Transmission 25: Nephew's Scorching Guilt
On a floor below the hangar, the rest of Sector V are going down a flight of stairs, towards the dungeon. Kuki had sent Bradley back to the Observation base to deliver the data they stole from the computer. Due to the lack of space, Hoagie has had to disengage his Exo-suit and instead, he stays in the middle of the group, his Stupefier Rifle in hand. However, they haven't encountered as much resistance as they expected. "How long till we get to that place?"
"According to the map, Numbuh 4, the dungeon is at the end of the hallway, at the bottom of these stairs." Hoagie says, looking at a map from his 2x4 scanner.
"Keep yer guard up guys. Numbuh 5 is not likin' the silence." They reach the bottom of the staircase and arrive at a long hallway. The moment they try to enter it, they hear an alarm.
"What the crud? I thought you took out their defenses, Numbuh 2?"
"Hmm…I guess the dungeon defense system was separate from the mainframe. Very smart…"
"Look!" Kuki points at the other end of the hallway as multiple laser cannons appear from the roof and walls, their barrels pointing at the teens.
"Oh crud…"
"Well, that's one way to keep people in…"
"Pull back!" Abby shouts as the cannons unleash a furious barrage, forcing Abby and the others to retreat back up the stairs, which bear the brunt of the lasers.
"Oh great, how the heck are we gonna get through that?" Wally asks as Hoagie crouches and analyzes the hallway with his 2x4 scanner.
"Can't we go around them?"
"Not happenin' Numbuh 3. That's the only way in. We just gotta come up with a plan or something…"
"Leave that to me." Hoagie says and carefully studies the hallway's design and the cannon's locations.
"Hey, didn't ya mention that your Exo-suit is immune to lasers?" Abby crosses her arms.
"It is, but that hallway is just too small. Don't worry, I'll have this thing figured out." The others wait in silence while Hoagie works.
"Well?" Abby says and looks over Hoagie's shoulder.
"Okay, I got the general picture. That whole defense array is controlled from within so we can't disable it from here. However, the door is connected to that same system. Since there aren't any switches outside, the door must be remote controlled and possibly from the same console as the cannons. My gut is telling me that if we blow up the door, the system might crash."
"Blowing up things is my kind of strategy. Just tell me where to shoot."
"No, you won't be shooting."
"Huh?!"
"You and Numbuh 3 have the shield system on your B.R.A.'s and we need them to have a clear shot."
"Then, what are ya suggestin'?"
"You're gonna take the shot, Numbuh 5. With the Accelerator Rifle."
"Oh…okay. Here ya go." Wally is slightly disappointed but never the less, hands Abby the rifle. It's weight surprises Abby, but her B.R.A.'s enhanced strength let's her hold it in her hands.
"Damn Numbuh 2, I thought ya said they made this thing lighter."
"Lighter for Numbuh 4. Anyway, here's what we need to do: Numbuh 4, Numbuh 3, when I say "go", you two run down the stairs and activate your shields. No matter what, you need to keep them up. Numbuh 5, you're going to lay down on the floor behind them and fire the rifle. There should be a sufficient gap between the floor and the shields for you to take the shot." Hoagie explains.
"Sounds like a plan. Let's do it."
"Right!"
"Okay!" The others nod and go to their positions.
"Not yet…GO!" Hoagie shouts as Wally and Kuki jump down and immediately activate their shields, forming a makeshift wall at the bottom of the stairs.
"Okay Numbuh 5, you go too!" Abby nods and goes behind Wally and Kuki as the cannons open fire. While their shields easily block them, the sheer amount of laser fire forces both to really strain their bodies so they won't get pushed back and lose balance.
"Crud…how many guns do they have in that place anyway?!"
"Don't tell me your getting tired, Numbuh 4?"
"Hah, no way! I was just askin'" Kuki smirks slightly as Abby goes prone and points the rifle's barrel at the door.
"…okay…a little more…FIRE!" Abby pulls the trigger and an electromagnetically-accelerated shell flies through the hallway and rips apart the doors, shutting the cannons down as well.
"Wooo! Nice shot, Numbuh 5!"
"Man, this really ain't Numbuh 5's kinda weapon." Abby says, having felt the backlash from the rifle first-hand. She then gets up as Wally takes the rifle back and puts it back into the holster.
"Good job guys. Great teamwork."
"Heh, it was all thanks to your plan, Mr. Tactician." Abby jokingly nudges Hoagie as they start running towards the dungeon. Once they pass the entrance, they look around and are in disbelief over the size of the dungeon. It has two floors lined with jail cells while another door is located at the opposite side that has the words "Control Room" written on it. To the left of the entrance is a reinforced door that says "Brat's Room".
"This is one biiig dungeon…" Kuki says as her voice echoes in the eerily silent dungeon.
"Come on, let's check out the cells." Abby says and they split up to investigate the individual cells but to they find them empty.
"I'm not seeing any prisoners in here!" Hoagie shouts from the second floor.
"Maybe they didn't have any!" Kuki responds while Wally's attention is drawn to the door that reads "Brat's Room".
"Guys, I'm gonna check out that door over there!"
"Numbuh 3, go with him. Numbuh 2 and I are gonna investigate the control room." Abby waves to Kuki, who is also in the second floor.
"Okidoki!" She jumps down and follows Wally to the reinforced door. But as he is about to open it, Kuki stops him.
"Wait, let me take a look behind it first." Kuki uses her mask's x-ray vision and peers through the door. She notices a stairway that goes down deeper.
"What did ya see?"
"There are stairs behind it. I didn't see any alarms or anything."
"Alright then, stand back." Wally uses his Heat Sword to cleave the door apart. "Let's go." They carefully make their way down the stairs and find a barred door; which Wally easily kicks down. But the moment he and Kuki go inside, they are confronted by a horrendous sight:
Behind the door is a slightly smaller room also lined with cells but these ones are occupied. In the center of the room are four operating tables and at the back is a door that reads "Overseer" Wally is immediately reminded of his time in Father's dungeon during Operation: Father's Day. "This isn't a prison…it's a cruddy torture chamber!"
"What?! No…" They immediately run to the closest cell and see three kids chained against the wall from their arms. At that same moment, Abby and Hoagie also come down the stairs.
"We didn't find anything useful in the control ro…Wow…" Hoagie's voice drifts off as Abby also realizes what the purpose of the room.
"No…this can't be…" They see Wally and Kuki in-front of a cell and join them. "This is horrible…"
"How long have they kept these guys in here?"
"Numbuh 5 doesn't even wanna guess…We gotta help 'em. Open the cells!" Kuki nods and uses her telekinesis to break the lock. "Hey kid, are ya okay? Speak to me." Abby kneels next to a blond-haired boy, who's tattered clothes reveal a plethora of scars and bruises.
"…ugh…who…are…you…?" he responds weakly.
"Don't worry. We ain't with the Ninjas."
"Ninjas…No…NO! STOP…PLEASE STOP! I DON'T WANT THE CHARCOAL!" The boy panics and squirms as Abby tries to calm him down, but upon hearing the word "charcoal", rage begins to build up inside Wally as he clenches his fists.
"Calm down kid! Nobody's doin' anything to ya! We're here to help ya."
"…help…hah…no help is coming…no hope…"
"The torture's really messed up his head… We gotta get these kids out of here asap!"
"Yeah, but how? There's only four of us." Hoagie looks around the chamber and sees the Overseer's door. Then, they hear distinct voices from the other side.
"Come on, we gotta get outta here." A teenage voice says.
"But we haven't received orders to retreat."
"If those KNDorks or whoever they are find this place, it's gonna mean big trouble for Father and the Teen Ninjas. What we've done here must not see the light of day!"
"Good thing all the useful brats were already sent away."
"What are we gonna do about the rest?"
"Leave 'em. The only thing they were good for was being test dummies for Father's new "tools". Now get moving!" Upon hearing this, Wally finally snaps.
"Those sons of…"
"Numbuh 4, wait!" Wally ignores Abby and runs towards the door and kicks it down, finding four startled Teen Ninjas inside, one of them wearing a lab coat.
"What the…"
"YOU BASTARDS!" Wally shouts and grabs the one with the lab coat by his collar. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BASTARDS DONE HERE?!" Just as the other Ninjas are about to attack Wally, his friends arrive and incapacitate them. "ANSWER!"
"Gah…I don't know who you think you are, but we won't say a thing!" Wally presses him against the wall.
"You know exactly who I am!" He then pulls back his helmet, causing the lab coat-wearing Ninja's face to turn pale.
"You…what are you doing here?!"
"So ya do remember!"
"What do you mean, Numbuh 4?"
"These bastards are the same guys from Father's dungeon! They tortured me and the others!" Wally's revelation shocks his friends, who become equally angry.
"Ya don't say." Abby crosses her arms and looks at the lead Ninja in disgust.
"Now you're gonna spill the beans on this place, or I'm gonna…"
"You're gonna what? You weren't even good enough to join us, what can you do now that's different?"
"This!" Wally punches the wall right next to the Ninja's face, leaving a deep imprint of his fist into it, scaring the Ninja.
"…okay okay!"
"Oh, so ya do have a brain. Now spit it out!" Abby says as Wally drops the Ninja to the floor. However, the moment he is set free, he brings out a heat laser from his left gauntlet but before he can fire, Hoagie stupefies his entire arm.
"AAAAAHHHH! What did you do to my arm?!" The Ninja shouts in panic and tries to get up, but Abby stupefies his legs, causing him to fall flat on the cold stone floor. She then kicks him over to his back.
"This ain't up for debate, you punk. Now explain yoself, or you're gonna spend the rest of your life stupefied, get it?!" She says venomously at the terrified Ninja.
"This…was a secondary dungeon for Father's Day…" The fearful Ninja weeps.
"He brought over those he deemed useless and let us do whatever we wanted with them…"
"YOU WHAT?!" Wally is about to attack him but Kuki stops him and shakes her head.
"Stop Wally, he's not worth it…" Wally grits his teeth as the Ninja continues.
"Ernest and his football team came here with other Ninjas and beat the prisoners…He said it was to let off steam after football practice…" The four teens can't believe what they are hearing.
"He tortured those kids…for sport…" Hoagie mutters.
"How could he…that's horrible…" Before they can ask more questions, Abby's communicator goes off.
"This is Numbuh 5, who is it?"
"This is Numbuh Alpha! We need help in the armory!"
"What's wrong? Where's Numbuh 1?" The others become alarmed upon hearing Abby's words.
"It's…IT'S FATHER!"
"WHAT, FATHER?!"
"He…he's controlling a Knightamaton and he wants to capture Nigel! Please, we need…" The call cuts off, shocking Abby and the others.
"No way…Father's here?!"
"What do we do?!"
"We do what Numbuh 1 would do, go and kick his ass."
"Damn straight!"
"But what about the prisoners? We can't leave them here."
"I'll contact the Combat Force and ask if they can take over." Hoagie says and calls a member of the Science Section who is supporting the Combat Force in the hangar. After a few seconds, he ends the call. "They've got a unit coming here as we speak."
"Good, now let's get to that armory." Abby says and the others nod. But as they leave the Overseer's room, the lab-coat wearing Ninja starts cackling.
"Father's here…hahahahah…you guys are so screwed now that He's here!"
"Do ya honestly think he's come here to save your ass? You're just tools to him, nothin' else." Abby says coldly over her shoulder.
"But we are on His side! That's all that matters! Teenagers are supposed to work with the adults to punish all those stupid annoying brats! You guys are traitors to your fellow teenagers! You don't stand a chan…" Wally silences the Ninja with his Stupefier Cannon and gives the Ninja a murderous glare as they walk back to the staircase and into the main dungeon.
"So how are we going to get into the armory? It's gonna take us too long if we go back the way came from." Hoagie asks and Abby crosses her arms.
"Ya got a point…Wait a minute, Numbuh 2, ya got the map on ya?"
"Oh yeah, just a sec." Hoagie takes his scanner and shows the holographic map of the Hideout. Abby immediately notices something.
"Just as Numbuh 5 thought. The armory is right above us. We just gotta blast through the roof."
"Then what are we waitin' for? Let's go!" Wally shouts.
"Okay, we've gotta do this fast. Numbuh 5, Numbuh 3, jump on the back of Betsy Mk2 Custom." Hoagie says as he activates his Exo-suit. The girls then jump on his back.
"Numbuh 4, make the hole and we'll follow. Aim at that spotlight above us."
"Right!" Wally points the Accelerator Rifle at the roof and fires at maximum voltage, creating a huge hole in the ceiling.
"Okay, let's go!" They fly up through the hole and arrive at the armory in an instant. As the dust clears, they are startled by what they see: Patton is lying unconscious against a steel support beam while Eliza is lying on the floor, her sword right next to her. Then they see a massive, black Knightamaton with Nigel in the grasp of its left hand. "Numbuh 1!" Abby shouts as Wally instinctively fires the rifle at the Knightamaton but the shell melts the moment it gets close. They then land and try to approach it but are pushed back by a telekinetic barrier.
"So, these are your friends. It's been a long time since I saw you all together like this. Heh, look at you, you're no longer those meddlesome brats, now you are meddlesome teenagers!" They recognize Father's cold and callous voice instantly.
"Let Numbuh 1 go!" Abby aims her lasers at the robot.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. You see, he's my dear Nephew and I can't have him be corrupted any further by you people."
"You're the one who's corrupting him!" Hoagie shouts.
"FOOLS! The moment he donned the Silhouette Suit, he became mine! Leaving Grandfather's legacy in the hands of my enemy is something I cannot allow!"
"Numbuh 1 makes that choice himself and we know he'd never choose you!"
"Hahahahaha, oh how little you know! I bet you haven't even told half of all the things you did when you were at the mansion!" Father sneers at Nigel, who is struggling to free himself.
"I…I am not your pawn! I will never join you again!"
"Oh really? So, you think you have a choice in the matter? Hah, you lost that right the moment you became Nephew!"
"I am not Nephew! I am Numbuh 1 of the Teens Next Door!" Nigel tries to use his own Silhouette Suit to attack the Knightamaton, but he can't bring it out.
"Fool! My power allows me to cancel your Silhouette Suit! As if I'd let you use it against me! Now, it's time to say good bye to your so-called friends and return to my side." Realizing what Father is about to do, Wally charges at the robot with his sword while Kuki figures out his intentions and fires a telekinetic pulse at the robot, negating its own telekinetic field.
"What the…?"
"RAAAAAHHHH!" Wally jumps and cuts off the robot's right arm from the shoulder down and is about to cut oof the other one when black tentacles grow from the right shoulder and forms into a fist.
"Dammit!" Wally can't say anything else as the fist brushes him aside while his sword flies into the wall behind Nigel.
"Looks like you've got some new tricks up your sleeve. Well then, I guess I'll have to give you my FULL ATTENTION!" The robot's black arm changes to a swarm of tentacles and ensnares Nigel's friends.
"NO, STOP!" Ignoring Nigel's pleas, Father starts to simultaneously strangle and burn his friends.
"ARGHHH!"
"It hurts!"
"Dammit…!"
"Can't…breathe…"
"You see, Nephew? THIS is what happens when you defy me! Now I'll let you watch as the last of your bonds are turned to ash!"
"NO! DON'T HURT MY FRIENDS! I…I…" Nigel swallows and his head slumps forward.
"Yes?!"
"I…you…you wi…"
"DON'T SAY IT!" Abby shouts, despite the pain.
"Huh?"
"IF YA GIVE UP, THEN WE ALL LOSE!"
"You're our leader! Sector V's nothing without you!"
"We won't…give up…so please don't give up either…"
"We're not gonna let you take our leader!"
"Guys…"
"HAHAHAHAHAH! You're still breathing? It's about time I let you make your last gasp!"
"No…stop…" A burning feeling starts growing in Nigel's heart, becoming stronger every second.
"ARRRRRGGGHHHHHH!" Hearing his friends screaming in pain, Nigel lifts his head and looks at them. To his shock, all of them are looking directly at him, using all of their strength to smile, as if to assure him that they are alright, contrary to what is happening.
Then, he hears a familiar voice. "You've arrived at the precipice yet again, boy. What will you do? Let Benedict kill your "friends" or use my power to free yourself…"
"I…"
"Without the Silhouette Suit, they will die."
"No…I won't let you…or him…No one is going to take my friends from me!"
"HAHAHAHAHAH! That's it, use it. Use that anger of yours to strike at Benedict. Show him who has really been chosen by me! Make him realize the difference between your powers!"
"RAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!" Nigel's body is engulfed in flames as the jet-black Silhouette Suit envelops him, shocking Father.
"What?! How? How is this possible?!" The fire surging from Nigel turns from red to blue to purple and melts the left arm completely, forcing Father to let go of Nigel's friends who fall to the ground. "You! When did you…no…NO!" The shadow of Grandfather appears behind Nigel, its arms crossed and its wicked eyes staring mockingly at Father as evil, cackling laughter echoes in the armory. "Why? Why have you…forsaken me again, PAPPY?!" Father shouts as Nigel hovers in the air and uses telekinesis to pull Wally' sword from the wall, engulfing it in flames. His friends can only watch in awe.
"Did he ever…look like that…?"
"Numbuh 5's got no idea…" Then, Eliza regains her conscience and realizes what is happening.
"Oh no! It's happening again!" she runs closer but is stopped by Abby.
"What do ya mean?" The others gather around Eliza and watch as Nigel's fire sword makes contact with Father's tentacles. "He…he's not in control…"
"He's what?"
"But I thought the suit is just a…" Eliza stops Hoagie and points at the hue of Nigel's flames.
"No, it's more complicated than that! That color means that he's consumed by the Suit."
"How do you know that?!" Abby grabs Eliza by her shoulders.
"He…no, Rachel told me that he's had trouble controlling it since that time you guys rescued them from the warehouse. That's why I'm here. I agreed to keep an eye on him, to make sure nothing would happen…"'
"And ya didn't bother tellin' us?! We're is friends!" Abby starts shaking Eliza but Kuki stops her.
"We hoped Nigel would do it himself but…"
"Dammit girl, ya know Nigel always puts others before him! Of course he wasn't gonna tell us!" Seeing both the anger and the sadness in Abby's eyes makes Eliza feel extremely guilty.
"I…I'm…"
"Let's worry about that later! I ain't gonna just watch and let Nigel fight alone!" Wally pulls out his rifle.
"You saw what he could do, how the hell are ya gonna match those two?" Abby grabs Wally's shoulder but then, she and the others see Wally's determined expression.
"I'll do what I can. He's our leader and that's a good enough reason for me."
"Numbuh 4's right! I wanna help him too!"
"Yeah! We can't let him fight alone!"
Abby tries to protest but then, she smiles slightly. "You guys are right. We're gonna take down that damn robot and bring Nigel back, no matter what."
They nod at each other, leaving Eliza by herself. "How could I be so naïve…" She shakes her head and runs to Patton's side "Numbuh Zeta, wake up! We've got work to do!"
"Uhm…huh, what happened?!"
"It doesn't matter, just get up on your feet. We're gonna help Nigel."
"…Yeah, alright let's do this!" Patton gets up and grabs his rifle while Eliza energizes her sword, ready to continue the fight.
Meanwhile Nigel, in his purple flamed Silhouette Suit, trades blows with Father by wielding Wally's sword with telekinesis. Father however is unable to forget the shadow he saw.
"Why?! Why are you still taunting me! Is nothing ever enough for you, Pappy!" he shouts in fury and attempts to skewer Nigel with the tentacles, but Nigel turns himself intangible, causing them to simply go through him.
"That power belongs to me! I'm the rightful heir! I've devoted every inch of myself to carry on your legacy, yet you choose him?! NO! I WON'T ALLOW YOU TO TAUNT ME LIKE THIS!" Then, with all of his attention turned on Nigel, a shell strikes the robot's right leg, startling Father. "What?!" Before he can say anything else, another shell rips through the left leg, but new, black legs form in their place. "You damn brats! Stay out of this!" He fires a heat ray from the robot's head visor, but it's neutralized by Kuki's lightning. Then, the robot is struck by a barrage of laser and stupefier beams fired by Hoagie, Abby and Patton, stunning him. "I said, STOP…!"
"RAAAAAAAHHHH!" Eliza appears behind the Knightamaton and slices the torso vertically in half, causing it to fall apart, but then, the black mass inside reforms into the shape of Father.
"What the crud?!"
"That must be one of his projection clones…" Eliza says grimly. "They're not as strong as him but…"
"Just keep blastin' him!" Abby shouts and they fire at the clone.
"I've had it with you interfering! It's time I turned you to dust!" But before Father can fully turn around and attack, Wally's sword flies through the clone's chest, sending him flying into the wall behind him and skewering him into it. "Gah…what the…?" His eyes widen in disbelief as Nigel teleports in-front of him and creates two purple flame rings from his hands as Grandfather's shadow appears behind, performing the very same action.
"No…that's…Pappy's…" Nigel sends the rings into the clone, drilling them into his chest, causing him immense pain. Nigel's friends can only watch, shocked by the brutality of Nigel's attack.
"You're right…he's not in control…"
"He's like a beast…" Kuki grips Wally's hand, the latter sensing fear in her. Nigel then envelops his hands in purple fire and unleashes an immensely powerful purple heat ray at the clone.
"NOOOOOOOO! YOU THINK THINK IS OVER?! IT'S NEVER OVEEE..." The clone begins to visibly disintegrate, its voice becoming more garbled. Then, it disappears completely, leaving a small pile of dust behind it, with Wally's sword lying among the rubble. while Nigel stands before it, motionless.
"Nigel?" Abby tries to approach him but he immediately fires a smaller heat ray at her from his left hand.
"LOOK OUT!" Hoagie shouts and pushes her aside, but the right arm of his damaged Exo-Suit gets caught in the blast, vaporizing instantly. The others come to his side as he turns off the armor while Kuki helps Abby up.
"He…he tried to…" Abby says in disbelief.
"That's not him! The suit is…no, Grandfather is controlling him!" Patton shouts.
"Grandfather?! You gotta be kidding me!"
"Nigel said Grandfather's specter has been tormenting him for a month now…"
"Why the hell didn't he tell us?!"
"He is probably so traumatized by what he's done wearing that suit, he couldn't speak about it to us…" Hoagie says as Nigel remains standing against the wall, the area around him engulfed in fire.
"He's been fighting it alone all this time…" Kuki looks on but then, notices Wally take a step forward. "Wally, don't'!" she tries to stop him but Wally pushes her aside.
"What the hell are ya doin'?! He's gonna kill ya!"
"No, I ain't gonna let that happen." Wally says over his shoulder and approaches Nigel.
"Wally!" Abby stops Kuki from running after him.
"Wait Numbuh 3, I think he's got a plan…" she looks at Kuki reassuringly but remains restless as Wally moves closer. Nigel reacts instantly and fires a heat ray, but Wally dodges it and keeps going.
"Hey! I know ya can hear me!" Nigel fires more heat rays but Wally keeps dodging. "You gotta stop this! We aren't your enemy!" Nigel then takes Wally into a hold using telekinesis. "Ghhhh…You think ya can stop me?! I ain't gonna give up until you come back, Numbuh 1!" The grip tightens around him, causing Kuki to panic.
"No! I can't take it anymore!"
"Kuki, STOP!" Kuki ignores her friend's pleas and runs towards Wally. "Don't come here!"
"But Wally!"
"Trust me! I can get him back…I'll be okay!" Wally looks over his shoulder as tears start forming in Kuki's eyes.
"I…"
"TRUST ME!" Kuki goes down on her knees as the others come to her side. Wally then turns to look at Nigel. "You've been keeping this to yourself, haven't you? Don't you trust us? We can help you, Numbuh 1!" The telekinetic grip tightens even further, causing Wally immense pain, despite his armor. "Gahhh…did ya think we'd hate you if you told us? What kind of friends do you think we are!"
"I…" Nigel speaks with a distorted voice.
"Look at me! Look at my face, Nigel!" Nigel moves his head slightly as Wally stares at him. "See this? You made this! But I don't hate you for it! Because I know why you had to do it! All those things you did back then, we don't hate you for them! We've all done cruddy things since we left the KND! And we're gonna get over them, together! If there's something I've learned since we met again, is that you can't do things by yourself! So, don't let that thing control you! You're better than that! You're Numbuh 1, our leader!"
Nigel stares at Wally but remains silent as memories flash before his eyes: When they were framed and everything collapsed under him, how he cast away his former self for the sake of revenge, how he turned on the KND, destroying their Treehouses by himself, how he tortured prisoners without remorse and finally, how he gave Wally the scars. Then everything goes black but slowly, a figure appears before him. It turns to face him and he instantly recognizes the checker-patterned red shirt the figure is wearing. Then, he hears a voice. "It's time to let go, son."
"Dad…" A white light bursts out from Nigel's chest and he releases Wally, who falls on his knees onto the floor while Kuki and the others run to his side.
"Wally!" she wraps her arms around Wally's shoulders while they watch as Nigel's Silhouette Suit starts to crack.
"Did…it work?" Wally asks.
"Maybe…wait, the book!" Patton shouts.
"What book?" Abby asks as more and more white lights begin shining through the Suits cracks.
"The Book of KND! When we went to his house, he brought it with him. Numbuh 4's words must've made the book to react or something…" Patton says as they watch in stunned awe.
"What the crud?"
"Don't wrack yer brain over it too much." Abby pats Wally's head as Nigel starts to rip off the Suit.
"I…I'm myself! I…want to be with my friends! You won't control me again!" he shouts and tears the Suit apart, his eyes filled with tears.
Seeing their leader back to his own self, Wally, Hoagie, Kuki and Abby run to his side and grab hold of him before he falls on his back. "Nigel?"
"I…I'm sorry…I couldn't control it…" Nigel tries to stop himself from crying as the guilt wrenches his heart.
"Don't be sorry Nigel…all that matters is that you're back to yoself…"
"…I couldn't bear losing anyone anymore…" His friends also try to hold their tears as Nigel's sunglasses fall of his head. "You…won't hate me? Even knowing what I did back then?"
"We've got no right to hate ya, dummy. We did that stuff too. And besides, you're our friend." Abby puts her hand behind Nigel's back while Wally holds him from his shoulders.
"You're the coolest guy I know, no matter what anyone says…"
"Sector V is nothing without its leader, Numbuh 1."
"I…I'm sorry…I should've told you…I'm so sorry!" Nigel breaks into tears, causing his friends to cry with him as Eliza and Patton watch them from the distance.
"Aren't you going to join them?"
"How could I…I couldn't even do my job…No, they need each other right now. We should concentrate on mopping up this Hideout. We'll demolish it after that's done. Just being here makes me feel sick."
"You're right." Then, Patton's communicator vibrates and he answers. "This is Numbuh Zeta…what? I see…okay, start evacuating them immediately. We'll identify them back at the base."
"Who was it?"
"A member of Group 1. They found tortured kids inside the dungeon's lower cellblock."
"What?!"
"Yeah, Numbuh 2 alerted them about it before they came here."
"I see…Alright, let's go and take a look. We'll let them be with each other for a while." Eliza says and along with Patton, walks away, leaving Sector V to console Nigel.
...
An hour later, at the Delightful Mansion, Benedict Wigglestein is on his knees in his throne room, trying to recover from the fight. While he only controlled the clone, Nigel's attack was so strong, it has left Benedict exhausted and temporarily unable to use his Silhouette Suit. Thus, he has kept himself isolated from his subordinates.
"…damn him…" he mutters and stands up, donning his Silhouette Suit and his Father persona with much effort. But just walking over to his throne is a struggle, the attack's effect is so powerful. However, he manages to get on the throne and sits down, trying to compose himself. Then, he presses a button on his left armrest.
"Ugh…give me a status report." A dark silhouette appears on the screen.
"Well Father, the Hideout is a complete loss. Whoever they were, they managed to completely overpower the Ninjas. It pains me to say this, but their strategy was impeccable."
"What about the mother computer?!"
"70% of our data was lost. The rest was erased by the system trap. Also, it appears the enemy planted a virus into our network before the computer shut down. The virus has effectively disabled our global communication systems, and it will take some time before it's repaired."
"…"
"Father?" Flames and embers spew out of the evil adult's Suit as he curses under his breath and then, takes a deep breath.
"I see…what about the dungeon?"
"It fell along with the rest of the Hideout. The loss of the Knightamaton generator is also a serious blow to our operations."
"Damn those rebelling teenagers…"
"Also, all the new model Battle-Ready Cycles we provided to them were lost, partly due to the enemy's air units attacking them and the rest where lost due to an attack by the KND. As of now, we have no idea on the nature of the attack, but it was not from an orbital weapon." Father grips his armrests in fury as small embers spew from his Suit. Then, the large doors of his throne room open and Cree enters, followed by two Ninjas holding Ernest, who had been freed from his crystal-like prison earlier.
"I'll hear the rest of your report later." Father turns his attention to the Ninjas.
"So, this is the fool responsible for the loss of the Hideout." He stares down on Ernest, who is thrown to the floor.
"Wait! I can explain!"
"Oh, please do. If it's convincing enough, you might just get a lesser punishment."
"They caught us by surprise! We had no idea they were comin'!"
"And why do you think that is?" Cree says coldly.
"Well…I uhm…"
"Maybe it's because of this?!" She shows a holo-projection from her B.R.A.'s gauntlet, that shows CCTV footage of the "Employees Only" door opening by itself.
"Huh?"
"When I left you in charge of the Hideout, I expected you to ensure it would stay secure! That attack last Saturday was just a distraction while someone sneacked in and snooped out the whole base!" Cree shouts at the Hooligans Captain, who clenches his fits in shame.
"As I suspected. Well, I'll leave him to you, Ms. Lincoln. I have bigger problems to deal with."
"As you wish. Take him to the dungeon."
"WAIT! I…I'LL DO ANYTHING! DON'T PUT ME IN THE DUNGEON!"
"Hmm?" Father lifts his left eyebrow.
"All I wanna do right now is get my hands on Wallabee Beetles! I don't care if ya take my rank or something, just let me get my revenge!"
"Ooh, revenge. Looks like you have a kindred spirit here, Ms. Lincoln. I like your determination, boy. However, you'll need to take responsibility for your failure. Two weeks in the dungeon. I might have some use for you after that."
"Huh?! No! NO! I AIN'T GOING TO THE DUNGE...UGH!" Cree knocks the panicking Ernest out with single punch in the gut, her eyes filled with distain.
"Take him away already." Cree says and Ernest is dragged out of the throne room.
"You are awfully calm about this whole affair."
"Calm? I'm furious! The Hideout I worked so hard to rebuild and re-arm is now gone! No thanks to my sister…"
"Your fixation on your sister reminds me of my own little feud with my brother. Regardless, how are you going to fix this?" Father leans forward on his throne as Cree clenches her fists.
"I'll find them, and make them pay. That's it."
"Ah, always so straightforward." Father chuckles but then, the shadowy person speaks up.
"Father, I'm sorry to interrupt but there is a message being broadcast on all channels. We don't know its origin but it is safe to assume that it's coming from the ones who attacked the Hideout. Should I put it through?"
"Do it…" Father lifts his head and turns is attention towards a large TV screen behind him. The screen flickers and then, a shot of Eliza standing in a dark room appears.
"What is this?" Father says coldly. Cree's eyes widen as she recognizes the girl immediately.
"Attention all kids and teenagers of the world. I am Commander Numbuh Alpha of the Teens Next Door. For many years, we have hidden ourselves from the world, fought against adult tyranny from the shadows, but today, all of that has changed. The world we live in has been divided by two people, who believe they can rule or destroy this world.
"Numbuh 1000, who has taken over the Kids Next Door through the use of his mind-control chips, believes that adulthood is a disease and wants to destroy all adults and teenagers in our world. Father, the mastermind behind every major evil adult related event and the ultimate enemy of all kids, wants to subjugate all non-adults. His ultimate goal, as we all know, is to bring the world back to the time of the evil Grandfather.
"For the past month, these two have pitted kids and teenagers against each other but all they've done is cause pain and suffering to us all. That is why we, the Teens Next Door, have decided to take action and stand up to them, like all kids and teenagers should!" The camera pans away from Eliza and the area lights up, revealing a huge hangar behind her, filled with TND agents, 2x4 ships, including the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H-W.A.S.P. On her left, are the Section Chiefs with Patton and Herbie standing closest to her. And on her right stands Rachel, The Kid and Sector V, lined up based on their codenames with Nigel being supported by Rachel and Hoagie while The Kid stands slightly behind and between Wally and Kuki.
"What you see here, is only a small fraction of the forces we control. Our organization has agents in every continent and country. To those who doubt us, let me assure you, that we are serious and as proof, today, we raided, captured and destroyed the largest Teen Ninja Hideout in the US. It was here that Father allowed his Ninjas to torture teens and kids to their hearts content. Take a look!" The broadcast shows pictures of the torture chambers and the captives.
"The Ninja's defending the Hideout were no match against us and their leader Ernest, captain of the Hendrie Hooligans, was swiftly defeated, thanks to Sector V. They are just a few of those who have decided to aid us. We will bring down Numbuh 1000 and Father, that is a promise. We are the Teens Next Door and we will take back the world!" The broadcast ends, leaving Father to stare at the screen in silence.
"So, the rumors where true…" he says coldly as Cree is left speechless by what she has seen and heard. Seeing all those former KND operatives who either fought by her side or against her when she fled makes her feel uncomfortable.
"My apologies Father, we were unable to find any information beforehand regarding this "Teens Next Door"."
"It doesn't matter anymore! Losing the Hideout is a big problem for us. As it stands, I can't afford to fight both of them at the same time…I'll simply have to wait for them to take each other out first…if only that damn brat hadn't stolen my long-range signal emitter technology…"
"What about us, Father? I can send our Raiding Teams to stake out Sector V's houses?" Cree asks but Father shakes his head.
"No. That would require resources which we no longer have. No thanks to you teenagers losing the Hideout I so generously helped to build."
"Grrr…" Cree grits her teeth in anger, amusing Father.
"Your enthusiasm is commendable but right now, we can't fight them head-on. For now, have the Ninjas return to their remaining Hideouts and stand by."
"What?! We can't just let them run around like they own the place!"
"Do NOT use that tone on me!" Father's Suit flares up, startling Cree, who begrudgingly lowers her head. "That's more like it. Now, you may go. I have to rethink our strategy." Cree bows and leaves the throne room, slamming the door behind her. "Gah, sometimes teens can be even bigger pests than children."
"What are your orders, Father?"
"We will limit our operations to defense and lay low for now. And begin distributing the newer B.R.A.'s to the Ninjas. That should keep them occupied until we…re-educate them."
"Understood." The shadowy person ends the call.
"I was wrong about you, Mr. Uno. Next time, I'll make sure you'll bend your knee to me or die"
Cree meanwhile walks through the dark halls, the only thing in her mind being finding Abby.
"That was the last time I pull punches, Abby…"
…
Meanwhile, at the KND Moonbase HQ, Global Command is in disarray over the broadcast. Numbuh 1000, sitting on his personal seat, is fuming. "Those disgusting traitors! Where did they get so many former KND operatives in their ranks?! I personally decommissioned almost everyone in that place!"
"Sir, the only possible explanation is that they've built a recommissioning device." Numbuh 105 says calmly.
"But I thought it was destroyed! And the only way to rebuild it is written in the Book of KND!" He takes the fake book from his jacket pocket and opens it, trying to find the instructions. "It…it's not here."
"We can't worry about that now, Sir."
"Of course, you're right…"
"Also, you should take a look at this."
Numbuh 105 shows him a picture of the broadcast and points at a person standing among the Science Section members. "Is that…NUMBUH 42?!" Numbuh 1000 stands up, his eyes filled with rage.
"Yes, he appears to have joined them as well."
"Damn him…he'll spill everything to them! Numbuh 105, send an order to Sector V2! They must find and capture every single traitor in this picture! Is that clear?! Also, contact the Re-commissioning base and have them speed-up their recovery of…useful operatives."
"Yes, Sir. Also, there is some good news that has come from this."
"What?"
"Sector V2's C.L.A.M.M.A.H.- Array worked perfectly. It shot down all the Ninjas that were fleeing the Hideout."
"Hm…good."
"Now that it is operational, we can divert all our orbital weapons to other sectors."
"Excellent. Keep up the good work, Numbuh 105. You're one of the few people I can trust anymore."
"Thank you, Sir." Numbuh 105 salutes Numbuh 1000 as he stands up and leaves the Global Command's control center.
He storms through the hallway, all the way to his quarters and slumps behind the desk. "If both Sector V and Numbuh 42 are there, then I have to silence them as fast as possible. If the truth is revealed, all our work has been for nothing…"
…
Back on earth, at the TND base Switchboard, Eliza is sitting on her own chair on the command deck and looks on as Herbie directs the Switchboard from his own chair.
"So, Numbuh Iota-3, how did I do?"
"An excellent performance, Commander. Though I don't know how long it'll take before our message gains support, I'm positive we've made a difference already."
"Good. Continue to observe the situation. We'll need to start planning our next move."
"Yes, Ma'am." Herbie salutes Eliza, who turns her attention to the small screen on her armrest and contacts the Chief of the Intelligence Section.
"Numbuh Gamma, what's the situation outside?"
"Well, it's very calm at the moment, but we should prepare for any Ninja retaliation attempts."
"I didn't want it to come to this, but we all knew what we were getting ourselves into when we attacked the Hideout…"
"It's too late to regret it, Commander. I believe you made the right choice, and so do the other Chiefs."
"Thank you, Numbuh Gamma."
"However, there is a matter we should discuss: Our next target."
"Of course. Can you send me the reconnaissance report? I didn't get a chance to look at it myself earlier."
"Yes, Ma'am."
A message appears on the upper-right corner of the screen and Eliza turns it into a holograph. "So, that's the weapon Numbuh 1000 used to shoot down the fleeing Ninjas. I'm glad our ships weren't hit at least."
"Yes, we can thank Agent Halcón for that. He did pick up the projectiles on his radar. Also, thanks to the information provided by Numbuh Eta-4, we know the source of the Earth's mind-control signal. He is currently working on a way to create a jamming frequency emitter, so we can free the KND from Numbuh 1000's grip."
"Good. Tell Numbuh Omicron to keep me updated on its progress. The sooner we can find Numbuh 78 and free the KND the better. We'll need their help if we want to bring down Father."
"Yes, Commander." Numbuh Gamma salutes as Eliza closes the screen before leaving the Switchboard, walking back to her own room. Eliza sits down and opens the L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S. on her desk. She then puts her hand onto a bio-metric scanner embedded into the wall behind her desk, causing a small part of it to open, revealing a safe inside. Eliza then takes Maurice's Signal Receiver that he left behind and connects it into her L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S. The screen of the computer starts to rattle until a dark silhouette appears in it.
"This is Mother Hen, do you copy, Raven?"
"This is Raven, I copy." The mysterious person replies with a distorted voice.
"What is your status?"
"Infiltration was successful. I managed to acquire the identity of a former Ninja and they are not suspecting anything. I will now begin phase two of the plan."
"Good. Keep me and Numbuh Gamma updated on your progress. The more we know about Father's plan, the better prepared we'll be when we attack his mansion."
"Roger. Raven out." The mysterious person fades away from the screen and Eliza puts the Signal Receiver back into the safe. She then leans back on her chair and takes a deep breath.
"Now our problems really start…"
End of Transmission 34
End of Phase 2
Note: Finally! Arc 2 is complete.
First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has kept reading my fanfic. I honestly wasn't expecting the amount of readers I've gotten so far, and I'm thankful for the support. Back in 2016, I never even planned to release this project because I wasn't sure would people even bother to read it. But I guess I got proven wrong.
Arc 3 is next, which I'll start releasing as soon as possible, so stick around. Sector V's quest for redemption is far from over.