Transmission 18: Elder's Shadow
Meanwhile, at the other side of the Treehouse, Wally and Kuki are running through the crumbling hallways. "Come on, we're almost there!" Wally shouts when suddenly the roof above them break and falls down, blocking the path. "Aw crud! Now what?! Clearin' this is gonna take too long!"
"I'll find another path!" Kuki summons two ghost hamsters, who then phase through the walls, looking for an alternative path. "Wally, break the wall!" Kuki points at the wooden wall on their right.
"This one? Got it!" Wally activates his armor's gauntlets and using their enhanced strength, he easily shatters the wall.
"Okay, now we need to get across that room and jump down." Wally nods and goes through the wrecked storage room, followed by Kuki. Just as she is about to get to the other side, the floor gives away.
"KUKI!" Wally manages to take hold of her hand before she falls into the darkness.
"Whoa, nice catch." Kuki says, slightly bewildered but then uses her telekinesis to float back up.
"Right, I forgot ya could do that." Wally says, feeling embarrassed by his overreaction.
"Yeah, but thanks anyway." Kuki smiles in gratitude, causing Wally to blush.
"…right…" He turns around and sees a collapsed stairwell to his right. "That's where we're goin'?"
"Yeah. It'll take us to the same floor as the armory." Kuki walks past him and floats down gently, while Wally jumps after her, his jet boots slowing his fall, though he still hits the lower floor with a loud bang.
"Ah crud…"
"Are you okay?" Kuki ask as she lands next to him.
"I'm fine. Let's go, we're almost there." Wally quickly gets up and starts running again, followed by Kuki. They finally reach the armory and to their relief, the door hasn't been breached. "Stand back, I got this." Wally grabs hold of the handle with both hands and pulls the door wide open. Once inside, they begin walking towards the D.E.F.E.N.S.E.-G.R.I.D. control console but both are completely lost on how to start the data transfer. "Uhm…ya got any idea how this thing works?"
"Nope."
"Oh great, why couldn't Numbuh 2 come with us. He's the tech wiz…" Wally complains as Kuki contacts Hoagie on her communicator.
"Numbuh 2? Are you there?"
"Kinda busy here. What is it?" Hoagie says as he continues to shoot at the Cycles and the Octopaddlers.
"How do we use this thing?"
"Argh, just press and hold the green triangle button. It'll start the data transfer."
"Okidoki!" Kuki as she's told and presses the green button.
"Hey, ask him about the control thingy."
"Numbuh 4 wants to know about the control thingy."
"It's behind the console but don't remove it before the transfer is done."
"Okeey!" Kuki ends the call and lets go of the button.
"Numbuh 2 said it's behind the console." Wally rolls his eyes and kneels next to the D.E.F.E.N.S.E.-G.R.I.D.'s control console, peeking in to the small space behind it.
"Where the crud is it…there!" He manages to find the cartridge-shaped control unit and pulls it from its socket, causing the console to shut down. He then puts it in his pocket and heads towards the door. "Okay, we got what we wanted, now let's get outta here!" Kuki nods as the teens rush out of the armory. They run along the corridor when suddenly, Kuki stops on her tracks. "What are ya doin', Kuki?! We gotta go!"
"Wait, there's something I forgot!" She turns to the right and heads towards her room, with Wally right behind.
"We don't have time for this, Kuki! Those Ninjas are gonna be here any minute!"
"I can't leave it here!" She pulls aside the curtain in front of her door and runs to the closet.
"Aw crud…" Wally mutters and keeps a lookout. Then, Kuki emerges from the closet with an orange Rainbow Monkey doll in her arms. "Oh, you gotta be kidding me! You've got hundreds of those!"
"But this one is special! There's no way I'm leaving it!" Wally tries to talk back but upon hearing the determination in her voice, he stops the argument.
"Haaa, okay, ya got your doll, can we go now?"
"Of course!"
"Okay, stay close to…" Then, a shot fired from one of the Octopaddlers makes a direct hit with Kuki's room, vaporizing three floors above it and creating a gaping hole where the wall used to be. Wally and Kuki are thrown through the wall and into the corridor behind them.
As Wally slowly regains his consciousness, he sees 10 Ninjas enter to Treehouse through the hole, with Kuki directly in their line of sight. Wally himself is slightly hidden behind rubble and can see the Ninjas approaching. He also notices that Kuki's mask was blown off and is lying just in front of him. He reaches for it and manages to put it into his pocket, but he still can't get on his feet. "Crud!" As he struggles to get up, the Ninjas notice the unconscious Kuki. Her back is leaning against the wall and her head is slightly hunched forward.
"Hey, looks like we've got a live one here." A burly Ninja says and grabs Kuki by her hair, pulling her up.
"She's one of Nephew's friends. What do we do with her?" A shorter, bald Ninja asks.
"Cree only wanted to capture Nephew, so the way I see it, we're free to do anything we want."
"But she's a teenager, not one of those KNDorks." A female Ninja argues.
"These guys are Father's enemies, and by extension, our enemies. Too bad she chose the wrong side. Look, she's even holding a Rainbow Monkey! Hahaha, that's so rich!" The Ninjas laugh at Kuki, who's eyes begin to open slowly.
"Cuff her up, we'll throw her to the Hideout's dungeon once we're done here."
"Oh no you don't!" The mere mentioning of a dungeon sends Wally into a rage as he breaks through the rubble in front of him and runs towards the Ninjas.
"Hey, another one! That's the guy who stole Father's prototype armor. Get him!" The Ninjas open fire but Wally moves his shields in front of himself, blocking the lasers. He then activates his jetboots and delivers a powerful punch on the burly Ninja holding Kuki, freeing her from his grip. Before she hits the floor, Wally catches her and flies out of the destroyed room.
"After 'em!" The Ninjas give chase and take off after Wally and Kuki. As he carries her through the maze of corridors and hallway, Kuki regains her consciousness.
"Umm…huh, Wally? Wha…what happened? Eh? Why are you…?" Kuki becomes embarrassed by the way he carries her and begins to struggle.
"Hey, stop doin' that! Is this how ya thank me for saving your butt?!"
"Saving me? What happened?"
"Those Ninjas blew up your room and almost captured ya."
"They…destroyed my…room…" Kuki expression become blank as she's reminded of all the good memories she had from the room. Then, her face begins resembling an Oni, scaring Wally.
"Oh crud!" He lets go of her, letting her land on the floor. She then pushes her doll into Wally's arms and turns to face the way they came from.
"Hold…this…" She says with a shaky voice as her medallion blinks wildly and Wally only nods. Then, the Ninjas appear at the other end of the hallway.
"There they are! Let's get 'em!"
"You…You…YOU'LL PAY FOR RUINING MY ROOM!" Kuki roars and unleashes a massive blast of lightning barreling towards the Ninjas, who have no chance to react.
"YAAAAAHHHH!" They scream as the lightning blast electrocutes them and sends them flying back through the corridor and out the hole in Kuki's room. Wally is left speechless as Kuki pants and takes a deep breath.
"Uhm…Kuki?"
"…I…I think I over did it a little…"
"A little?" Wally hands her the orange Rainbow Monkey but she collapses on her knees.
"Haaa, sorry Wally, my legs gave way…"
"Gah, for cruds sake." Wally picks her up again and starts carrying her towards the upper floors.
"Thanks for saving me again, Wally…"
"It's nothin'."
…
Up in the briefing room, at the very top of the Treehouse, Nigel has managed to reach the room without much trouble. He walks over to the main control console and begins frantically typing on the keyboard. "Dammit, they just aren't giving up. They've definitely planned this assault well." Then, he hears the faint sound of a jet boot and instinctively jumps away from the console, just as a red and yellow electric net wraps around the seat. Nigel rolls to the right and takes aim with his Stupefier. Out of the darkness, three Ninjas, all aiming their weapons at him, appear. "I'll give you credit for sneaking up on me, but that's as far as you go!" He fires a shot but the Ninjas evade and attack him from three sides. Nigel jumps forward and over the Ninja before him, landing behind them. He fires multiple shots but the Ninjas again dodge and surround Nigel.
"You're coming with us, Nigel Uno."
"Is that so? Well, I'd hate to disappoint you but, I have better things to do than getting captured." He generates his Silhouette Suit over his arm but hesitates. Seeing this, the Ninjas fire three electro-webs at him but Nigel incinerates them with a short stream of fire. He then creates a small ball of fire and points it at the Ninjas.
"You know very well what I'm capable of, so it would be wise of you to turn around and run."
"Hah, fat chance. We've been equipped specifically to catch you. That's why Father ordered this attack in the first place. He really misses you."
"I will never serve him again. You can be sure of that!" Nigel throws the fire ball but another Ninja shatters it with a kick, to Nigel's surprise.
"Too bad for you, every single Ninja here has fire resistant armor. You can't hurt us with those smores!" Nigel bites his lip and tries to come up with a plan.
"Dammit. If I could only type the last bit of code, Lumberjack would activate…"
"It's about time we finish our mission. We've got something special, just for you!" The Ninjas fly at him at the same time but when Nigel again tries to dodge, two of the Ninjas grab him in mid-air and place Silhouette Braces on his wrists, causing a powerful electric shock to course through him.
"AAAHHHHHHHRGH!" He falls to the floor and a Ninja stomps on his back, keeping him pinned as the leader then contacts Cree.
"This is Capture Team One, we've caught the target. Cree, do you hear me?" He only hears static. "Whatever, let's just torch this place and take him to Father."
"Roger!" As the Ninja prepare to take him away, Nigel hears a familiar voice.
"Pathetic! To think that my own grandson would fall prey to such simple tactics."
"No…not you…"
"So, you think you can defy your destiny by not using my power anymore? That won't work, Nephew. Limiting oneself is something cowards do and you have no reason to fear the power you've inherited."
"That power of yours is a curse…I don't need it."
"Fool! Do not try to deny it! You enjoy using it. Just like your uncle and me before you. As it stands, the only way you'll escape now is by using the Silhouette Suit!"
"Dammit…"
"Escape, and burn all of your enemies to dust, leave nothing standing. Anyone who stands in your way will become ash. Do not try to reject it. You cannot fight it. Otherwise, you will remain a failure, just like your father."
The specter's words drive deep into Nigel's psyche but despite his resistance, the anger and the frustration at the possibility of him failing his team, causes him to snap. "No…no…NO…NOOOOARRRGHHHH!" Nige's Silhouette Suit activates just as the Ninjas are about grab him, vaporizing the braces, and throwing his captors across the briefing room.
"Dammit, he's using that power."
"It doesn't matter, we'll just to use another set of braces on him!" They regroup and attack Nigel but he stops them with telekinesis and slams them to the floor. He then hovers and lands next to the closest Ninja, grabbing him by his helmet and begins crush it, his touch alone causing the armor to deform and melt. Seeing their comrade squirming in Nigel's grip and screaming in pain, they fire more braces at him, but they are disintegrated the moment they come in contact with his suit.
Now, the red outline of his suit turns blue and then purple as he throws the Ninja to the floor. As the other Ninja attends to his stricken teammate, the other one tries to call backup, but Nigel crushes his communicator with telekinesis. With nowhere to run, the Ninjas begin to panic as Nigel creates large a purple fireball and moves it above his head, ready to strike his cowering opponents with it but then, he launches it directly upwards, blowing apart the roof of the Briefing Room and the communications array, creating a pillar of purple fire that reach high up to the sky before fading, like a candle in the wind.
Then, Nigel lands but to the surprise of the Ninjas, he begins to rip the Silhouette Suit off. "Gahh…enough! I…refuse…to be controlled by you!" He tears the suit off and collapses in one knee. Seeing his chance, the leader tries to fire a Silhouette Brace, but he is instantly stupefied.
"Haaahhh…I'm giving you two choices…keep fighting and I won't guarantee you'll escape without further injuries or take your leader there and leave. Your choice…" He pants heavily, but his sharp and furious expression is enough for the two other Ninjas to grab their stupefied leader and fly out. Nigel meanwhile punches the floor in frustration. "Dammit, I gave in…I…couldn't control myself…" He shakes head and stands up. "Must…concentrate on the plan…" He walks back to the console, which somehow survived the whole ordeal and continues to type.
…
Down in the central core, Abby and Cree are locked in a ferocious melee. Neither sister is giving up an inch but for the first time, Cree doesn't hold the advantage. In all their previous fights, Cree could overpower Abby with both physical strength and her B.R.A. but now, neither of those give her an edge now as Abby's older and her B.R.A. is formidable. "This time for sure, I'm taking you down!"
"Right back at ya, zit face!" Abby unleashes a flurry of punches and kicks and Cree does the same. They bounce around the large room and neither shows any signs of exhaustion.
"You're always getting in the way of everything, Abby! Why couldn't you join the Ninjas like all the other teenagers?!"
"Cuz Numbuh 5 ain't gonna follow someone like Father! The only leader I have is Numbuh 1."
"Grr, you know that's exactly why I can't stand you! You're so damn rebellious!"
"Why thank! At least Abby ain't a puppet like you!"
"Puppet?!" Cree jumps into the air and performs a flying kick but Abby uses her grappling wires and wraps them around her sister's legs. She then slams her to the floor and points her twin heat laser cannons at her.
"Give it a rest already…Things are different from before. I ain't a little kid anymore."
"NO! I won't lose to you! NEVER!" Enraged, Cree gets up and using her jet boots, she again charges towards Abby, who retaliates with lasers but Cree spins in mid-air, and lands a devastating uppercut squarely on her sister's jaw, launching her across the room.
"Abby!" Maurice tries go to her aid, but Cree points her laser cannon at him.
"You stay out of this…Don't make this hurt any more than it already does." Frustrated, Maurice stays put, but, in his mind, he's already planning ahead.
"Sorry Cree, but I ain't gonna play to your tune." With Cree attention solely focused on Abby, Maurice sneaks towards the memory core, their original target. Meanwhile, Abby regains consciousness. Despite the strength of the uppercut, Hoagie's modifications have done their job and her helmet doesn't even have a dent in it.
"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you?" Cree slowly approaches her stricken sister, laser cannon pointed squarely on her head.
"So many years…I waited for you to join us, the teenagers and then when you finally leave those KNDorks, you become a candy pirate. Then you decide to get back together with your "team" and betray me!"
"Betray you…what do ya mean? When did I betray you?" Abby tries to catch her breath as Cree stops in-front of her.
"Don't play dumb! You're in cahoots with the KND and had Maurice recommissioned! You took him from me when you said you didn't even like him!"
"You're…wrong…I told ya I wasn't part of the KND anymore…"
"LIAR!" Cree shoots a laser right next to Abby's head. "Everything that comes out of that mouth of yours are lies! I am never trusting you again!" Cree grabs Abby's collar and stares into her sister's eyes. Abby can only see hate in them, hate that she has never seen before.
"So, that's how it is…I'm the bad guy…, then what are ya gonna do to me?"
"Simple: We'll burn this Treehouse and make you watch as we hand over you dear leader to Father. And those friends of yours? They've earned a VIP seat in our Hideout's dungeon's torture chamber. You included. Just like you took everything from me, I'll do the same to you! Once this is over, I can go back to live the life I've always wanted, without having to deal with you ever again!"
Abby cannot believe what her big sister is saying. Even though they had been enemies for a long time, they were still sisters, family but now, there is no trace of the sister she knew. She clenches her fists and sighs. "Well, sistah, lemme just say this: I don't give a damn what you think about me. I never cared for that! All I wanted was to have a cool big sis but that's over now. You just crossed the line when you threatened my friends. So, if you're really gonna do what you just said, you better be ready for a major ass-kickin'!"
Abby kicks Cree in the stomach with both of her legs and attack's her with her talons. Cree rolls to the left as Abby drives her clawed fingers into the wooden floor but before Cree can counter, Abby activates the armor's leg-mounted blades and strikes Cree's left shoulder armor, ripping it completely off, to Cree's shock. "…how…?"
"HIYAAAAH! Abby does a handstand and kicks her sister repeatedly while slowly rotating herself with her arms. While Cree manages to keep her balance; she can't react fast enough as Abby continues her assault. She THEN gets back on her feet and jumps, kneeing her sister in the chin and finishes her off with a roundhouse kick to her right side, knocking her against the wall. Stunned, Cree's helmet retracts and she looks up, towards her sister but to her surprise, tears are streaming down Abby's cheeks. In her fury, she also activated her communicator and Hoagie has heard most of what is happening in the central core. "Why…why did it have to go down like this…I…"
"…" Cree doesn't say anything but she can't move either. Abby's attack has left her with no stamina.
"I never wanted to be your enemy Cree…You where my hero…yet…DAMMIT!" Abby screams from the bottom her lungs; which Hoagie hears through the communicator.
"Abby…"
Then, Nigel contacts his team. "Alright, I've activated the countdown for Emergency Protocol: Lumberjack. We've got 10 minutes to get out of here, so gather in the secondary hangar ASAP."
"…Roger that…" Abby replies with a raspy voice and turns her back to her sister. "This place is gonna blow in 10 minutes, so you better get outta here." She says solemnly as she deactivates her armor.
"What?!"
Then, Maurice comes to Abby's side, memory core in hand. "So, did ya settle the score."
"No, nothin' is settled…the sister Abby knew, is gone…" The sight of Maurice walking Abby out of the room is too much for Cree to handle and with sheer anger alone, she reactivates her armor and attacks them from behind.
"No, THIS ISN'T OVER YET!" She takes aim and fires a laser directly at them.
Abby is the first to notice and pushes Maurice aside. "LOOK OUT!" The laser hits her left shoulder, burning through her shirt's left sleeve and causing massive pain. "ARRGGHHH!" Abby falls on her right side, holding her injured shoulder while Cree lands next to her and grabs her by the collar. She then punches Abby in the face.
Seeing this, Maurice tries to stop her. "CREE, STOP IT!" Without even looking in his direction, Cree fires at Maurice's feet, sending him flying.
"You stay out of this!" Cree shouts as she mercilessly attacks her sister, punching and kicking her repeatedly. Hearing her screaming in pain through the commlink is too much for Hoagie and he leaves the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P.'s cockpit just as Wally, Kuki and Nigel walk up the ramp.
"Numbuh 2, where are you going?"
"Abby and Maurice are in trouble! I'll go get them!"
"What about the ship?!"
"I left the flight assist on. You guys take off already, I'll bring them to the ship!" Seeing the determination in his eyes, Nigel nods.
"Understood. Bring them back in one piece."
"Count on it!" Hoagie runs to the hallway and presses the button on his belt buckle.
"Okay Betsy MK II Custom, let's go save them!" He shouts as the W.A.S.P. takes off behind him.
By now, the Treehouse has sustained so much damage, that it begins to disintegrate as Hoagie, piloting his Exo-suit, flies through the collapsing Treehouse, like a man possessed. Even now, he can still hear Abby's screams through the commlink, motivating him even more.
Down in the central core, Cree continues to pummel her little sister against the wall. Maurice, who was knocked out by Cree, regains his consciousness. "You're the reason everything is ruined! You've taken everything from me! I…won't…let…you…take…him!"
"Graahh!" Maurice grapples Cree from behind, forcing her to let go of Abby.
"Get off! Why do you have to defend her?!"
"'Cause, she's my friend! I promised I'd keep her safe!"
"Why does it have to be her?! What's wrong with me?!"
"That ain't the problem! It's my obligation to duty! I can't let you hurt her anymore!"
"SHUT UP!" Cree wrestles herself free from Maurice's grip and fires wildly at him, but her shots miss. Tears begin to form in her eyes as she shouts in agony.
"You were all I ever wanted! I was fine with just being with you!"
"Cree, I'm glad you think that way, but I can't be with someone who follows Father. He's the biggest threat to everyone I care."
"…Fine…then let's make this breakup official!" Cree fires every single laser cannon hidden in her armor to every direction, causing the roof the catch fire. Cree then turns her attention back on Abby and grabs her again by the collar.
"See what you've done? You've made me do this! It's all your fault, CRABIGAIL!" Then, before she can punch Abby again, a massive silver and blue arm breaks through the wall and grabs hold of her, while another arm takes a gentle hold of Abby. "What?!" Then, Hoagie's Exo-suit burst through the wall. Shocked by the machine's appearance, Cree can't do anything as Hoagie throws her against the opposite wall.
"That's a damn good timin', Numbuh 2!" Maurice shouts and runs to Abby's side. "Hey, Abby? Can ya hear me?" Abby leans against the Exo-suits arm, her face, arms and legs bruised. Worst of all, her hat is also tattered.
"…Ma…Maurice?"
"Hang in there, we'll getcha outta here."
Then, Abby hears a familiar voice. "Abby!"
"Hoagie…is that you?"
"Of course, it's me!"
"Hah…what took ya so long…" Abby says with a weak voice.
"Come on, I'll take you guys to the ship." But before they can leave however, Cree stands up and points her laser cannon at them.
"No…you're not getting away!" She fires a short burst and Hoagie wraps the Exo-suit's arms around Abby, protecting her from the lasers. "What? Why did it…"
"Forget it, Cree. Lasers don't have any effect Betsy MK II Custom!"
"You damn dork! Out of the way!" But before anyone do anything else, a large steel airplane wing, which held the roof in place, falls down due to damage caused by Cree's lasers and like a giant sword, it cuts cleanly through the floor right next to Maurice, causing the floor beneath him and Abby to give away. Right before it lands though, Maurice pushes her towards Hoagie's Exo-suit, who grabs hold of her from behind.
"MAURICE!" Both sister shouts as Maurice manages to grab hold of the wooden floor with his right hand. Despite her injuries, Abby immediately lays down on the floor and tries to reach his hand while Cree also tries to reach him from the other side. "Take my hand!" Despite her efforts, she can't reach him.
"Abby! Catch!" Using his left hand, Maurice throws the memory core and his Signal Receiver to her, which she catches with her injured arm. Hoagie then tries to reach down as well but the weight of the Exo-suit causes the wooden floor to give away even more.
"Please Maurice, take my hand!" Cree pleads with him.
"Abby, Cree, don't worry about me! Just get outta here!"
"No, I ain't leavin' you!"
"I'll be fine, I'm the best there is, remember?"
"Huh?"
"Don't forget: Never Give up!" Then, the plank Maurice is holding on breaks and time seems to slow down for the sisters and Hoagie as Maurice disappears into the burning void, an assuring, warm smile on his face. For a moment, everything stops, as neither Abby, Cree or Hoagie can comprehend what just happened until they all realize that Maurice, was gone.
"NOOOOOOO! MAURICEE!" Both sisters scream from the bottom of their lungs as Cree is stopped from going down into the inferno by her subordinates. Abby also tries to go after him but Hoagie grabs her from behind and pulls her away from the edge.
"No, you gotta let me go! He still might…!"
"Abby, we need to get out of here!" Hoagie opens the Exo-suit's chest armor and tries to drag her inside.
"Let me go! We can't just leave him! He…can't be…"
"I know! But if we don't get out right now, everything he did for us would be pointless!" Hoagie looks sternly at Abby's who starts to sob against his chest. As he closes the chest plate, they see Cree on the other side of the chasm, being pulled away by two Ninjas.
"YOU…YOU MURDERER! YOU KILLED HIM! YOU'LL PAY FOR THIS ABIGAIL! YOU'LL PAY!"
"I…killed…him?"
"Don't listen to her! It wasn't your fault!" Hoagie shouts and pulls Abby on to his lap. She goes in to shock and just leans her head against his left shoulder.
"Let's go, our team's waiting." Hoagie says calmly, but underneath his goggles, tears are filling his eyes.
…
Outside the collapsing Treehouse, Nigel, Wally, Kuki and Bradley are waiting anxiously on the W.A.S.P.'s bridge as rain falls around them. "T-minus 3 minutes before detonation…where are they?"
"I can go and find them?"
"No, Numbuh 4. Numbuh 2 will bring them back. We just have to wait…" Nigel crosses his arms and looks sternly out of the window, while Kuki is sitting on Abby's seat, monitoring the radar. Then, she sees a friendly IFF.
"Hey, look!" Hoagie's Exo-suit flies through the wall of the secondary hangar and approaches the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P., causing Wally to pump his fist.
"Numbuh 2 made it!"
"Thank goodness." Kuki sighs as Hoagie contacts them.
"Open the ramp! Hurry!" Sensing the urgency in his voice, Nigel takes Kuki's head set and talks to him.
"Numbuh 2, is everything okay?"
"It…it was Cree! Numbuh 5 was right, she was behind this!"
"Of course, well, come on board and we'll leave before the Treehouse detonates.
"Abby…Abby's hurt, really bad!"
"What?!"
"Oh no…" Kuki puts her hand over her mouth while Wally presses the ramp release button
"And Numbuh Sigma?"
"Nigel…he's…he's…" Hoagie's voice trembles and then fades.
"He's what? Tell me!"
"He…didn't make it! The floor collapsed and he…I couldn't do anything!"
"You don't mean he's…" Kuki stands up horror while Wally is speechless.
"…Just get inside. Numbuh 3, once they're onboard, take Numbuh 5 to the medical bay, understood?"
"Okay." Kuki, followed by Bradley, runs out of the bridge to meet Hoagie and Abby, who have just boarded the ship. Then, as the Exo-suit folds away, Kuki's heart is wrenched at the sight of her friend, who leans on Hoagie's left arm.
"ABBY!" Kuki grabs hold of her and gives her a tight hug, but she remains unresponsive.
"Maurice…" She mutters, causing Hoagie to clench his fists.
"Oh Abby…I'll take her to the med bay…" Hoagie nods and walks away silently, memory core and Maurice's Signal Receiver in hand. He climbs the stairs, his head and shoulders hunched down. As he opens the door, Wally and Nigel come to his side.
"Hoagie! Is it really true…?"
"He…saved…Abby…I…just…" Hoagie bites his lip and shakes. Nigel puts his hand on his shoulder to console his friend.
"Hoagie…"
"I couldn't do anything! I just stood there! DAMMIT!" Hoagie collapses on his knees and throws his goggles away while Wally tries to hold back his own tears.
"Crud..."
"I promised…I promised I'd bring them back…"
"Hoagie, it's not your fault."
"OF COURSE, IT'S MY FAULT!" Nigel and Wally are startled by Hoagie's outburst. "I COULD'VE SAVED HIM! I…I…"
Then, Nigel slaps him just lightning flashes outside, illuminating the W.A.S.P.'s bridge. Nigel then grabs Hoagie's shoulders. "GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!" Hoagie's eyes widen as Nigel looks sternly at him. "The six of us are still alive! If we give into despair, his sacrifice would've been in vain! Now stand up!" Hoagie groans and is helped up by Nigel. Wally then picks up his goggles and hands them to him.
"Come on mate, we've still gotta make it through this." Hoagie sniffs and nods.
"You're…you're right…" He puts his goggles on and walks over to the pilot's chair. As he takes control, they see the Treehouse shutter as four rocket engines pop out of the sides and separate it from the lower trunk. It then flies up, consumed by fire, towards the night sky, and explodes into a million pieces. The sight of their dear Treehouse burning in the sky reminds the team of all the memories they've had, all the good times and the bad times, the joy, the laughter, and the sorrow. The one place they could gather and spend time with each other, turns into a bright firework, lighting up the sky. As the pieces rain down, the boys come to the horrible realization that Maurice was left there, but no one says anything.
In the medical bay, Kuki managed to help Abby onto a stretcher just as the Treehouse self-destructed and they witness the event from a small side window. Abby's eyes widen and she begins to cry as Kuki holds her in her arms. "Maurice…why…"
"Abby…"
"Why…you said you'd be okay! So why…?" Kuki gently strokes her friend's hair, her eyes filled with tears. She looks out of the window, seeing the pieces of the Treehouse falling as the W.A.S.P. flies away.
"I…it's my fault! If I…"
"Don't say that!" Abby lifts her head and sees tears streaming down Kuki's cheeks.
"Don't blame yourself! You can't!" She hugs Abby tightly. "He wouldn't want you to do that…" Abby breaks down and the two friends cry together as the light from the explosion shines into the room.
Up on the bridge, Nigel leans on his elbow and tries to remain calm, but the fact that Maurice is gone, hasn't sunk in yet. Wally sits quietly on the gunner's seat while Hoagie flies the ship, without direction.
"Are they following us, Numbuh 4?"
"No, the cowards are runnin' away…Where do we go now, Numbuh 1?"
"I'll need to contact the TND…Maurice was one of their agents so…"
"Ya don't think they'll blame us for…"
"I don't even want to think about it…but it is a fact that he was there when it…" Then, a familiar voice is heard from the Signal Receiver.
"Nigel? Do you hear me?"
"Numbuh Alpha?"
"I heard everything, please return to the base. I'll have Numbuh Theta-9 give you landing coordinates."
"Eliza, I…"
"Don't say a word. We'll sort things out when you get back."
"Understood." As the call ends, Hoagie receives the landing coordinates and inputs them into the ships nav-computer. For the remainder of the flight, not a word is spoken. As they approach the Point Hill, a mechanical voice speaks to them.
"Identity confirmed, please prepare ship for landing." A large patch of the hill opens, revealing a short tunnel. Hoagie steers the ship into the it and the ship arrives into a massive hangar, over 5-times larger than the main hangar in the Treehouse. As Hoagie slowly lands the ship, Nigel notices from the window that a large crowd is gathering around the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P.
"Just what we need…" He mutters and the boys exit the bridge. Down in the cargo bay, they meet up with Kuki, who is pushing Abby on a stretcher while Bradley is sitting on her shoulder. She has taken her hat off and has treated most of her wounds. Seeing their friend in such a state, the boys gather around her.
"How the hell is she so beat up…" Wally asks as Hoagie grits his teeth.
"Cree did that to her…"
"That's enough. We'll ask once she recovers." The others nod and Nigel leads them down the ramp. As they appear from the cargo bay, they see a large group of teens staring at them in utter silence.
"Why the crud are there so many people here?!"
"I'd like to know that as well…" A frustrated Nigel replies but then, he recognizes two familiar faces among the crowd.
"Hmm?"
"NIGEL!" Two teens run towards them and they are no other than Rachel and Patton.
"R...Rachel? Patton? What are you…?" Rachel runs up to him and takes his hand.
"We heard what happened! Is it true that…?" Nigel doesn't respond and turns his gaze towards Abby.
"Oh no…Abby!" Rachel then turns her attention towards Abby and comes to her side.
"She needs help, now!" Kuki shouts.
"Of course!" Rachel then gestures at a group of teens near the edge of the crowd. "Hey, what's taking you?! Get over here already!" The teens stutter and run through the crowd, all of them wearing a medic's badge. "We need to take her to the infirmary, right now!" The medics nod and help Kuki push the stretcher. "I'll talk to you later, Nigel!" Rachel says as they push Abby through the crowd.
"Not the best circumstances for a reunion…" Patton walks over to Nigel and puts his hand on his shoulder.
"No…"
"Did he really…you know…" Nigel nods in silence.
"Damn…" Then, a loud voice is heard from the back of the crowd.
"MAKE WAY FOR THE COMMADER!" Eliza, followed by her personal guard and Herbie, force the crowd to scatter.
"Alright, get back to work, there's nothing to see here." Herbie shouts as Eliza walks over to the boys.
"I…I really don't know what to say…but I'm glad that at least you guys made it out." She hugs her cousin but Nigel remains still.
"To think our best agent would fall because…"
"Say another word Numbuh Iota-3 and there will be consequences!" Eliza stares furiously at her startled Communications Chief who remains quiet, before then turns her attention back to the boys.
"Now, why don't you come with me and we'll talk things out?"
"Yes…that would be for the best…but first, Numbuh 2!" Nigel looks at Hoagie. "Give it to her."
"Ah, right…"
To her surprise, Hoagie hands Eliza Maurice's Signal Receiver. "This is…"
"He gave it to Numbuh 5 before he…"
"Even in his last moments, he prioritized the TND... Numbuh Iota-3?"
"Yes Ma'am?"
"Have this delivered to Numbuh Gamma immediately for analysis."
"Absolutely Ma'am." Eliza hands the Receiver to Herbie who leaves with two guards.
"Now, come with me. Let's sit down and talk this whole thing through." Nigel nods and the boys follow Eliza out of the hangar as the other teens look on. She leads them to a room with sofas, armchairs and a large TV. Nigel sits down on a chair while Hoagie slumps down on the sofa, his head hunched down. Wally leans against the back wall with his arms crossed as Eliza sits on a chair opposite to Nigel while Patton stands behind her chair.
"Where did they take Numbuh 5?" Hoagie mutters.
"She's been taken to the infirmary. Don't worry, if need be, we'll send her to the hospital."
"Thank you…" Hoagie nods weakly and Eliza responds with a slight smile.
"Alright, tell me what happened, all of it." Nigel clears his throat and describes what happened after they had recovered Numbuh 42 and the agents, while Eliza listens silently.
"I see. You really did go through a lot…But again, I'm glad your team returned."
"But Numbuh Sigma…"
"Yes…he was one of our best agents. A close friend to many, not to mention to your team and especially Numbuh 5. But I'm glad to know that he stayed true to the TND till the end."
"He's helped us so much since we fled from the Arctic Base. To us, he was also a member of the team. I'm sure the others would agree." Nigel says solemnly while Hoagie grits his teeth, trying to stop himself from breaking down in tears.
"However, there is something to be gained from this. We now know that the Ninjas are in possession of Silhouette Braces and more advanced weaponry. Also, with the destruction of your Treehouse, you might've just evaded the KND's constant surveillance. I know it might sound harsh, considering what happened, but this wasn't a total disaster." Hoagie is outraged and stands up.
"How can you say that?! Not a total disaster?! We lost our Treehouse, Numbuh 5's injured and Maurice is…is dead!" He stares at Eliza with distraught eyes.
"Numbuh 2, that's enough, you need to calm down!" Nigel's words go on deaf ears.
"HOW CAN I CALM DOWN AFTER WHAT JUST HAPPENED? I WAS THERE! I…could've saved him…I could've…why…why did it have to be him?! It's all my…" Hoagie breaks down crying on the floor while Wally kneels down next to him and pats him on the back.
"I didn't mean to…"
"It's alright, Numbuh Alpha. None of us have really accepted what happened yet."
"Yes, I understand. Don't worry. We also need to re-think our strategy. Feel free to stay here as long as you want."
"Well, it's not like we have anywhere else to go right now. Thank you, Eliza."
"If you don't mind Commander, I'd like to stay here too."
"Of course, Numbuh Zeta." Eliza stands up and walks out of the room, leaving the boys to console a sobbing Hoagie.
"Oh crud…what do we now, Numbuh 1?"
"To be honest, I have no idea. For now, let's just rest. Somebody has to inform his family…"
"Numbuh Alpha said they'll deal with that."
"That's good."
"I'll take this guy to the infirmary or something. He's not doin' so good."
"Okay, do that." Nigel crosses his arms and takes a deep breath as Wally walks Hoagie out of the room.
"What a day…We thought we'd just be introduced to Maurice's allies, that's it. I never expected for things to go so horribly wrong…"
"I hear you. We overheard everything through the Signal Receiver and I tell ya, I've never seen such a big group of people go silent like that."
"You were here?"
"Yeah, Numbuh Sigma recruited us the after we left the Treehouse. I've been assigned to the Combat Forces with a new codename: Numbuh Zeta while Rachel has been made the base's Deputy Commander under Numbuh Alpha. Her new codename is Numbuh Epsilon. We wanted to meet you guys but they sent you away before we got to the Switchboard."
"I see. I'm glad you managed to escape the KND."
"Yeah, that secret exit you told us about really helped." Nigel removes his sunglasses and puts them on his armrest.
"Right…Sorry, I need to be alone for a moment."
"Yeah, I kinda guessed. Take your time, losing him was a big blow for us too. Without him, we might've been caught and decommissioned or worse, chipped." Patton stands up and as he passes Nigel's chair, he pats him on the shoulder. He then walks out of the room, leaving Nigel by himself. He leans his head against the backrest and stares at the roof.
"Dammit…some leader I am…" He mutters to himself as a tear falls down his cheek.
End of Transmission 18