Transmission 19: Sigma's Legacy

High above the forest, beyond the atmosphere, at the KND Moonbase HQ, in the central control room, the newly promoted Global Tactical Officer Numbuh 105 is observing the KND's ongoing war against Evil Adult Industries Inc. from the massive screen. While the KND have steadily gained ground over Father's forces, the adult's advanced technology and assistance from the Teen Ninjas have forced them into a virtual stalemate. Then, the control room's doors open and Supreme Leader Numbuh 1000 enters, flanked by two guards. "Welcome, Supreme Leader." Numbuh 105 salutes him.

"At ease." Numbuh 1000 replies calmly and sits down the Supreme Leader's chair. He then looks around in satisfaction as the chipped control room operators silently do their work.

"Now this is what I call efficiency. Without those chips, this place would be noisier than a kindergarten."

"Indeed."

"Now, give me a situation report."

"Yes, Sir. Unfortunately, we have been unable to make any progress in South-America and Australia. Father has prepared his defenses well. Europe is, apart from the North and the East, under our control and so is half of mainland Asia."

"Hmm, I thought I ordered to secure Europe last week?"

"Admittedly progress has been slower than expected."

"I see…We have to keep the pressure on him. We can't allow the adults any breathing room."

"Also, we have confirmed that Numbuh 42 escaped."

"WHAT?! How? Didn't Teen Hunter just drag him from his home and apprehend him yesterday?!"

"Apparently, a group of Teen Ninjas attacked his transport and took him. A team was sent to capture him but they failed."

"Dammit…We should've chipped him along with the rest of the Science Division…argh, grunts should simply do what they're told…" Numbuh 1000 shakes his fist and leans back on his seat.

"However, I do have some good news as well."

"Hmm?"

"Our scouts have confirmed that the rogue Sector V's Treehouse has been destroyed."

"Well, that IS really good news. How did it happen?" Numbuh 1000's eyes light up from glee as Numbuh 105 hands him a written report of the events.

"It was attacked by the Teen Ninjas and it seems that they refused to hand it to them so they activated Emergency Protocol: Lumberjack."

"Quite extreme but knowing Nigel Uno, predictable. Did they go down with their Treehouse?

"No, they escaped in a ship but we have no clue where the fled."

"I see…increase surveillance. I'd prefer to keep them in fear, so they won't cause trouble for me later."

"Understood Sir. Home and Middle-School surveillance will be increased."

"Oh, and send the Teen Hunters to Sector V2. No matter what, it must not be allowed to face the same fate as their Treehouse did, is that clear?"

"Yes Sir!" As Numbuh 105 relays the orders, Numbuh 1000 looks sternly at the large screen.

"That's one less obstacle to deal with…I won't let anyone stop us now."

…

Meanwhile, back on earth, within the confines of the TND base, Wally takes Hoagie to the infirmary's waiting room. The boys sit down but Hoagie is inconsolable. While he has stopped crying, the sight of Maurice falling haunts him. Then, a pair of teen operatives walk past them and whisper to each other, earning a glare from Wally.

"The heck was their problem…?" he huffs and turn his attention back to his grieving friend. "Hey, are ya feeling any better?" Hoagie doesn't respond and stares at the floor. "Yeah, I guess not."

"He was right there…" Hoagie mutters.

"Mate, you need to get a grip. It wasn't your fault!"

"But I…"

"Ya can't just throw all the blame on yourself! If anyone's to blame, it's those cruddy Ninjas. They almost caught Kuki…"

"What?"

"Yeah, they blew up her room and nearly dragged her away."

"But at least you stopped them. Unlike me…"

"Will ya stop blaming yourself!" Wally grabs Hoagie's shoulders. "If ya hadn't been there, Numbuh 5 would've...died too!"

"But…"

"Why don't ya think about it that way?! You brought back Numbuh 5, don't you get it?!" Hoagie's eyes widen as Wally lets go of him.

"You…you're right…she's…"

"She's alive because of you." Hoagie looks into his hands and is reminded of Abby.

"…That's right…I brought her back…she's here…I…gotta see her, right now!"

"Wait hold up, where are ya going?!"

"I need to see Abby!" Hoagie looks around and finds the door to the infirmary proper. With Wally right behind him, he tries to open the door but when he reaches for the handle, it flies open and to their surprise, Kuki and Rachel, who are equally startled, stand before them.

"Numbuh 5! How is she?!" Hoagie asks frantically with a raspy voice.

"She's sleeping. Don't worry, she only had bruises and a 2nd degree burn in her left shoulder. Nothing else." Both boys breathe a sigh of relief.

"I'm guessing you guys want to see her?"

"Just Numbuh 2. I'm just glad she's okay." Rachel smiles slightly and steps aside.

"She's in the 4th room from the left, but don't wake her up, okay? She's exhausted."

"Got it!" Hoagie marches inside as Rachel closes the door behind him.

"Did she…say anything?"

Kuki and Rachel look at each other and nod. "She…she's blaming herself over what happened to Maurice…"

"Hoagie was doin' the same thing. I've never seen him cry like that. Heck, he even yelled at Nigel's cousin for saying this mission wasn't a total disaster."

"No way…" Kuki gasps.

"I understand what she means, but that's just bad timing."

"Hey, does this place have any where I can lie down? I'm really tired."

"Oh, you can head to the open sleeping quarters in the 5th floor. Once you leave the elevator, it's through the 6th door to the right."

"Thanks…" Wally stretches his arms and starts heading towards the elevators at the opposite end of the corridor.

"I forgot to ask, where's Nigel?"

"He stayed behind in that room full of sofas." Wally say to Rachel over his shoulder as he keeps walking away.

"Thanks!" Rachel replies and runs back towards the other hallway where Wally and Hoagie came from. Kuki meanwhile goes after Wally.

"Oh, wait for me!" she manages to catch up as he opens the elevator doors. "Can I…come with you?"

"Sure, whatever…" While Wally presses the button for the right floor, Kuki can sense that he's trying to keep himself calm. As they stand silently inside the elevator, she grabs hold of his right hand, but doesn't say anything. Wally immediately tries to protest but when he feels her squeezing his hand hard, he restrains himself. After a few minutes, the elevator stops and they walk out, though Kuki has let go his hand. They walk silently along the hallway until they find the right door. A note on the door says to take off shoes before entering.

"Ooh, this place is kinda like my grandma's house in Japan!" Kuki says excitedly and starts looking around. The room is about the same size a school gym, with tatami spread across the floor, two doors that lead to toilets, a big sliding door filled with pillows, blankets and beanbags, Finally, the roof is replaced by a massive sky light, that shows the now clear night sky and a crescent moon, shining down to the room. Wally walks over the sliding door and grabs a beanbag, while Kuki does the same. He then throws it to the floor and collapses face first on it while Kuki puts hers next to his and sits down, staring at the stars.

"This sucks…why did he have to…" Wally can't even say the word under his breath as his face is buried inside his beanbag. Kuki gazes upon him and moves her beanbag slightly closer.

"Wally, I…I'm scared…"

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean, what's gonna happen to us now?"

"Don't know…this whole thing pisses me off…I can't believe he's gone…" Wally rolls around, spreading his arms and legs open and with his left hand, takes the green necklace he has kept in his pocket and looks at it as Kuki lies down next to him.

"I can't believe it either…He's helped us so much and then he just…"

"Abby and Hoagie saw the whole thing…"

"I wish I could help somehow…"

"Nigel said it's best to just give 'em time."

"Yeah…we all do…" Kuki tries to smile but then her expression changes as again takes hold of Wally's left hand, and grips it firmly while silver chain of the necklace hangs from it.

"Wally…I really wanna thank you, for what you did there…If they'd captured me I…" Kuki's eyes begin to fill with tears and she looks directly at him.

"Uhm…no problem…I mean, that's what friends do right? There was no way I was gonna let those creeps lay a finger on ya!"

"Wally!" Kuki jumps on top of him and cries on his chest, causing his face to flare up.

"Hey, what the crud are ya…?" Seeing Kuki so miserable, makes Wally's heart ache and he puts his right hand over her head, gently stroking her hair.

"When I heard what happened to Maurice I…I didn't know what to do…I felt so useless…"

"Same here…but like Nigel said, what matters is that we're okay…Maurice wouldn't want us to just cry all the time…"

"You're right but…this never happened before…"

"Yeah…adult's world is hella different from what the kid's world is…but no matter what, I ain't gonna let that happen to us! Never!"

"Me neither…" Kuki calms down and lays silently against Wally's chest. She can hear his slightly accelerated heartbeat and snuggles against him, causing Wally to feel even more embarrassed. After 10 minutes of silence, Wally's finally had enough.

"Hey, will ya get off me already?"

"Why?"

"I can't relax if yer doing that!"

"Aw don't be like that! You're the best bed here!"

"I am NOT your bed, now get off!" But just as Wally is about to push her off him, Kuki uses her telekinesis and stops his movement, forcing his arms against the tatami. "What the crud? Hey, that's cheating!"

"Please, just let me stay like this…" Kuki pleads and looks into his eyes, while her medallion blinks red and then pink.

"Gah…I'm gonna lose sleep over this…"

"No, you won't. You'll fall asleep faster if you're with someone."

"Why can't ya just sleep on your own beanbag?" Wally begs but Kuki doesn't respond and moves up slightly, resting her head against his right shoulder, with her forehead touching his right cheek. "Aw crud…" Wally mutters and turns his head the other way.

"Wally?"

"Hmm?"

"Please don't disappear…"

"Wha…what do ya mean by that?"

"If something would happen to you like what happened to Maurice I…I don't…I couldn't bare it…" Wally turns his gaze on Kuki, whose brown eyes are filling with tears again.

"Not gonna happen. Count on it." He looks in to her eyes with determination and she smiles weakly.

"Thanks…" She snuggles up against him and Wally lets out a sigh.

"Crud, why does she have to be so close…but…I'll keep my promise…no matter what!" Wally looks up into the night sky and soon, just like Kuki said, falls asleep.

…

Down in the infirmary, Hoagie has remained by Abby's side as she sleeps. The silence has given him to think about what happened and deal with his guilt. He has taken off his beanie and goggles and sits on a small chair next to Abby's bed while looking down at his feet, every now and then he glances at her, but has kept his mouth shut. Hoagie starts thinking back, how Maurice had been such an important part of Sector V, even though he had already left by the time Hoagie joined.

However, no one held him more dear to their heart than Abby. Her mentor, Maurice was a member of Sector V when Abby was accepted into the KND, and she always admired him and even held feelings for him in the past. When he was decommissioned 5 years ago, she took it the hardest but now, Hoagie can't even imagine how she feels, since Maurice had been so important to her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything…I'm sorry I'm such a useless friend…" He mutters.

"…uhm…"

"Huh? Abby?" Hoagie lifts his head and his eyes widen as Abby groans weakly.

"…h…Hoagie…?"

"Don't try to move, you're still injured." Hoagie holds her hand as she slowly opens her eyes. She has bandages on two bruises on her face, bandages in her right shin, left thigh, abdomen, and right wrist and gauze wrapped around her left shoulder.

"Wha…what time is it?"

"Ten in the evening. You've been asleep for 3 hours…"

"Huh…" Abby looks around but Hoagie stops her from getting up.

"Hey, I said don't move!"

"I…I have to…" Abby reaches towards the roof with her right hand and then, she remembers.

"That's right…Maurice ain't comin' back…" Tears begin streaming down her cheeks and her upper lip quivers, while Hoagie tries to stop himself from crying. "I…It's all my fault…"

"Don't say that! You…you did nothing wrong!"

"Cree called me a murderer…she said I killed him…"

"NO! That's not true! If anyone should take the blame, it should be me!"

"Wha…?" Abby sees Hoagie biting his lip, trying his best not to break down again.

"Hoagie, what are ya…"

"I should've grabbed him! I could've caught him with Betsy but I…I froze and I…let him…" Seeing the guilt in his eyes, Abby puts her injured left hand on his cheek. "I won't let you take the blame for this! You didn't kill anyone!" Hoagie grabs her hand and holds it firmly. "You can't fall into despair, not after everything we've been through!" Abby makes a weak smile and looks at Hoagie in the eye.

"Then don't say that either, Hoagie. I ain't blamin' ya for what happened…"

"Huh?"

"Ya saved my life back there…You ain't useless."

"Wait, did you…?"

"Of course, Abby heard ya…"

"I…I…ghh…" Hoagie finally breaks down and cries against the bed side while Abby puts her hand over his head.

"I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" Abby says nothing, closes her eyes and silently weeps while Hoagie's howling cry fills the room. Moments go by as neither teen says anything, only sharing the pain of losing Maurice. Hoagie's guilt is immeasurable, and only made worse by his previous bouts of jealousy towards the Teen Spy.

Abby on the other hand feels like a piece of her was ripped from her, as Maurice had been an important part of her life. A mentor, a comrade and the target of her younger self's attraction. But now, he isn't there anymore. She opens her eyes and notices that Hoagie's crying has died down.

"Have ya calmed down…?"

"I don't know…I…I've never cried like that before…" Hoagie lifts his head, his eyes red from crying.

"That's okay Hoagie." Abby tries to smile, surprising Hoagie.

"Ha…How can you smile when…"

"Cuz I promised myself I'd stay strong…for his sake. Maurice would tell me to stop cryin' and move on. To never give up. And that's what Abby's gonna do."

"Never give up…I wish I could be that determined…"

"Of course, ya are. You just need more confidence in yoself."

"Heh, and I thought I was the one consoling you…it's the other way around I guess…" Abby giggles slightly and stares at the ceiling.

"I don't think I'll ever get over this…never…but Abby's not gonna let that hold her down. I'm gonna keep movin' forward. We still need to bring down Numbuh 1000 and find out who framed us."

"You're right…with all that's happened, I almost forgot about that."

"You dummy." Abby chuckles as Hoagie stands up.

"Well, I'll let you get back to sleep. You need to get your strength back." But before he can leave, Abby calls out to him.

"Hoagie, wait!"

"Huh?"

"Uhm…can ya stay here a bit longer? Just until I fall asleep, okay?" Abby's pleading look causes Hoagie to blush and he stutters.

"Wha…oh uhm…yeah…yeah of course…I…I'll stay." He sits back on the seat and Abby takes hold of his right hand with her left, though due to her injury, she can't squeeze it.

"Thanks for savin' me, Hoagie." she mutters and slowly falls asleep, leaving Hoagie confused but at the same time, happy.

"I need to get stronger, so I can protect you, and everyone else…" He closes his fist and looks down at Abby with a determined expression.

…

As Hoagie keeps Abby company, Rachel finds Nigel sitting in the leisure room, but as she opens the door, Nigel shouts furiously. "NO! GET OUT! STOP TALKING TO ME!" Nigel holds his head and kneels, clearly in pain.

"Nigel!" Rachel comes to his side and puts her hand on his right shoulder. "What's wrong?!"

Nigel shakes his head and realizes that Rachel is next to him. "Huh…oh, Rachel…sorry about that…" he acts as if nothing happened and stands up.

"Why did you scream like that?"

"It was nothing…forget you heard that." Nigel shrugs her concerns away and sits back down on the armchair. However, Rachel is not convinced and sits on the chair opposite to him. "Sorry, but I'm not really in the mood for small talk. We've had a rough day…"

"I know. I can't believe that Numbuh 9 is gone. Not to mention you guys losing your Treehouse."

"It was only a matter of time before they'd try something like that, though I'm surprised it was the Ninjas, not the KND."

"It's like the world really is against you guys…"

"That may be so, but we won't give up. Maurice always used to say to 'never give up'. Though, after what happened, even I'm starting to lose my confidence."

"I'm sure everything will turn out for the better eventually. If we give in and lose hope, everything we've done so far would've been pointless. I want to believe that."

"I wish I could say the same, but it feels like our enemy is always a step ahead."

"Not for long, trust me. The TND will find a way to stop Numbuh 1000 and Father."

"Yes, I hope so too." Nigel leans back and lets out a frustrated sigh. He looks at his right hand and is reminded of what happened in the briefing room.

"Nigel, be honest with me, why did you scream?"

"…I told you, it's nothing…"

"I'm worried about you. Anyone would if they saw you do that." Nigel closes his right hand and it begins to shake.

"It doesn't concern you. This is something I have to deal with myself."

"It does concern me! We're friends, right? If you're troubled, you shouldn't hold it in!"

"Look Rachel, you wouldn't understand…"

"You idiot!" Rachel shouts and stands up, looking furiously at a startled Nigel.

"Of course, I can't understand, if you won't tell me! You've always been like this! You never open yourself to anyone because you don't want to lose face!"

"Lose face? No that's not…"

"Is it really so wrong to worry?"

"…No, of course not but…this is my problem."

"It's my problem too! I'm sure your team would say the same! Stop being so stubborn and let me help you!" But then, Nigel snaps, stands up and his Silhouette Suit activates.

"WILL YOU GIVE IT A REST ALREADY!" Rachel takes a step back and fear starts to crawl up her spine.

"EVEN IF YOU KNEW, YOU COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!" Then Nigel sees Rachel's fearful expression and realizes that the Suit is active but then it disappears.

"Nigel…"

"I'm sorry, I was out of line…but please, don't worry about me. My problem is something that can't be fixed, just like that…" He puts his right hand over his face and starts to leave.

"Nigel, wait!"

"Sorry, this wasn't the best reunion, Rachel. But I need to rest, too much happened today." As he closes the door behind him, Rachel looks on silently, determination burning in her eyes.

"I knew it was about that…"

End of Transmission 19

Note: Well, those were some tough chapters to go through I imagine, but this story has a lot more to offer. I actually found it quite difficult to...kill off Maurice, since he was an awesome character in the show (Khary Payton was phenomenal as his VA), even if he only had 3 appearances.