Transmission 23: Teen Spirit
The Kid's red and black jet flies just below the clouds, quickly making its way back to the TND base. For the whole journey back, Wally remains silent, his thoughts fixated on Kuki, who remains unconscious. Soon, the jet arrives over the forest and lands into the hidden hangar, where the damaged S.C.A.M.P.E.R. has already touched down. "They made it!" Hoagie shouts, and along with Nigel runs toward the Kid's jet. He lowers the left arm down and opens the hand, revealing both Wally and Kuki within it.
"Numbuh 3! Numbuh 4!" Rachel is the first one to reach them. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Don't worry about me…" Wally can't move his right leg at all as Rachel tries to wake up Kuki.
"Numbuh 3? Please be okay…"
"…mhm…" Kuki lets out a weak sound and her eyes open.
"Huh…where am I?"
"Oh, thank goodness!" Rachel immediately hugs the confused girl, who looks around in a daze.
"What happened? How did we get here?"
"You were blown out of the ship, but Numbuh 4 saved you." Nigel says as he, Hoagie and Abby arrive.
"What? No way! I don't remember anything."
"Of course, you don't, the blast knocked you out. Good thing Numbuh 4 reacted so quickly." Rachel helps her on her feet but Wally continues to sit on the hand, gritting his teeth.
"Really? Thank you so much Wally!" Kuki turns around and hugs Wally but he pushes her away.
"You're huggin' the wrong guy…he's the one you should be thanking. We'd be dead without him" Wally points begrudginly at The Kid who has jumped out of the jet's cockpit.
"Nah hombre, you're giving me too much credit." he says calmly as he walk towards the others, his hands in his flight jacket's pockets. "I just happened to be there when it counted." His cool attitude angers Wally, but he knows he owes his and Kuki's life to him, so he doesn't reply.
"Okay, then come here." Kuki gestures The Kid to come closer, much to Wally's disbelief. But to the surprise of both boys, she wraps her right arm around Wally's neck and her left around The Kid's and hugs them both tightly, causing both to blush. "Thanks for saving my life you two." Kuki says while her medallion glows pink.
"Ehm…yeah…no problem…"
"Anytime, seniorita."
But as she lets go of them, Wally lets a painful gasp as his armor deactivates, revealing a piece of shrapnel that has ripped through his right leg's jeans and is embedded in his right calve. "Aw crud…"
"Ohmigosh! Wally, you're hurt!"
"Get him a stretcher, hurry!" Rachel shouts as a team of medics arrive and put him on a stretcher.
"Numbuh 2, can ya fix my armor? The boosters are wrecked." Wally takes off his wristband and hands it to Hoagie.
"Leave it to me! I'll make your B.R.A. even better than what it was, count on it." Hoagie replies confidently and Wally smiles weakly at him as they then roll him out of the hangar, with Kuki right beside him.
"Man, my odds aren't lookin' good." The Kid looks on as Hoagie approaches him.
"So, this is your 'Valkyrie'."
"Yup, it's got a three-stage transformation function and both atmospheric and space-flight ability."
"Damn, that must've taken a while to make."
"Heh, I've had nothin' but time, hombre. Until I hooked up with these guys, I was pretty much just flying the skies by myself. I admit, it was kinda lonely out there."
"Too bad I cut my wings when I left the KND so I couldn't fly. But anyway, thanks for saving Numbuh 3 and 4."
"No problem." The Kid replies nonchalantly and walks away, saluting Hoagie, who salutes back. Hoagie then walks over to Nigel.
"Uhm…is she…" he points at Abby, who has remained silent the whole time.
"She took it quite badly. She had a big argument right before they hit us and blamed Numbuh 4 for making the Ninjas pursue us. Now, I know he did start the fight down there, but the fact remains that if he hadn't drawn their attention, she and Numbuh 3 would've been caught."
"Stop remindin' me. Numbuh 5 knows she messed up." Abby hisses.
"But they both came back. Even with The Kid's help. Numbuh 5, I think you should go cool off, clear your thoughts. No one is blaming you or Numbuh 4 or anyone else for this."
"It was just a simple recon job…how the hell did it end up like that." Abby clenches her fists.
"There's no such things as a flawless mission. You of all people should know that."
"Numbuh 5 just wanted it to go without any problems…I…" she hides her eyes under her cap and Hoagie comes to her side.
"Leave her to me, Numbuh 1. You need to go to talk to Numbuh Alpha about the Hideout raid."
"Right…but, I'll just say this Numbuh 5, ALL of us are taking this seriously. Numbuh 4 even more so. He had Numbuh 3's and your safety as his priority, nothing else."
"Tell me somethin' I don't know…" Abby mutters as Hoagie escorts her out of the hangar.
"Well, that was not how I expect things to go." Nigel sighs as Rachel puts her hand on his shoulder.
"But everyone came back alive."
"Yes, that's what matters most. Let's go, we've got an even bigger mission to plan." Rachel nods and smiles confidently as they leave the hangar.
…
Meanwhile, Hoagie has taken Abby to the leisure room and sat her down on a sofa, but she stays silent. He then sits down next to her. "Uhm…you wanna talk about it?"
"What's there to talk about…Numbuh 5 spat out crap and then we nearly lost both Numbuh 3 and 4…"
"I uhm…now, don't take this the wrong way but…I think you were lying when you said you'd stopped mourning over what happened to Maurice."
"WHAT?!" Abby looks at Hoagie with a furious gaze.
"Wait wait, let me explain! It's just the way you've been acting today. You've been really agitated and you've yelled at us more than you normally do…Like when you scolded Numbuh 4 over that fight."
"…"
"There's no way I can just get over it in one night and I don't think you'd do that either." Hoagie puts his hand on her shoulder. "You being this way because you're still in so much pain over what happened." Abby doesn't respond and pulls down her cap to hide her eyes again. "I think you tried to block and hide the pain so that's why you volunteered to do the recon and yelled at Numbuh 4."
"Then…what am I supposed to do…We can't dwell on it…but I…" She begins to shiver and her head hunches forward, causing her hat to fall. Hoagie attempts to give her a hug but hesitates and simply puts his hand around her shoulder.
"It's okay…I can't get that image out of my head either…" He pats her back, causing Abby to finally break.
"I…still can't believe he's gone…Hoagie…"
"Just be yourself Abby. You don't have to act tough just so you can hide the pain." Abby begins to bawl and presses her face against Hoagie's shoulder.
"We can't give into despair. But we can deal with the pain, together. All of us. Now let me see you smile at least a little. Seeing you like that is making me cry too you know?" Abby weeps for a few seconds but soon, she calms down and tries her best to smile back. Then, she wipes her tears into her shirt sleeve and stands up.
"Thanks Hoagie. I'm fine now."
"Any time. I'm your friend, right?"
"My best friend."
"Uhm, were are you going?" Hoagie asks as Abby heads towards the door.
"Gotta clear my head. Alone. Sorry." she replies over her shoulder and leaves, her eyes covered by her cap.
"Haah...you know sometimes you suck at lying more than Numbuh 4..." Hoagie sighs and stares at the floor dejectedly.
…
As evening arrives, Wally is lying on a bed in the infirmary. Fortunately, his leg only has a single cut left by the shrapnel and no other wounds. Though, to his frustration, he hasn't been allowed to leave, as his leg is wrapped in bandages and gauze. "How the crud did I end up here…"
"Wally!" The door opens and Kuki enters the room. However, to his ire, accompanying her is none other than The Kid.
"Oh great…"
"Are you feeling better, Wally?"
"I'm fine…and you?"
"A-okay, thanks to you two." Kuki smiles cheerfully and sits down on his bedside while The Kid stands silently in-front of the door.
"Why'd you bring him here…" Wally mutters, glaring at The Kid, who coldly stares back at him.
"Oh, actually, he has something to say to you. Come on, go ahead." Kuki gestures with her hand and The Kid takes a step forward.
"…You know, I think we got off on the wrong foot."
"Hmph, ya think?"
"Wally!" Kuki looks at Wally disapprovingly, silencing him.
"What I'm tryin' to say is, I got the wrong impression of you. I thought ya were just a thug, but that wasn't the truth."
"…Same here…" Due to Wally's stubbornness and The Kid's pride, both find it hard to accept what they've just said, but then, to Kuki's surprise, it's Wally who offers his hand.
"Since we'll be workin' together from now on, I uhm…suppose we can shake on it…" Even The Kid is taken aback by Wally's gesture but then a slight smile appears on his face as the two shake hands, albeit rather forcefully.
"Yay! Being friends is way better than fighting all the time, right?"
"Yeah…I guess."
"I admit I was pretty impressed by what you did back there, hombre. Not everyone has the guts to jump from a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. at that altitude."
"You're not a shabby pilot yourself…thanks for savin' our butts back there..."
"No problem, it's what comrade's do, right?" The Kid then leans forward slightly and whispers something in Wally's ear.
"But just between you and me, I ain't givin' up on her any time soon, got it?" his smug tone infuriates Wally and his face turns red.
"WHAT! Well, there's no way I'm gonna lose to you!"
"Haha, at least you're being honest, hombre. But you're gonna need more than that to beat me." The Kid says jokingly and turns his back on Wally.
"See ya later, Kuki." He winks at Kuki as he opens the door.
"THAT'S IT! I'M TAKING IT BACK, YOU'RE JUST A COCKY BASTARD!"
"Hahaha, and you're still a thug." He smiles smugly as he closes the door, while Kuki is surprised by their sudden change in tone.
"Ehhh, didn't you just make up?"
"Tell that to him…" Wally mutters but inside, he holds no hard feelings toward The Kid and smiles slightly, as does The Kid, who struts away from the infirmary.
…
Saturday changes to Sunday and Sector V has stayed in the TND base. Nigel has worked closely with Rachel, Patton and Eliza, Numbuh Gamma and Herbie in planning the raid while Abby has spent time alone, trying to clear her thoughts. Wally spent the Saturday/Sunday night in the infirmary while Kuki stayed by his side, albeit with some visits from The Kid, much to Wally's anger. Hoagie meanwhile has been made an honorary member of the Science Section, allowing him to work on Wally's damaged B.R.A. and repair the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P.
It's now Sunday afternoon and Nigel, accompanied by Rachel, enter the Science Lab, where Hoagie is hard at work, finishing the repairs on Wally's B.R.A. He had also received Abby's B.R.A. and is using one of the spares from Cree's box to build a new set. "Numbuh 2?"
"Oh, hi Numbuh 1. Sorry about the mess. We've been working non-stop you see."
"Don't worry about that. How is your work coming along?"
"Well, I'm done fixing Numbuh 4's armor and I was about to start on this." Hoagie points at the spare, that has been remotely activated next to his desk.
"You're making another custom B.R.A.?"
"Yup. Numbuh 3 said she didn't want to end up helpless during missions so I'm making a lighter set for her. I'm gonna integrate her mask into the design, so this is gonna be an interesting project." Hoagie says as he pulls down his welding mask and adds a finishing touch to Wally's armor.
"Clever thinking. But uhm…Numbuh 2?"
"Yeah?"
"I don't mean to pile more work on you but…could you modify these to fit me?" Nigel has brought the J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. with him and offers them to Hoagie.
"Hmm, hey, these are your old J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. Did ya bring them from your house?"
"Yes. Since both of our enemies possess Silhouette Braces, I'll need something to counter them, in case I get hit by a brace again. I realized that I can't rely on my Silhouette Suit alone." Nigel says with a forced expression and Rachel knows he doesn't want to the real reason.
"Oh, sure, though I'll need a measurement of your foot…hmm…" Hoagie inspects the boots. "I could make them into an add-on, so you don't have to change shoes every time you need the J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S., kinda like clip-on soles."
"That sounds good. There's also another thing I need."
"As long as it's not too time consuming, I can make it."
"I need new sunglasses. Something with the same functions as Numbuh 3's mask. If I have both the J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. and the glasses, I'll be able to fight without the risk of a Silhouette Brace taking me out."
"Hmm, I get your point. I can probably make something like that." Hoagie crosses his arms and then makes a quick sketch of them.
"Kinda like this?" He shows Nigel a set of shades with a singular visor instead of lenses.
"That looks good. You never seize to amaze me with your ideas, Numbuh 2."
"Heh, I'm a genius after all. Oh yeah, I'm gonna need the others to come here. Numbuh 4's armor's done but I gotta talk to Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 5 about theirs."
"Don't worry, leave it to me." Rachel rolls back the right-hand sleeve of her turquoise combat suit and presses a button on her 2x4 wristwatch.
"Attention, Numbuh 4, Numbuh 3, Numbuh 5, please come to the Science Lab on the 37th floor. Over."
"Wow, that's pretty handy."
"One of the perks of being a Commander. Hmm?" Rachel's attention is caught by a familiar face wearing a lab coat, conversing with the Science Chief, Numbuh Omicron. "Hey, isn't that…"
"Oh, you noticed. Yeah, Numbuh 42 agreed to join us. Numbuh Omicron was adamant on assigning him here when he got approval to join the TND. His codename is Numbuh Eta-4. He's working with the others on a ship size stealth-cloak system. That way, we won't ever have to worry about being caught by the Ninjas or the KND."
"I'm glad he made the right decision. Looks like your words had an effect on him."
"It was a no-brainer for him. He said this is personal."
"I think that applies to most of us. We're here because either Father or Numbuh 1000 wronged us in some way…" Rachel looks around the lab. Then, the lab doors open and Abby walks in first, followed by Wally, using a crutch and Kuki, who is right next to him.
"Wow, you guys were fast."
"I was helping Numbuh 4 with his leg and we were close by." Kuki says with a smile while Abby looks on in silence.
Nigel then approaches her. "How are you doing, Numbuh 5?"
"I'm still tryin' to figure my feelin's out but, don't worry. Numbuh 5 maybe be down, but not out."
"Did you…uhm…make things up with Numbuh 4?"
"He said to forget the whole thing. He wasn't holding a grudge about it."
"I thought so. But I'm glad you're feeling at least somewhat better." Nigel puts his hand on her shoulder and Abby nods. They then gather around Hoagie's work station.
"Here you go Numbuh 4, good as new." he gives Wally his B.R.A. back.
"Sweet. Did ya add anything to it?"
"Nope, just improved everything a little. The mode change is smoother now and I reinforced the joints and armor a bit."
"Okay…I have no cruddy idea what you just said, but I believe ya."
"Hahaha." Hoagie chuckles and turns towards the girls.
"Ooh, is that mine?!" Kuki points at the remotely activated spare B.R.A. standing next to the desk.
"Well yeah but I haven't even started working on it…I uhm…kinda need your uhm…measurements for it…" Hoagie asks cautiously while Kuki starts blushing heavily.
"EHHHH?!" As if by instinct, Kuki slaps Hoagie in the face.
"OW! Why did you do that for?!"
"Maybe cuz you're askin' about private info, Genius." Abby and Rachel look at Hoagie disapprovingly.
"No, no, no! Don't take it the wrong way! B.R.A. need specific data to work properly. Your measurements make it easier to operate! I swear, I just need it for that!" Hoagie scrambles to clear the misunderstanding as Abby shakes her head and sighs.
"Well, ya could've worded it better. And before ya say anythin', there is no way were lettin' you do the measurements."
"I was going to ask you to do it! What do you take me for?!"
"Right…" Abby looks at Hoagie with suspicion.
"Whatever, just take this and get it over with." Hoagie sighs and hands Abby a silver pen-like device.
"The heck is this?"
"It's a 3-D Laser scanner. Just point it at Numbuh 3 and it does the rest. All I need to do is plug it into my computer and it assigns the measurements to the B.R.A." Abby lifts her left eyebrow and is about to walk away with Kuki and Rachel when she realizes something.
"Hold on a second. If what ya said is true, then how did ya make mine fit me?" Both Nigel and Wally realize what a landmine Hoagie just stepped on.
"Oh crud…"
"This is not good…" Both mutter to each other as Hoagie freezes.
"Well? You better explain yoself right now." Abby crosses her arms and stares at Hoagie.
"Oh that…uhm…"
"If ya did what Numbuh 5 thinks ya did, you're getting' a one-way ticket to the infirmary in 5 seconds."
"NO! I uhm…didn't touch your armor's measurements…I just kept Cree's…"
"You WHAT?!" Abby stomps over to Hoagie's desk and grabs him by the collar.
"I did! I didn't have the guts to ask you so I kept them as is…I didn't hear you complain about its form so I thought it was okay…" Hoagie closes his eyes and prepares for the inevitable knuckle sandwich but then, Abby let's go of him and silently walks away, her face visibly red. She then stomps out of the lab, followed by Kuki and Rachel, who are equally surprised by Abby's reaction.
As they walk out of the door, Kuki looks back and waves. "Sorry I hit you, Numbuh 3!"
"It's…okay…" As the door closes behind them, Hoagie sighs loudly and slides down his chair while Wally and Nigel come to his side.
"You really dodged a bullet there."
"Yeah, she was this close to punching your face in."
"I swear, girls are gonna be the death of me…" Hoagie replies and takes a deep breath. He then regains his composure and straightens his back. "So anyway, when are we attacking the Ninja hideout, Numbuh 1?"
"We will hold a briefing on it later this week, but the preliminary date for the assault will be on Wednesday, after school."
"Aw crud, I forgot we gotta go back to school tomorrow." Wally moans.
"Unfortunately, yes. If we skip, it'll draw attention, so we need to keep our attendances up."
"Great…" Wally rolls his eyes.
"Regardless, we'll have to be on our guard while outside. Since we know that Father is also looking for us, we're under threat from both the KND and Ninjas." Nigel crosses his arms.
"I wish we still had the Treehouse…Coming here after school is going to be a pain…"
"Indeed, Numbuh 2. Our hands really are tied right now…"
"Can't we just use those stealth things Numbuh 2 built?" Both Nigel and Hoagie are visibly surprised by Wally's suggestion. "The heck you looking at me?!"
"Sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to say that. That is an excellent idea. Since the Ninjas can't attack us at school, lest they risk repercussions from the teachers, they and the KND will most likely try to ambush us when we're out in the open. How could I forget about the stealth devices…" Nigel shakes his head while Hoagie chuckles.
"Hah, you're gonna have to pick up your game or Numbuh 4's gonna start making actual plans."
"Yeah, I guess I do." Both boys start laughing, infuriating Wally.
"Hey, that ain't funny!" his words go on deaf ears as Nigel and Hoagie keep laughing. Then, the lab doors open again and Abby, followed by Rachel and an embarrassed Kuki walk in.
"Oh…hahahah, man that was good one." Hoagie says as he notices the girls approaching.
"Here ya go." Abby throws the scanner back to Hoagie, startling him.
"Hey, don't throw my scanner like it's some cheap toy! It took me weeks to build this!"
"Whatever, just get that thing over with. It was hard enough getting' Numbuh 3 to agree to let us do it."
"But it's embarrassing…" Kuki says with a reddened face. Hoagie turns his chair around and plugs the scanner onto his computer and it automatically inserts the required numbers. Then, the remotely activated B.R.A. reformats, matching Kuki's body shape but it causes both her and Abby to feel uncomfortable.
"I still can't believe he used Cree's measurements for mine…"
"Oh no…they're seeing everything…"
"Alrighty, now that that's done, I can start making the mods. Numbuh 3, do you have anything specific you want?"
"Oh…I don't know…Maybe something that helps me fly…and something I can protect others with…"
"Okay, I'll see what I can do." Hoagie turns his full attention to the computer screen while Nigel gestures to the girls to come closer.
"We were just having a discussion on how to prepare for the raid. I'm embarrassed to say, I completely forgot about the stealth-cloaks Numbuh 2 put on our communicators, so make sure to use them when you're outside. We also can't travel to the base every day, so stay at home. I know the Ninjas might attack there, like what happened a month ago in Numbuh 3's house, but right now, we have no other choice."
"I get ya. We're just gonna hafta sneak around for now." Abby nods.
"Do we have to stay away from each other?" Kuki asks with a worried expression.
"Of course not. Just stay extra alert when you're outside. That's all."
"Thank goodness…" Kuki sighs and turns her attention to Wally. "Then you'll walk me home every day, okay?"
"Huh? Ya live in the suburbs. Why do I gotta go there?" Abby elbows Wally and glares at him.
"I uhm…yeah whatever…" He mutters, causing a wide smile to appear on Kuki's face.
"Man, you really need to learn to read the mood." Hoagie says over his shoulder.
"You're the one to talk, Mr. "Can I have your measurements"!" Wally shouts as the others begin laughing hysterically except Hoagie, who just mutters to himself.
...
A few hours later, using Kuki's teleportation ability, everyone in Sector V except Hoagie go back to their homes. While Wally has to walk Kuki to her house, which is in the complete opposite direction to his home, Nigel and Abby go their separate ways. As she approaches her house, Abby notices that her sister's blue convertible is not on the driveway, reminding her about what happened on Friday. She then walks over to the porch and is about to open the door with her house when her father, Dr. Lincoln, flings it open.
"ABIGAIL! Where have you been? Your mother's been worried crazy with the crying and the…"
"Sorry Daddy, uhm…we were havin' a sleepover at Nigel's place when his treehouse got knocked down by a storm so we've been uhm…cleaning up?" Then to her surprise, her father gives her a tight hug. "Sorry I forgot to tell ya…"
"It's okay Abigail. But ya gotta tell where ya are. You mother's got enough to worry about already."
"What do ya mean, Daddy?"
"Well, Cree's hasn't answered her phone since Friday, and we have no idea where she's gone."
"WHAT?!" Despite knowing exactly why she's not at home, she is still shocked, because despite them being arch-enemies, they never did anything to upset their parents. Abby then walks into the living room, where her distraught mother is sitting on a sofa. "Mama?"
"Oh Abigail, mon cher! Mama's been so worried about you!" Her mother says with a French accent.
"Is okay Mama, I'm right here." she sits down next to her mother while Dr. Lincoln sits down on an easy chair opposite to the sofa.
"Have you seen Cree, mon cher?"
"…No…I haven't…" Seeing the worry in her mother's eye makes it 100 times harder for Abby to lie.
"None of her friends have seen her either…Mon dieu, you don't think she…?"
"Now let's not jump to conclusions dear, I'm sure she's got a good reason to…"
"But she's been acting strange for a month now! She hasn't talked a lot or said hello. And now that Maurice is missing too, I just can't help but fear the worst, mon cheré…"
"Wait, Maurice is missing?"
"That's right, we got a call from his mother, asking about him. He hasn't been to home since Friday."
"But he…!" Abby stops herself from saying the truth and clenches her fists.
"You didn't know about this, Abigail?" Her mother notices that she is shaking and puts her hand on her shoulder.
"No…" Abby's eyes start filling with tears.
"Oh Abigail, come here, let Mama give you a hug." Mrs. Lincoln hugs her grieving daughter, completely unaware what really happened to Maurice.
"Mama…I'll find Cree…She's my sistah so…"
"What are you saying, mon cher?"
"I said I'll bring her back…"
"Now, I'm glad you want help but you should leave that to the police, Abigail. If something happened to you, it would be too much." Her father pats her head.
"But I…"
"Nuh-uh, don't talk back to your old man on this. You just concentrate on your own life. I know that you cherish your sistah, but she's an adult now. We just gotta believe in her."
"No Daddy, I'm gonna bring her back, no matter what."
…
The school week starts and as they planned, Sector V use the stealth-cloak whenever they are in public. Monday and Tuesday go by fast, despite some close calls. Then on Wednesday morning, Wally is walking to the bus stop as usual. Before he arrives there, he hides behind a corner to remove the cloak. At the bus stop proper, he meets with Abby.
"Mornin'"
"Yo." As they stand there, they watch as a KND S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D. flies overhead, its normal orange color replaced by a gray paint scheme. "It must've been lookin' for us."
"Ya got that right." Wally puts his hands into his pockets as the bus arrives. It takes them to Hendrie Middle School, where Kuki and Hoagie are waiting near the main entrance.
"Hi guys!" she waves as they approach.
"Hiya. Everythin' okay?"
"We got really lucky. Some Ninjas boarded the same bus. Good thing we were sitting near the back or they might've seen us." Hoagie sighs.
"We had a KND scout lookin' for us at the bus stop, but he didn't catch us. Where's Nigel?"
"His Mom's bringing him to school. Said he'd be here soon." Then, right on cue, a red sedan stops in-front of the main entrance and a slightly irritated Nigel jumps out of the front seat. His friends can hear loud music coming from the car's radio, causing some other students to snicker.
"Have fun at school, Nigel old bean!"
"Yeah…" An embarrassed Nigel replies to his father, who waves and drives away.
"I thought you said your Mom was bringing you here?"
"My Dad insisted…" Nigel says with a pained expression.
"Man, your Dad really likes that tuba music." Wally says they start walking towards the doors.
"It's the sousaphone actually but yes, it's his uhm…great passion." Nigel clears his throat. "Before we go in, I've got some news. Follow me." Nigel leads the others behind a corner and they huddle together. "Don't take the bus back home. Let's meet in the main hall and leave together. We're going to a forward observation point not far from the hideout for the mission prep and briefing."
"So, we're finally takin' the fight to those cruddy Ninjas?" Wally eagerly hits his fists together.
"That's right. If we succeed, it should halt all Ninja operations in Cleve, allowing us to concentrate on Numbuh 1000 and more importantly, finding out who framed us."
"This is it then?" Hoagie asks as Wally starts cracking his knuckles.
"Yes, we'll begin our fight back" Nigel says with a confident smile. The others nod and go to class, acting as if they were normal students.
Then, as the last period for the day ends and the bell rings, they gather in the main hall. First to arrive are Wally and Hoagie, who had sneaked out of chemistry class without the teacher noticing.
"Man, I hope that's the last time I have to sneak out like that. I like chemistry…"
"Yeah, well those two Ninjas in our class woulda seen us gather here if we left at the same time as the others, Numbuh 2."
"I know, I know…" They hang around the entrance, pretending to read their study books or at least Hoagie is. Wally looks around and notices Abby approach them.
"You guys got here fast. What, did ya sneak out of class or somethin'?"
"Shssh, not so loud. We're being watched." Hoagie points at two members of the Hendrie Middle School's American Football team, the Hendrie Hooligans, who were famously led by Chad Dickson, former KND Supreme Leader turned traitor. They keep their eye on the trio and stand in front of the entrance.
"Aw man, they're really tryin' to get us." Abby crosses her arms but then, she gets a message on her cellphone: "'Come to the gym entrance. We'll sneak out from there.' Looks like Numbuh 1's got a plan. Let's go you two." The boys nod and follow Abby to the gym, where Kuki and Nigel are waiting.
"They had sentries at the door." Hoagie whispers.
"I thought so. Alright, let's use the gym's emergency exit to leave the school."
"Gotcha." Then, a ghost hamster that Kuki had summoned earlier to warn them of any threats, floats through the wall next to Wally.
"The crud?!"
"Quiet, Numbuh 4!" Abby hisses as the hamster glides into Kuki's arms.
"Guys, Chubbo says those two Ninjas are coming this way."
"Of course. Okay, stealth-cloaks on. Let's not waste any more time." The others nod and Sector V puts on their stealth-cloaks, disappearing from view. The sneak through the gym and open the emergency exit. Staying together, they walk out of the building and go over the perimeter fence, one by one. They then head to the forest behind the school, run through it and arrive at an empty parking lot.
"Okay team, the coast is clear." They disengage their cloaks and huddle behind a parked van.
"Now, we need to go to that observation post. Numbuh 3, teleport us downtown."
"Uhm…where exactly?"
"Anywhere near the library. The observation point is near it."
"Okidoki!" Kuki concentrates, and in the blink of an eye, teleports everyone next to a candy shop on the same street as the library.
"Ow my cruddy head…"
"This is a really uncomfortable way to travel…" Hoagie mutters as Abby pulls him up from the pavement. "Thanks…" Abby nods and turns to face Nigel, who is already surveying the area.
"So, where do we go now?"
"Follow me." Nigel points at a small bookshop on the other side of the street. The group crosses the road and enter the shop, where a teenage clerk is sitting behind the counter.
"Hello, are you looking for something?" she asks.
"'Top Hits of the 1990's.'" The clerk nods and pulls down a book, causing the book shelf behind her to slide away, revealing a set of stairs that go down.
"Wow…" Hoagie and the others are surprised by this but Nigel urges them to go down them.
"Man, they've got a whole base under that cruddy bookstore." Wally says as they descend while Hoagie is clearly impressed.
"This is looks pretty handy."
"It's kinda cramped though…" Kuki complains as the small wooden stairs get slightly smaller. Then they arrive at a door and Nigel knocks on it. It opens and they enter a large room, with many tunnels leading away from it. It is built in two levels, with a control room on the upper level and a general assembly area staggered slightly below it. "Whoa…" Then, Kuki notices a familiar face approach them. "BRADLEY!" she shouts as the cyborg skunk jumps into her arms.
"Wait, are we takin' him on the mission too?"
"Of course, silly. He's a member of the team after all!"
"Oh great…" Bradley snarls at Wally, who snarls back.
Abby meanwhile recognizes the layout of the room. "Hey, wait a minute, ain't this a Teen Ninja hideout?"
"Ex-Ninja Hideout." Eliza says as she greets Sector V. "I hope you didn't run into any trouble on the way here?"
"They spied on us the whole day. Ya have no idea how much Numbuh 5 wanted to deck 'em."
"As expected, Father want's you all captured when your guard is down. Alright, follow me. We'll begin the briefing." Eliza has everyone but Nigel go down to the assembly area and join the other TND agents, that have gathered there. Eliza then addresses everyone with her signature microphone.
"Fellow Teens Next Door. The time has come to take the fight to the enemy. For many years we've hid in the shadows, as we infiltrated our enemies ranks, for the sake of the Kids Next Door. But now, things have changed. The KND is no longer our ally, rather, it is a hostage.
"The new Supreme Leader, Numbuh 1000, has declared war on all adults and he won't rest until he succeeds. Father likewise has increased his influence and they have essentially divided our world between themselves. That's where we come in. This will be the official debut of the Teens Next Door and once this first mission succeeds, it takes us one step closer to bringing down both Numbuh 1000 and Father."
All the gathered agents, including Sector V, applaud Eliza's speech and she bows.
"Now, I'll hand the floor over to Numbuh 1, the Field Commander of this operation and Numbuh Epsilon, the overall Commander of our forces." she hands her microphone to Nigel, which causes the agents to whisper amongst each other.
"Greetings everyone. Now, I am aware that some of you may have misgivings about me being up here, but I'll just say this: We are all here because we share the same goal: to defeat Numbuh 1000 and Father. As such, I hope we can all work together and make this mission a success." Nigel's words calm down the crowd somewhat, but a murmur still prevails as Nigel presses a button on the control console next to him. A green holo-projection of the Teen Hideout's layout is generated from the roof of the control room, making it visible to everyone present.
"The code name for this operation will be: 'Operation: Teen Spirit.' Out target is the Teen Hideout located below the WHK Mini Mart next to an old parking garage. There are two reasons why we are attacking this Hideout specifically: One, it's location. The Hideout is positioned at an equal distance between McClintock Highschool and Father's Delightful Mansion. It acts as an information hub between the high school and Father's mansion, giving him easy access to his Ninja army whenever he needs them." Nigel then shows everyone a map of the US, showing major Teen Ninja Hideout locations.
"Secondly, this Hideout is by far the biggest single Teenage Hideout in the country. Its sheer size makes it the perfect staging area for all Ninja operations, not only in here but in the country. This means, it has a lot of valuable equipment hidden within. Until now, the conflict that has raged for the last month has been between Father and the KND, but once we succeed in taking over or destroying this Hideout, it will not only announce our presence, but it will also be a serious blow to all Ninja operations in a wide area.
"Now, this mission requires the full cooperation of all the Sections for it to succeed. I am very grateful that my Sector and I have been given this chance to participate in this operation and I promise that we will do our very best to ensure that the TND will be victorious. Numbuh Epsilon will now explain our battle-plan." The agents in the assembly area and everyone else gathered there, break out into applause, to Nigel's surprise.
"He sounds just like he did when he was in the KND!"
"With Sector V on our side, we'll stand a real chance!" Nigel is taken aback by the reception as Rachel smiles slightly. She then takes the microphone and continues from where he left.
"All right, settle down everyone. Our strategy involves three separate forces engaging the Ninjas from multiple directions." Rachel splits the holo-projection into three, showing the map of the area, the layout of the Hideout and the book store hideout they are current in.
"First, a diversionary force made-up of our captured KND ships, will launch a mock attack on the base, drawing away the Ninjas armada of Battle-Ready Cycles. Once they are a sufficient distance away, a second air unit, consisting of our own Battle-Ready Cycles, will attack them from multiple sides, trapping and destroying them. At the same time, Numbuh Zeta's Combat Forces will lead an underground assault on the Hideout, using their own tunnel network that incidentally connects to this very base. Finally, Sector V will attack the Mini Mart from the front, making their way inside and securing the Hideout's brain, the main computer and dealing with the Ninja's Football Team. Taking out this elite force and especially their leader, Hendrie Hooligans Captain, Ernest, will give us an advantage going forward." Rachel looks confidently at the crowd and continues.
"Once all of our objectives have been completed, depending on how the Ninjas react, we will either capture the Hideout for our own use, or more likely, destroy it, to deny the Ninjas and Father any chance of using it again. Since I am in overall command, I will be watching your progress from here. Our air units have already gathered in the Switchboard base hangar, and will begin their approach once we give them the all clear. Each of you will be briefed in detail by your commanders, but this is our general battle plan. I want everyone here to make sure they come back alive, no matter what. This is different from what many of you experienced while in the KND and I want you to keep that in mind. I wish you all good luck!"
Rachel salutes the agents, who salute back. Then, individual team commanders begin briefing their teams, while the Science Section's and the Armory Section's agents provide everyone with their equipment.
Before Nigel walks down to the assembly area, Rachel puts her hand on his shoulder. "That also applies to you, Nigel. Come back in one piece, you and your team."
"Don't worry, we'll be okay. My team is the best." Nigel smiles assuredly and heads to the stairs leading to the assembly area, leaving Rachel on the control floor.
"I really hope so…"
As Nigel rejoins his team, he notices an additional person among them. "What are you doing here?"
"I'll be a part of your team for this mission. It's been too long since I've seen any action." Eliza replies as she warms herself up by stretching. She has donned an upgraded version of her armor that has two heat laser cannons in each arm, and a green bodysuit underneath it all, similar to the Ninja's B.R.A.
""whistle" Lookin' good…OW!" Abby elbows Hoagie while Eliza giggles.
"What was that for?!"
"Figure it out yoself."
Abby glares at Hoagie disapprovingly. He shrugs and takes the supply box he's kept in the W.A.S.P. and opens it as the others gather around it. "Alright guys, I got all the gear you wanted ready in time and here they are." Inside are Abby's B.R.A., Kuki's brand new B.R.A. and Nigel's equipment that he requested. There's also an extra communicator.
"Uhm…where's mine?" Kuki asks, pointing at the mask.
"That's it. Just put it on and it activates just like a normal Battle-Ready Armor."
"Oh, okay!" Kuki takes the mask and places it over her face, causing the B.R.A. unfold over her. It has a green and charcoal gray color scheme and is sleeker than the one Abby wears. Instead of normal shoulder pads, it has five petal-like thruster pods, on in each shoulder and three on the waist; one in the back and two on the sides, resembling a skirt. She also doesn't have a helmet because of the mask.
"Uhm…it's kinda tight…"
"You'll get used to it Numbuh 3. Trust me, it felt weird the first time Numbuh 5 used it."
"I incorporated Numbuh 5's stealth cloak and Numbuh 4's shield system into it. You can use the shields from either the shoulder boosters or from your palms. I didn't put any weapons on it since your lightning would've interfered with them."
"Okidoki!" Kuki walks around and test the features of her new equipment while Abby walks away to put on her B.R.A. in private. Nigel then takes the upgraded J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. and the glasses from the box.
"Impressive as always Numbuh 2." He removes his sunglasses and puts on the new, white framed, glasses with a single red visor. He then attaches the J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. in the soles of his shoes.
"Like you asked, I put the same features from Numbuh 3's mask into those. The J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. have the same thrusters as the ones in Battle-Ready Armor, so you'll be way more mobile than you used. Also, here you go." Hoagie hands Nigel the other Stupefier he had taken from Kuki, since she had two.
"Thank you Numbuh 2. These will be very handy." Nigel dual wields the pistols as Abby returns.
"Heh, ya look just like yo dad in those old KND showreels they played at the Moonbase Museum."
"Nonsense, I am nothing like my Dad…he didn't give in like I did…"
"What do ya mean, give in?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking out loud…" Nigel shrugs off Abby's suspicions but Eliza also catches his comment.
"Just like Rachel said, he hasn't told the others…" she thinks as a member of the Science Section pushes a container over to Sector V.
"Here you go Numbuh 2. We made the modifications you asked."
"Good job. Numbuh 4, come here."
"What's up?"
"This is for you." Hoagie opens the container and inside it, is the Accelerator Rifle Wally used during the warehouse rescue mission. It's more compact and sports a sleeker design.
"I figure we might need some extra firepower so I had Numbuh Eta-4's team upgrade it a bit."
"Aw man, I was wonderin' when I'd get to use this again." Wally takes the rifle out of the container and notices that it's not as heavy as it was before.
"Hey, I can actually hold this now."
"The new, lighter design makes it much easier to use and you don't need your armor to carry it around."
"Awesome. Those cruddy Ninjas are in for it now!" Hoagie chuckles and hands the extra communicator to Eliza.
"This is for you, Commander. I was told we were getting a sixth member for this mission so I…"
"Seventh!" Kuki interrupts him.
"…Right, anyway, I made an extra communicator so you can stay in touch while in combat. It's got the same stealth cloak as ours have."
"How thoughtful, thank you very much. Nigel was right, your are skills impressive." Eliza smiles as she takes the communicator and puts it behind her right ear.
"Eheheh…well, that's just what I do…" Hoagie blushes at Eliza's compliment but Abby glares at him, eyes filled with disapproval.
Nigel gestures everyone to gather around him. "Alright team, let's go through our plan. While the air unit is distracting their Cycles, we're going to attack from the front."
"Please tell me we ain't gonna sneak." Wally says as he puts the clover necklace around his neck.
"No, the time for subtlety is over. We will fight our way through the entire Hideout. Thanks to the data you guys brought back, we know exactly where to hit and what route to use."
"So, you're sayin' we go in guns blazin'?" Abby crosses her arms but has a slight grin on her face.
"Exactly. This will be just like the old times."
"Hah, now that's more like it! I'm tired of hidin' and sneakin' around."
"Since there are six…"
"Seven!"
"…Seven of us, we'll move in pairs. Don't stray apart from each other. We need to stay together until we get to the computer. Numbuh 2, I'm leaving you in charge of securing it and decoding that data disc. The rest of us will cover all entrances and exits. We'll also need to deal with any Ninjas that are inside while the Combat Team moves in through the tunnels."
"So, what's their job in this?" Abby asks as Nigel holsers his pistols.
"They will secure the hangar and armory. We'll make sure the Ninjas don't attack them while they are raiding their facilities. Also, our last job is to investigate the dungeon. We know that they were planning on putting us in there when they attacked the Treehouse, so we'll need to see if there are any prisoners inside and rescue them."
"Sounds like a plan." Hoagie adjusts his goggles slightly.
"Good. Like Numbuh Epsilon said, make sure everyone makes it through this mission."
"I ain't gonna let any cruddy Ninja hurt anyone." Wally hits his fists together.
"Me too!"
"Ya know I got your back."
"Betsy Mk II Custom and I are gonna do our best."
"Okay then, let's do this." Nigel puts his hand forward and the others place their hands over his, including Eliza and Bradley. Then, they are interrupted by Rachel, who addresses everyone present.
"T-minus 15 for the start of operations, get to your positions." The crowd salutes her and Patton's Combat Forces prepare to move out.
"ALRIGHT YOU MAGGOTS, GET YOUR ASSES MOVING! THIS IS GONNA BE FIRST TIME THE TND GOES HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH THE NINJAS AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THEY'LL GET WHAT THEY DESERVE! MOVE IT, MOVE IT!" His loud and commanding voice echoes in the base as Nigel leads his team up the stairs to the control floor.
"Man, he hasn't lost his voice at all." Abby notes as Sector V runs up the same staircase they came from, their stealth cloaks activated. They run out of the book store and onto the street adjacent to it. Nigel then instructs them to run two blocks north until they arrive at the park where the recon operation started. They then huddle together in the bush.
"Okay, we'll wait here until we receive the order to move. We can't attack immediately since most of the Ninjas will still be inside. We'll move in when we get the all clear from command, understood?" The others nod to Nigel. Then, they stay hidden within the park area, waiting for the operation to begin. Then, a message is broadcast to every participating TND agent.
"Commence Operation: Teen Spirit!"
End of Transmission 23