Transmission 21: Lonely Boys
"I'm quite impressed by the Switchboard. I bet it could give the KND Global Command a run for its money." Nigel says as he, Abby, Patton and Rachel exit the Switchboard, having been given a reluctant but an in-depth orientation on the information center's operations by Herbie.
"I agree. We were equally impressed back when we joined." Rachel nods as they walk along the hallway back to the hangar.
"Looks like Herbie got his act together at least." Abby says as Nigel's communicator goes off.
"Hm, it's Numbuh 2…Why are you calling me?"
"Nigel, you gotta come back to the ship!"
"Back to the ship? What do you mean?" Nigel can hear a faint sound of commotion coming from Hoagie's communicator.
"Hurry! Numbuh 4 started a fight with The Kid and they won't stop!"
"HE WHAT?!" Nigel shouts, startling the others. He then hears the background noise more clearly: Kuki's pleas and Wally and The Kid cursing at each other. "Okay, we'll be right there…Dammit." Nigel closes his communicator and starts running.
"Hey, where the heck are ya goin'?"
"Numbuh 4 is beating up The Kid aboard our ship!"
"For frick's sake! Numbuh 5 told 'em not to cause trouble! Wait until I get my hands on him!" Nigel and the others run to the hangar and board the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P. As they climb the stairs up to the bridge, they can hear a mixture of shouting, cursing, and screaming.
"I don't like the sound of that." Patton mutters as they reach the final step and enter the bridge. Inside, they see Wally, holding The Kid against the wall. While their fight has been very even, as The Kid has countered Wally's raw physical strength with agility and cunning, now, he's on the ropes. Wally has taken a hold of his collar and has pressed him firmly against the back wall. Hoagie is already hanging on to his right arm, though he isn't making a big difference.
"Numbuh 4, stop it right now!" Nigel, Patton and Abby grapple Wally from behind to try and pull him away,
"What the heck do ya think yer doin'?!"
"He's not the enemy!"
They're words go on deaf ears and Wally's brute strength proves too much for the 4 teens. He struggles free from their grip and brings out his B.R.A.'s right arm gauntlet, ready to strike the reeling Kid.
"NUMBUH 4, DON'T'!" Nigel runs back to him and uses all his strength to try and keep Wally from using his gauntlet.
Just as Nigel is about bring out his Silhouette Suit, Kuki lets out a loud scream as her medallion glows bright red. "WALLY, YOU CAN'T!" she fires a blast of lightning from both of her hands, striking him in the back.
"GHAAAAAAAAA!" Wally writhes in pain and collapses on the wooden floor. Nigel immediately takes his B.R.A. wristband away from him as Patton grabs The Kid, who has already lost his conscience. Kuki meanwhile has collapsed on her kneels and cries uncontrollably while the others can't believe what just happened.
"I'll take him to the infirmary."
Patton puts his arm under The Kids shoulder and slowly takes him away while Nigel is kneeling next to Wally. "How did this happen…Somebody explain to me."
"It would be for the best is we take him to the cell, just so he can cool off." Rachel says as Abby tries to calm down an inconsolable Kuki.
"I…I'll go get a stretcher from the infirmary." Hoagie stutters as Nigel nods.
"Get straps as well. I don't want him to wake up into a frenzy." Nigel says with a pained voice.
"…Got it…" Hoagie runs down to the lower hull to get the stretcher while Rachel puts her hand on Nigel's shoulder. "And here I thought the worst was behind us…What could've driven him so mad…?" Rachel doesn't answer and looks on silently.
"She's in no shape for questionin'. Numbuh 5's gonna take her somewhere to calm down."
"Of course…" As Abby walks Kuki out of the bridge, Hoagie comes back with the stretcher. He then helps Nigel to lift the unconscious Wally on it and they put two large leather straps over him, keeping him still and his arms from moving. Silently, they roll him off the ship.
…
2 hours later, Nigel, Abby, Kuki, Hoagie and Patton are sitting in the leisure room. After calming down, Kuki had explained what happened, which frustrates Abby especially.
"That whole fight was because Numbuh 4 got called a shorty? That don't make one bit of sense."
"That would've made sense in the past but now…it's not like him to explode like that without a good reason." Nigel ponders as Hoagie begins to realize why he became enraged.
"I…uhm…I think…" Before he can finish, Eliza and Rachel enter the room with her guards.
"Commander!" Patton stands up and salutes her, but to the guard's displeasure, Sector V doesn't.
"Hey, your commanding officer is present!"
"Oh, of course." Nigel stands up as well and salutes but the others hesitate for a second before they salute.
"At ease." The others notice the frustrated look on Eliza's face. "Well, I'm not gonna lie, this whole fight didn't go well with the Section Chiefs…"
"Of course, those guys would complain…" Abby huffs.
"I guess they were hoping something like this would happen…" Hoagie mutters.
"Now, since you guys have a special status, I can't really punish Numbuh 4, but I need to do something to calm the chiefs down."
"What do you mean?" A sense of dread creeps into Nigel and his teammates.
"I spoke with the other Commanders and we are considering omitting Numbuh 4 from the Ninja Hideout operation."
"WHAT?!"
"Please, calm down! It's only a precaution. The Section Chiefs are making a lot of noise about the fight and claim that if he is allowed to be here, he might attack others. The worst case is that they'll start to refuse orders and break away and if that happens, the chain of command and our whole operation could be in danger." Sector V can't believe what they've just heard and Abby stands up.
"You can't be serious?! Numbuh 4 might be a dummy but he ain't a psycho!"
"I agree with Numbuh 5. Those accusations are wrong. Numbuh 4 is our teammate, and he would never even think of attacking his allies!" Nigel also gets up.
"Then what was that fight about? I understand how you feel, but if someone attacks another like that and sends him to the infirmary, there has to be consequences."
"Don't do it!" The argument is halted by a voice coming from behind the door and then, it is kicked wide open. To everyone's surprise, it's The Kid, being restrained by a medic.
"You shouldn't be out of the bed yet! We just put those bandages on you!" The Kid ignores the medics pleas and enters the leisure room.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the infirmary?"
"Sorry Miss Commander, but I ain't gonna let you punish him for something I started."
"You started that fight? Explain yourself." Eliza crosses her arms while Nigel and the others are awestruck.
"Yea, I kinda got angry when he yelled at Kuki, so I threw him to the floor. You saw it too, right?" The Kid looks at Kuki, who nods, albeit hesitantly.
"I see…so that's how it is…"
"Oh, I cannot believe you two! You were fightin' cause of that?! How stupid do ya have to be?! Numbuh 5's had it with you guys! Somebody hold me back right now or Imma send you to the med wing with more than bruises!" she becomes furious and stomps her feet in anger while Hoagie tries to calm her down as The Kid takes a step back. Eliza meanwhile lets out a loud sigh.
"Well…at least that's cleared. Seriously Kid, you really should think first before you act…" She puts her right hand over her face and shakes her head in disapproval.
"Yeah…sorry about that Miss Commander. I kinda underestimated him."
"That you certainly did. Alright, go back to the infirmary and rest. We need you at your best for the Hideout op."
"Right, leave that to me…"
Eliza then turns towards Nigel. "Why do you guys always have to cause me trouble? You just got here and I've had to cover for your team twice already." she says with a slight smile.
"That comes as part our deal. We've never been the most…normal."
"Now you know what I had to go through with these guys back in the KND." Rachel chuckles, her comment causes both Eliza and Nigel to laugh slightly.
"Uhm…what about Numbuh 4?" Kuki asks cautiously.
"He's in the cell block in the 14th floor. You guys should pick him up before the interrogation."
"Interrogation?" Nigel lifts an eyebrow.
"Yes, you see, we've managed to wake up Numbuh 42, but we want to have your team present when we interrogate him. Since Numbuh 2 was good friends with him, we believe he might feel at ease if you are there."
"Oh…uhm sure, but you do know he believed that we betrayed the KND like everyone else?"
"Yes, but considering what has happened in the last month, he may have a different view now. Anyway, come to the 20th floor. We've prepared a special room for him."
"Understood. I'm sorry this uhm…fiasco happened."
"Heh, you should be. Let's just hope this doesn't happen again." Eliza eyes at The Kid, who smiles apologetically. "That goes for Numbuh 4 as well."
"Oh, don't you worry about that, Numbuh Alpha. Numbuh 5's gonna personally make sure that dummy learns his lesson. Come on guys, let's go pick him up."
"We'll come to the interrogation room after we get Numbuh 4."
"Okay. If the guard asks anything, tell him that I authorized it."
"Right. Let's go team." Nigel his team out of the room while Eliza leaves with Patton and Rachel. As Sector V walks past The Kid, he and Kuki lock eyes.
"Uhm…thanks for stopping Numbuh 4 from getting punished…"
"Eh, it was nothing really. Don't get me wrong, I don't like the guy, but I think it's better if you guys are on our side, all of you."
"Oh…"
"At least now ya know not to pick a fight with him." The Kid only replies to Abby's comment with a shrug and a confident smile. He is then taken away by the medics, but he still manages to wink at Kuki, causing her to blush. "Man, that guys' worse than you Hoagie."
"Huh, what do you mean by that?!"
"Nothin'." Abby says as Nigel and Kuki chuckle at Hoagie, who remains perplexed.
They then board an elevator and go to the 14th floor, where they stopped by the head-guard. "Halt. What business do you have here?"
"We're here to pick up Numbuh 4."
"Do you have authorization?"
"Commander Alpha said to call if you asked about that." Nigel says sternly as the guard looks at them with suspicion but then lets them in.
"He's in cell #7. Use the code 2989 to open it."
"Thank you." The head guard steps aside, and Sector V enter the prison. Soon they find cell #7 and look inside from the small window embedded into the heavily reinforced steel door.
Within the cell, Wally is sitting on the floor, his head hunched forward and his hands in his pockets. He has a bandage on his right cheek and another on his chin but otherwise, he has no visible injuries.
"Great job Beetles, you really messed up this time…Why the crud did I hafta get so mad back there…?"
His thoughts are interrupted by the sound of the door slowly opening and as he lifts his head and looks at the entrance where, to his surprise, his team is standing on the other side. "So, this is where they took you, Numbuh 4." Wally doesn't react to Nigel's words and looks away, feeling a mixture of frustration and embarrassment.
"Hey, you there?" Abby walks over to him and stands before him.
"Yeah…"
"Good, now get your ass up." Abby takes Wally's hand and pulls him up. She then looks him in the eye and pinches him on his left cheek, surprising the others.
"Ow ow ow, hey, what the crud are ya…let go!"
"That was for bein' stupid, Numbuh 4. I told ya not to cause trouble, and what did ya do?" Abby's intense stare causes Wally to lower his head.
"Ya don't need to tell me…I messed up."
"Damn right you did! You know what Numbuh Alpha was gonna do to ya? She was gonna drop ya from the Hideout op!"
"What? Aw crud…" As Abby continues to scold Wally, a frightened Hoagie nudges an equally frightened Nigel.
"Dude, she's really going off on him."
"Yes, she is. I was planning on doing it myself but I guess didn't have to…" Nigel whispers, while Kuki hides behind the boys.
"Now you better count yoself lucky, cuz The Kid took the fall for ya."
"Why the crud did he do that?! I almost…"
"Don't say it! Maybe now you'll learn to keep your feelin's in check. We ain't gonna get anythin' done if ya start a fight with anyone who even looks at Kuki the wrong way!" Both Wally and Kuki turn red while Hoagie and Nigel start chuckling.
"Wha…why would I start a fight for such a stupid reason?!"
"Cuz you ARE stupid! And don't look at me like that! Numbuh 5 figured out the whole thing already. Now come on, Numbuh Alpha wants us in the 20th floor." Abby huffs and marches out of the room, leaving a stunned Wally standing there.
"Okay Numbuh 4, let's go. You don't want to stay in there, right?"
"Uhm…right…" Wally follows the others out of the cell block but hides his face slightly. As they board the elevator, he and Kuki stand next to each other but neither says anything. Hoagie meanwhile turns towards Abby.
"Man, I don't think I've ever seen you get mad like that." he snickers but Abby gives him a furious look.
"And what's so funny, huh?"
"Eeep…" Hoagie goes stiff as board as Abby presses her right index finger against his chest.
"You're equally to blame cuz ya didn't keep an eye on them! Why the heck where ya wearin' headphones anyway?"
"Uhm…I…was trying to…uhm…concentrate on my work?" Hoagie stutters as Nigel intervenes.
"I think they've learned their lesson, Numbuh 5."
"They better. Honestly, you guys are makin' Numbuh 5's head hurt."
The elevator goes stops at the 20th floor and Sector V walks out, but Wally and Kuki walk slightly slower than the others. Not far from the elevator they see Rachel, who is standing next to a steel door.
"Okay, Numbuh 2, use that door over there. The rest of you follow me." Rachel points at a door right before the door she's standing next to.
"Oh uhm…okay." Hoagie does as he's told and goes through the door while Nigel, Abby and Kuki walk over to Rachel, while Wally stands still.
Abby notices this and nudges Kuki. "Numbuh 5 thinks he's got something to say to ya."
"Huh? Oh uhm…"
"Don't worry, I'll tell 'em to give ya a few minutes." Abby says and winks to Rachel who realizes what she means and nods.
They then enter the room while Kuki comes over to Wally's side. "I uhm…sorry I yelled at you and…got in a fight with him…" Kuki doesn't respond and gives him a short, tight hug. "Oh crud, not again!"
"It's okay Wally. I'm not angry." Her forgiving smile makes Wally's face red and he looks away.
"Uhm…yeah well…that's great…"
"Just promise me you won't do it again okay?"
"Yeah, I promise…"
"Reeaaallly?"
"I said I promise!" Kuki giggles slightly and let's go of Wally, who hides his embarrassment under his blond hair.
"But really Wally, you shouldn't get angry get over every little thing."
"Wha…that wasn't a little…" Wally stops mid-sentence and both remember what Abby said earlier and begin to blush simultaneously. "I…uhm…"
Before either can say anything, the door opens and Abby peeks out. "Hey, you to love birds kissed and made up? Get in here already!" She smirks as Wally and Kuki are startled by her words. They then silently walk over to the door and enter the room. Inside, they join Abby and Nigel, who are standing in-front of a large glass wall. With them are also Eliza, Patton, Rachel and the Chiefs from the Science and Intelligence Sections, who are sitting in-front of a control panel.
On the other side of the glass wall are Hoagie and Herbie who are sitting beside a bed. A sleeping Numbuh 42 is lying on it, wearing a yellow turtleneck, a red kerchief around his neck, brown pants and orange socks. His KND Science Division Chief's lab coat, orange gloves and his sneakers are next to his bed. He has lost weight since Hoagie last saw him but he is still shorter than him.
"Uhm…what are they doing there?" Wally nudges Nigel.
"Numbuh 42 has been placed in a special interrogation room with a mirror wall. He can't see or hear us but we can. Numbuh 2 and Numbuh Iota-3 where very close to him so they decided to let them do the questioning."
"Oh…okay."
"This better work. We have no idea how he'll react to seeing two Ex-KND operatives." The lanky, white-haired Intelligence Chief mutters. He is wearing finger-less leather gloves, a long-collared gray trench coat that covers his mouth, underneath which is a buttoned up blue shirt, while he also wears brown pants and clean black shoes. His most distinguishing however feature is the round birthmark on his forehead.
"All we can do is hope for the best, Numbuh Gamma. Tell Numbuh Iota-3 to wake up Numbuh 42."
"Yes, Commander Numbuh Epsilon." Numbuh Gamma presses a button on his Signal Receiver, prompting Herbie to nod in response as they begin the questioning.
"Alright, I'll wake him up now. Remember, he has no idea where he is or why we're here. We need to go slowly." Herbie looks at Hoagie sternly, who nods back.
"Got it." Hoagie replies silently as Herbie then nudges Numbuh 42's right shoulder.
"Hey, Ted, wake up."
"…"
"Can you hear me? Do you recognize my voice?"
"…uhm…who…who's there…?" Numbuh 42, known to his friends as Ted, mutters and slowly opens his dark blue eyes. "Huh…Ho…Hoagie? and Herbie? What are you guys doing here? Oh, I get it…I'm just dreaming…"
"Sorry to burst your bubble but this isn't a dream."
"What do you mean Hoagie? I know this is a dream because you and Herbie are here…"
"This is reality Ted. What's the last thing you remember?"
"Huh…oh…I was caught and…they beat me…and knocked me out…I must be still be…huh?!" Ted's vision begins to clear and he sees his old nerd colleagues sitting beside his bed. "…Hey, why are you guys…so real…Wait, this isn't a dream! Where am I?! NO, I WON'T BE CHIPPED. ANYTHING BUT THAT! I'LL EVEN TAKE DECOMMISSIONING OVER IT!" Ted tries to get out of his bed but Hoagie and Herbie push him down.
"Calm down Ted! No one is getting chipped or decommissioned! Take a deep breath and calm down!" Hoagie says at they manage restrain Ted.
"No…I've been captured! I won't go back there! I refuse to be a part of that madman's plans!"
"You're safe! Calm down for crying out loud!" After a few minutes, Ted stops struggling and takes a deep breath.
"Where am I? If this isn't the KND then what is this?"
"You're with the Teen Spy Organization." Hoagie sits back down on his seat.
"Teen Spies?"
"A secret KND branch run by former KND operatives. We are called the Teens Next Door now." Herbie explains but Ted looks at them with suspicion.
"Hmm…but that can't be. You were decommissioned 2 years ago and you're still on the run from the KND after you guys betrayed us." A pained expression appears on Hoagie's face while his friends are also slightly hurt by being called traitors.
"Allow me to correct you, Sector V never betrayed the KND, they were framed. They are now a part of the TND, and thus, our allies." Herbie's words surprise Hoagie as well as his teammates.
"Huh, didn't he just 2 hours ago want us out of here?" Abby whispers to Nigel, who watches on with his arms crossed.
"It seems he's figured out that in-fighting is a waste of time now."
On the other side of the reflective glass wall, Ted looks around the room with a confused expression. "If what you're saying is the truth, then do you have any proof that you're innocent."
"Plenty, but we aren't here to talk about me, this is all about you. We'll explain our side of situation and then you answer our questions, got it?"
"…Okay…" Ted remains on his guard as Hoagie briefly explains what he's done during the last month while Herbie tells him more about the TND. "Oh…I see…so you're not my enemy then…"
"Nope. You could say we're the only allies you have now." Hoagie adjust his posture slightly as Ted looks at the ceiling and crosses his arms.
"Hm…okay, I believe you. Seeing as I have no choice now. What do you want to know?"
"Everything about Numbuh 1000, his mind-control chips and his ultimate goal." Herbie looks at him sharply.
"Wow, where to begin…A year ago, after I was made the new Chief of the Science Division, he came to the Deep-Sea Science Lab and proposed a new way of stopping decommissioned operatives becoming enemies to the KND, citing you guys as an example. He wanted us to develop a chip that would be worn by all operatives that would make them not hate KND after decommissioning."
"That must've been the cover he used to hide their real purpose, right?" Hoagie asks.
"If only we'd known then…but he was so convincing, said he had the Supreme Leader's approval and everything! He even gave a blueprint of the design. He didn't say where he got it but said it came from a trusty source…" A chill runs through Hoagie as his teammates realize the connection.
"Off course! He must've known about the obedience chip Chester was working on…but that doesn't make sense…the only blueprints he ever made ended up in Father's hands…"
"You're saying there are two kinds of chips?" Numbuh Gamma asks over his shoulder.
"Yes. The chips that we found on Numbuh 83 and 84 and the one found on Numbuh 4's brother were fundamentally different. We have both examples right here." Nigel shows the three chips he has kept in his person to Numbuh Gamma.
"Most intriguing…do you mind we'll have the Science Section analyze these?"
"Not at all. I was planning to give them to you anyway." Nigel hands the chips to the Intelligence Chief, who in turn gives them to the Science Chief.
"But how the heck did he get 'em anyway?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Numbuh 5…"
Then, Hoagie and Herbie continue asking questions. "So, he made you build those chips. How exactly did he manage to gain control of the KND so quickly?"
"He…Since he was mainly deployed at the Arctic Prison…he…he used them on the Cadets Next Door…and we let him do it…" Ted clenches his fists while on the other side of the wall, Wally becomes visibly angry.
"That son of a…" He mutters as his teammates look on, all equally shocked by what they've heard.
"He actually used my old Cadets Next Door as guinea pigs?!" Patton is equally infuriated as Wally and shakes his fist.
"He even tampered with their deployments and put them in important positions…Of course, they weren't the only ones he chipped. He marketed it to older operatives as well. Even some of my fellow scientist took them, saying they didn't want to end up like Sector V…"
"No way…"
"They didn't know! None of us knew! Then, a month ago, we were working as usual when suddenly, everyone except me and two other scientists just…stopped talking. They looked totally blanked out. They just kept working but only on weapons…All the research we'd been working on didn't matter anymore…When I contacted the Moonbase, the person who answered me had the same look. He said that the new Supreme Leader wanted us to concentrate on making more advanced weapons and move our team to the Moonbase.
"He said it was for security reasons but that was a lie. Numbuh 1000 really just wanted to keep me and my two colleagues under constant watch, so we wouldn't try anything. He doesn't trust anyone, not even those operatives who were in on his scheme. If someone tried to protest, he'd forcefully chip them…"
"Truly, he is twisted to the core…"
"Hah, twisted? He's insane! All he talks about is saving the world from the disease of adulthood, and claiming to be the greatest hero in KND history! It's been a month since he started this war and he has only had little gains! So many operatives, blindly following his orders, battle Father, day and night, all for nothing! Then…a week ago...I overheard him say that instead of letting us get Decommissioned, he was just going to chip us and keep us working…"
"That's when you fled, right?" Hoagie says as Ted's eye begin filling with tears.
"Exactly! We realized what we'd done…what a horrible mistake we'd made when we believed him…We agreed to flee the Moonbase but…only I made it out…they stayed behind and now they're mindlessly working on more weapons. Dammit! Why did we believe him?! What have we done…?" Ted begins to weep out of guilt as both Hoagie and Herbie look on, unable to find words to console their friend.
Behind the wall, Rachel begins to shake from anger. "To think we believed we were doing the right thing…He used us…What have we been doing for three years…?" The others are equally shocked by Ted's story.
"But the question is: Why? What would drive him to do such things…?" Nigel ponders.
"Whatever his reasons are, we won't get them from Numbuh 42. I believe he's told us all he can at the moment." Numbuh Gamma signals Herbie to end the interrogation.
"Our time's up, Numbuh 2. Pushing him further wouldn't be wise."
"…Wait. Can I talk to him some more?"
"Fine, you get 10 minutes." Herbie gets up and walks out of the door, leaving Hoagie with Ted, who continues to weep.
"I understand how you feel Ted. I've done things I regret, really bad things. After we fled the KND, I became the new Cheese Shogun and forced people to work in the Cheese Mine. I was just so angry, angry that my team was framed and I couldn't do anything about so I spread that pain onto others. There are even people here that suffered because of what I did…in the end, I got ousted and captured but looking back, I think that was for the best. When I got back together with my friends, it made me realize there is still hope in this world. So, you shouldn't give up either. You still have a way to redeem yourself."
"Wha…what do you mean? Numbuh 1000's KND is unbeatable…he controls everything and knows everything…"
"That's not true! He might think he has the upper hand, but that's where we come in. Me and my team are working with the TND to bring him down. I don't know if I'm allowed to say this, but I think you should join us too."
"Huh? Join you…" Behind the wall, Herbie has sat down next to Numbuh Gamma.
"So, that's why he wanted to talk longer…very clever." The Intelligence Chief crosses his arms and smirks under his collar.
"With his technical expertise AND his in-debt knowledge of the mind-control chips, he may be a useful asset, Commander."
"Why are telling that to me, Numbuh Iota-3? I've already agreed to let him join us. That's why we rescued him in the first place." Eliza smiles cheekily.
"Of course, I should've known." Herbie shrugs while Abby has Sector V huddle together.
"Heh, he's really good with words, isn't he?" The others nod while Nigel smiles confidently.
"Numbuh 42 carries an equally heavy burden as we do. I think Hoagie may have just gotten us a very important ally." They turn their gaze back to Hoagie, who patiently waits for Ted's reply.
"Hmm…Do you guys really have a plan to save the KND? You're teenagers now, why do care about them anymore?"
"Because the KND was a way of life for us and that goes for everyone here. Yeah, teenagers are a natural enemy to the KND, but I think we're doing this to also prove that not all teenagers are evil or only serve Father. What Numbuh 1000 has done to it is something we can't forgive. Besides, it would sully the memory of those who didn't make it…" Hoagie is reminded of Maurice but he keeps his nerve.
"Didn't make it? What do you mean?"
"I'll tell you later. I'm glad we got to have this talk, I've kinda missed ya, you know." Hoagie stands up and leaves the room, saluting his old friend before he closes the door, leaving a conflicted Ted by himself. As he walks over to the other side of the wall, he's greeted by his team.
"That was quite the speech you did there." Nigel smirks slightly as Hoagie joins his friends.
"Oh, that was just something I wanted to get off my chest. I'm still trying to figure out how to be more useful." Abby puts her hand on his shoulder.
"Well, Numbuh 5 thinks ya did good. Don't be too hard on yoself."
"Heh…I'll try." Hoagie smiles sheepishly while Nigel looks over his shoulder towards Eliza.
"So, Numbuh Alpha, what should we do now?"
"Hmm…for now, we'll have to wait for Numbuh 42's's answer. We can't force him, but if he does agree, he'll be allowed to join. Right now, we'll prioritize the Teen Ninja's Hideout. The destruction of your Treehouse has no doubt made them bolder in their operations and that must not be allowed."
"I was thinking of that very same thing. If possible, could we start planning for it as soon as possible. Just sitting in this base doing nothing is counterproductive."
"I understand your point, Numbuh 1, but regardless, we will have a meeting tomorrow. Gathering intel is our priority."
"If ya need someone to gather intel, let Numbuh 5 help. Sneaking into places is my forte."
"I second that. Numbuh 5 was the best spy we had in the KND, no question." Rachel's comment surprises Abby, as Rachel was the foremost KND spy before she became the Supreme Leader.
"Wow, aren't ya sellin' yoself a bit low there?"
"Oh please, you were a 1000 times better than I was. But seriously, Numbuh Alpha, we should send a recon party there and gather as much info as we can. That way, we'll have a better chance of taking it out later."
"What do you think, Numbuh Gamma?" Eliza says and looks at her Intelligence Chief, who crosses his arms.
"Hmm…sending only one would be risky. Normally, Numbuh Sigma would've decided these things but now of course that's not possible. However, I do understand your point. If two or three people go there and survey the area, our chances of succeeding in the raid will increase greatly. But like I said, you can't go there alone."
"Then it's settled, gather two more people and come to the briefing room." Eliza salutes everyone and leaves the room with Numbuh Gamma. Sector V again huddle together, along with Rachel and Patton.
"You seriously want to go on a mission right now? Your arm hasn't even healed!"
"My arms fine, Numbuh 2. Doin' nothin' ain't Numbuh 5's style."
"But like Numbuh Gamma said, you can't go alone. Hmm…" Nigel crosses his arms while the others remain silent.
"Let me go too." Wally puts his hand up.
"Huh? You wanna go, Numbuh 4? I thought ya hated recon."
"As long I can get some action, I don't care."
"Then I'm going too!" Kuki shouts with determination.
"Well then, there's your team Numbuh 5."
"But how do you plan on sneaking in there?"
"Haven't ya figured it yet, Numbuh 2? We've got those cloaking devices."
"Ah, right, I forgot about those…"
"Boy, ya need to keep track of your inventions." Abby smiles cheekily and gently elbows him on his shoulder, making Hoagie feel a bit embarrassed.
Then, the lab coat wearing, stocky, brown-haired Science Chief stands up from his seat. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but overhear ya mentioning a cloaking device. Do you really have something like that?" He say with his thick Scottish accent.
"Yes, thanks to Numbuh 2. He reverse-engineered it from a prototype B.R.A. Numbuh 4 stole from Father."
"They didn't call him the smartest guy in the KND for nothin'." Abby leans with her elbow on Hoagie's shoulder, causing his face to turn red.
"Aw, you guys are overselling me…"
"Can I ask you to come to the Science Section's lab? My Science Team is very keen on getting your opinion on our projects…I know I'm not really in any position to ask, considering what I said earlier about ye…"
"That's in the past. We're working for the same goal, so of course we'll help. Numbuh 2, do you mind going with him to the Science Lab?"
"Not really, Numbuh 1. I'll just get the supply box from the ship first. All my blueprints and schematics are in there…wait a minute, you look familiar…" Hoagie squints at the stout Science Chief before her realizes who he's been talking to. "No way, you're THE Numbuh 2x4! How did they recruit you?!"
"Well, I was transferred to the Teen Spies as technical adviser but then I was given this job. My codename is Numbuh Omicron now."
"Wow, I didn't realize I'd get to work with a genius like you!" Hoagie starts eagerly shaking Omicron's hand, who smiles and laughs.
"Hah, you're bein' too kind, lad. But a word of warning, if you bring up the whole Science Fair fiasco to the others, I'll personally have ya kicked out."
"Aw, but my invention was ingenious!"
"It was disgusting!"
"But I told you, it wasn't made of boogers! It was earwax!"
"It was still disgusting, ya nutcase!"
As the two "geniuses" argue, Nigel turns to face the others. "Alright then, that's settled. Numbuh 5, start preparing for the recon with Numbuh 4 and Numbuh 3 while Numbuh 2 goes to the Science Lab."
"Then what are you gonna do?" Wally asks.
"I was planning on visiting my home. There's something I left behind when we fled the Treehouse."
"You can't go alone either, so I'm coming with you." Rachel puts her hand on Nigel's shoulder.
"I'm coming too. You never know if the Ninjas or the KND have an ambush waiting for you."
"Hmm…Fine. We should leave at once then. Do you have all your equipment ready, Numbuh 5?"
"My B.R.A.'s all I need. What about you two?"
"I'm ready!"
"Numbuh 1, can ya give me my B.R.A. back?"
"Oh yes, of course." Nigel hands the wristband to Wally as they walk out of the observation room.
"We'll wait for you in the hangar, Numbuh 5."
"Gotcha baby." Hoagie, Numbuh Omicron and Nigel's group head to the hangar while Abby walks to the opposite direction with Wally and Kuki.
…
After a short elevator ride, Wally and the girls enter the briefing room, where Eliza and Numbuh Gamma are waiting.
"So, you're all set?"
"Just tell us where to go and what to look for, baby." Abby says nonchalantly as she sits down on a chair. Kuki also sits down but Wally leans against the back wall.
Numbuh Gamma then brings out the map on the screen. "Alright, then I'll make this briefing short. Your target is the Teen Ninja Hideout in downtown Cleve. The actual facade of the Hideout is the mini mart above it, which is also the only way inside. The parking garage behind the mini mart is where the hangar entrance is located but getting there from the outside is impossible."
"Yup, that's a Teen Hideout alright. My sister hung around there all the time." Abby crosses her arms and looks sternly at the map.
"Now, since this is a recon mission, don't get caught. You just need to map out the place and find out if they have any surprises there. We know that they have a hangar for their Battle-Ready Cycles and a dungeon, but what really interests us is their defense and communications system. We'll make our plan of attack based on that."
"Gotcha, we sneak in, gather all the intel we need and sneak out. Shouldn't be a problem."
"I'm sure you know that Teen Hideouts are almost always under full guard, so you'll have to be extra careful. Getting caught is not an option." Numbuh Gamma puts his hands behind his back as Abby replies with a cool nod.
"Oh, trust me, we know what we're dealin' with."
"Good. You have two hours to do the recon. That's when the Hideout is the least guarded. There's a big football game at McClintock High School between the 9th grade team and the Hendrie Middle School's 8th graders at the same time, so most of the Ninjas will be there. Don't waste this chance and be thorough." Numbuh Gamma then approaches Abby and hands her a Signal Receiver.
"Connect this to your B.R.A.'s sensors and we'll be able to receive all visual data directly to the Switchboard."
"Heh, that's pretty convenient." She puts the receiver in her pocket and stands up. "Alright you two, let's get goin'"
As they leave, Eliza puts her hand on Abby's shoulder. "I'm glad you're willing to do this, especially after everything that happeneed yesterday and today, but please, come back in one piece. That goes for you two as well."
"Don't worry, we'll be fine." Abby says nonchalantly and walks out of the room with Wally and Kuki. They then board the elevator that takes them to the hangar. Inside, they approach the stationary M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P. where Nigel and the others are waiting.
"Did the briefing go without a problem?"
"No problems. So, how are we gonna get outta here if Numbuh 2 ain't comin`?"
"Don't worry, I've got a ship waiting for us." Rachel points at the S.C.A.M.P.E.R.-S.O.O.P.R.E.M.E. sitting next to the W.A.S.P.
"We'll drop your team off first and then head to Nigel's home."
"Sounds like a plan. Numbuh 3, can ya teleport back here when we're done?"
"Hmm…I don't know. If I have to use a lot of magic, then no, sorry."
"Then take the Portal Gun. Create a portal inside the ship and when you're finished with the recon, just create a second portal and you'll get back to the ship." Hoagie explains and Nigel hands the Portal Gun to Abby, who passes it on to Wally.
"You'll be in charge of that, got it?"
"Right, leave it to me…how does this thing work again?" Wally eyes the Portal Gun as Kuki giggles slightly while Abby shakes her head.
"Well, ya better figure it out fast, cuz we gotta go now." She says as the others head towards the idling S.C.A.M.P.E.R.-S.O.O.P.R.E.M.E. while Wally fiddles with the Portal Gun.
"Come on Numbuh 4 or we'll leave without you!" Kuki shouts from the ships side door.
"Comin'!" Wally runs to the ship and gets in just as it takes off, leaving Hoagie behind in the hangar with Numbuh Omicron.
"Did I just hear you right? You have a tool that can make portals?"
"Yeah…I've had a lot of spare time after we fled the KND…"
"You must explain to me how you made that! Imagine all the possibilities that kind of a tool could provide."
"I can also think of a million bad things you can do with it…" Hoagie's shoulders slump down as the Science Chief leads him out of the hangar.
End of Transmission 26