report." Eliza sits down on her own, commander's chair and puts her left leg over her right leg.
"Man, I almost forgot Nigel's cousin was such a looker. Pretty easy on the eyes, don't ya think?" Hoagie whispers to Wally but before he can answer, Abby elbows Hoagie, causing him to hunch forward slightly.
"Oof, wha…what did I say?" Abby lets out an angry huff and looks away, with her arms crossed.
"I think ya poked a hornet's nest." Wally and Kuki chuckle slightly as Hoagie straightens himself while Nigel walks to Eliza's side as Herbie types on the keyboard on his left armrest and begins his report.
"Well Commander, we've received reports that the KND has captured a major Evil Adult Industries Inc. ice cream factory and are using it to expand their operations. Also, Father has responded by increasing his influence in the political system.
"What? Father has gone into politics?" Nigel says in surprise.
"Surely you have heard? With the increasing number of kids refusing to obey adults, he has used it as a political platform, campaigning for more harsher punishments for kids and the introduction of a new law that could potentially rob all children of their basic rights." Herbie's revelation leaves Sector V aghast.
"That man is sick I tell ya! How could he even think of plannin' somethin' like that!" Abby puts her hands on her waist and has an angry expression on her face.
"He really intends to bring back Grandfather's time…" Nigel clenches his fists.
"Does that mean he wants to turn kids into slaves?" Kuki says solemnly.
"That's been his agenda all along. I guess now, he's just more open about it."
Hoagie crosses his arms as Herbie continues. "Commander, I've also received a report from Numbuh Sigma, regarding the runner."
"Good, what was their situation?"
"The recovery team has come under fire from a Decommissioning Squad team and their speeders have been destroyed."
"Can we send any backup?"
"Agent Halcón has already been sent there, but he was on patrol at the other side of the country, so it'll take a while before he arrives. At this rate, we might have to abandon the runner."
"That's not an option, Numbuh Iota-3…hmm." Eliza crosses her arms and looks sharply at Nigel. "This might be a chance for your team to prove the doubters wrong."
Nigel lifts his left eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"Like I said before, not everyone in the TND is okay with letting you 5 join us. You rescue the recovery team and bring the runner here; you might score some good points with them."
"You want us to save them from the KND? What do you guys think?" Nigel smirks and turns to his teammates, who all nod.
"Not gonna lie, Numbuh 5 kinda likes that idea. It's been while since we've done an old-school rescue job."
"I'm in 100%."
"Ya know I'm going."
"Me too!"
"There's your answer, Numbuh Alpha. All we need is a mission prep and we'll do it."
Eliza nods and gestures to Herbie with her left hand. "I'm leaving them in your care, Numbuh Iota-3."
"Understood, Commander. I presume you have a transport?"
"We've got a ship back at the Treehouse, but we can't really launch it from there, without getting bombarded."
"I thought so. We can provide a distraction but it'll take too long for you to get to the Treehouse and then to the recovery team. They are hanging on by a thread as we speak."
"Don't worry about that. If you can distract the KND, we'll deal with the rest. Numbuh 2, you know what to do."
"Roger that." Hoagie takes the supply box and opens it, pulling out his Portal Gun.
"One portal, coming up! Hoagie points the gun at the wall to his left and creates a portal, that leads directly to his room in the Treehouse. Both Eliza and Herbie are surprised by the portal's appearance.
"Well, that looks pretty handy." However, Herbie quickly turns his attention back to the big screen.
"Alright, that eliminates that problem. Now get going, we have no idea how long the recovery team is going to last."
"Oh, and before you leave, take this." Eliza gives her cousin a small radio-like device."It's a TND Signal Receiver. With it, you can contact both the Switchboard and the recovery team."
"Thank you, Eliza. We'll bring your agents and the runner back in one piece. You can count on it." Nigel nods to his cousin and leads his team through the portal. As it closes behind them, Herbie turns his chair towards Eliza.
"Are you sure it was wise to give them that? You do realize if the Signal Receiver is compromised, our entire operation could be in jeopardy."
"I see you still aren't convinced about Nigel and his team."
"Need I remind you that he was personally responsible for the torture of 20 KND operatives during Father's Day. They may have been framed, but their deeds after that can't be ignored. You should've been more thorough in your screening."
"I am well aware what my cousin did, but my father taught me that if people are willing to repent, they should be given another chance. They saved Numbuh Epsilon and Numbuh Zeta from certain decommissioning, remember that."
"Hmpf, we'll see if they truly have changed."
Eliza sighs and looks on in silence. "You know as well as I do, that without them, we stand no chance."
End of Transmission 17
Note: Alright, part 2 is underway. I'll keep releasing new chapters as I go, so look forward to it.