Transmission 28: Freed Spirits
As the prisoners plan their next move, Patton and Kuki have reached the vent that ends right above the communications room. "Okay, let's do this quickly. We don't want them raising the alarm." Patton says as Kuki surveys the room. Then she notices the operatives pointing at a camera that is showing only static.
"The armory's camera has seized functioning." An operative says with a monotone voice.
"Huh? That too? Have you heard anything from the guards down there?"
"Negative."
"What is going on here? Is it a system error or something? Unless…the prisoners! They've escaped! Sound the alarm!" But before any of the operatives can do anything, Patton and Kuki jump down from the vent and catch them off-guard. Kuki stupefies three while Patton takes out the other two with well-placed punches. He then runs over to the console and turns off the early warning system and the perimeter defense network.
"Okay, that should make our escape easier." He then shoots the power box next to the main monitor, making it impossible to reactivate the defense systems.
"Let's go! We have to find Numbuh 4 and the others!" Kuki says and kicks the flimsy wooden door that leads to the hallway. The moment they step out of the room, a huge blast rips through the elevator shaft, located between the communications room and the t-intersection that leads to both the control room and the hangar. Out of the smoke and rubble, first Wally and then the other prisoners fly out, most wearing jetpacks or J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. They surge out of the smoking elevator shaft and open fire with their stolen weapons.
"COME ON! WE GOTTA GET TO THE HANGAR!" Wally shouts as they begin to overwhelm the few guards who happened to be near the elevator.
"Damn, he really knows how to make an entrance. Let's go." Patton smirks as they run towards the melee. They knock out a few operatives who try to attack from the other corridor and come to Wally's side, who is firing his arm laser cannons at a group of operatives. "Looks like we got here just in time."
"Huh? Numbuh Zeta? Numbuh 3?! How did you guys get in here?!" Wally is surprised by the appearance of his comrades.
"Bradley led us here."
"Hmph, you're not half bad." Wally at least somewhat acknowledges Bradley's abilities, who nods in reply.
"Wallabee! The operatives retreated to the hangar and closed the doors!" Kimberley shouts from the end of the t-intersection corridor.
"Aw crud!"
"Let's go take a look. With this many ex-operatives, I doubt we'll have much trouble with a single door." Patton says and heads to the front of the group, who immediately recognizes the former drill sergeant.
"Numbuh 60?! What are you doing here?!" Some of the prisoners were trained by him at the Arctic Base and immediately salute him.
"At ease guys, we're not in the KND anymore." He calmly gestures them to loosen up and approaches Kimberley.
"Numbuh 60, Sir!" She also salutes him, causing him to chuckle.
"Great to see you again, Numbuh 202. It's great to see all of you. Now give me a status report." As Patton takes command, Wally and Kuki join the others, but he can sense some tension from Kuki.
"Uhm…I'm glad ya came to help…"
"It's nothing…that's what friends do right, Wally?" Her rather forced pronunciation of his nickname makes Wally feel awkward.
"What's with you?"
"Nothing…" Kuki huffs but then, she is hugged by someone.
"Numbuh 3!"
"Numbuh 83? How did you get here?"
"They captured me and Lee…I'm so happy you came to help us again."
"And I'm glad you're alright!" Kuki hugs Sonia back as other female operatives who knew her come to greet her.
Charles meanwhile nudges Wally. "So, she your girlfriend?"
"Hah, I wish…" Wally mutters and walks away towards Patton, who is reviewing the layout of the base with Kimberley and Tommy.
"So, they've locked us out of the hangar…"
"Unfortunately. That door is reinforced and ray-shielded, so we can't open it with brute force."
"Why don't we just find the switch that opens it?" Tommy asks, prompting Patton to take a closer look at the layout.
"Good point…is that the control room?"
"Yup, but it's a level above and probably heavily guarded."
"But not heavily guarded enough. Numbuh 4?"
"Yeah?"
"You go with Numbuh 202 to the second floor and find a way into the control room. She can deal with the technical side."
"Fine, just tell me where to shoot." Wally replies but Kuki is staring at him coldly.
"We're going to secure the area and make sure the KND doesn't try to push us back." Patton points at the corridor opposite to the hangar doors and the other corridor that goes past the communications room.
"Okay, let's get going." Wally grabs Kimberley, to the surprise of the other operatives and carries her using his jetboots, flying through the corridor that leads to the stairs, leaving Kuki stunned.
"Wow, he's pretty bold…" Numbuh 58 says to another female operative while Kuki stares at the corridor where Wally flew in. Charles is equally irked but remains quiet.
"Alright people, just because they aren't attacking us, doesn't mean we can relax. Secure the perimeter and don't leave any blind spots, ON THE DOUBLE!" Patton's commanding voice does its job and the prisoners quickly organize into a defensive formation.
A level above them, Wally lands and let's a bewildered Kimberley back on her feet.
"Warn me next time…" Wally ignores her complaints and looks around the empty corridor.
"I don't like this…" Then, his HUD warns him of incoming fire from the other end.
"Get back!" He shouts and pushes Kimberley behind a corner as lasers are fired at them.
"Cruddy guards…" Kimberley then notices another corridor behind them and grabs Wally's arm.
"Forget those guys. This way!" she stands up and runs, forcing Wally to follow her.
"Where are ya goin'? The room's over there!"
"Detour!" she replies and turns to the left and then, they arrive at another t-intersection. To their left are four Decommissioning Squad members, all heavily armed and armored. They are standing in-front of the control room's door. "I saw an auxiliary control room in the hologram. It should be behind that door to our right. But how are we going to get there without getting caught?"
"Leave these chumps to me. I'm gonna give 'em a lesson, Numbuh 4 style." Wally says and activates his shields in knuckle mode. He then runs around the corner and charges the guards head-on. "YAAAAAARRRGH!"
"Intruder!" They open fire again but Wally's too fast and he sends the first guard flying while the others turn their attention to him. Kimberley meanwhile sneaks around the same corner but turns right and uses the key-card to open the auxiliary room's door. Inside, is a wall full of switches and indicators.
"This looks really old…" she looks around and finds the hangar door controls. "There we go…" Kimberley flips the red emergency override switch. Then, she hears noise from behind the door that connects to the main control room and kneels as she puts her ear against the door.
"What do you mean they've escaped?! How is this possible?!" Numbuh 090 shouts at a computer screen.
"We don't know, Sir. There should've been no way for them to leave their cells." The un-chipped operative replies.
"Grr…have the communications people contact Sector V2 for reinforcements!"
"We can't, the prisoners have overrun it and have garrisoned themselves into the intersection behind the hangar entrance. We can't contact anyone unless we send a ship."
"Dammit! Who is responsible for this?!" As Numbuh 090 continues to rant, Wally has defeated the guards and is about to run over to the auxiliary room when he sees something from the corner of his eye. A half open door and behind it, something shiny.
Despite some hesitation, he approaches the door and opens it. Inside, he sees four steel tables with six leather straps, positioned in a way that fit the human body, two straps for the arms, two for the legs and on the for the torso and head, respectably. "What the crud?" He notices a machine at the end of each table and as he takes a closer look, he realizes that these are the machines Numbuh 1000 uses to chip operatives. "No way…" Anger begins to swell up within him but just as he is about to destroy them, Wally notices a small desk to his right and a file on top of it. He grabs the file and inside it, is a data disc that reads "Re-commissioning Log".
"'Re-commissioning Log'? Hm…Numbuh 1's gonna want this…" He puts the file and the disc into a storage slot in his back and turns around to face the four machines. "But nobody…wants these!" He shreds them with his laser cannons and leaves the room. "Okay, now I gotta find Numbuh 202…" He takes a step forward, but sees a shadowy figure enter the auxiliary room. "Oh crud!"
Meanwhile, just as Kimberley is about kick the door and put Numbuh 090 on gunpoint, someone kicks her from behind, sending her flying through the door and onto the floor. "Argh…ow…" The assailant then puts her into a hold, dislocating her left shoulder and points a heat laser gun her head.
"Huh? Well, well, it's you, Numbuh 202. Very clever, sneaking behind me like that."
"Gah…" Kimberley tries to struggle but the hold on her is too tight.
"It's no use, a mere technician like you is no match for a Teen Hunter, especially someone like, Numbuh 86." Kimberley's eyes widen as she looks over her shoulder and sees Fanny staring down at her, with an expression devoid of any emotion.
"Numbuh…86…how could they do this to you?"
"You have no idea how useful a teenager is, in a leash of course. Soon, you and your fellow prisoners will join her, once we quell this useless rebellion.
"No way, we won't become Numbuh 1000's slaves!"
"Hah, you teenagers think you actually have a choice?!"
"Why are you doing this…this isn't what the KND fought for!"
"But this IS exactly what the KND fights for! All adults are our enemy! They must be cleansed from this world, like the disease they are!"
"You actually believe what Numbuh 1000 is saying?!"
"Because it's the truth! He knew all along, when the rest of you fools wanted to live together with those adults! He knows, what we must do, to ensure that kids everywhere will never again be forced to submit to teens and adults!"
"That's a load of crap!" The reinforced steel door is blown apart as Wally charges in, his shield knuckles aimed at the base commander, who freezes in fear. Fanny lets go of Kimberley and blocks the attack with her electric claws, forcing Wally into a deadlock.
Meanwhile, in-front of the hangar entrance, the prisoners see the heavy doors slowly lifting. "They did it! Alright, you know the drill! Assault Formation Z-7-9!" Patton shouts.
"MAXIMUM SHOCK AND AWE!" The ex-operatives reply and charge through the slowly opening door. Charles and his two friends lead the attack, using their B.R.A.'s superior armor and various weapons to push the defenders back, away from the entrance.
"This is way more fun than football!"
"You said it, man!"
Suddenly, four Teen Hunters arrive, one of them carrying the special equipment backpack. They attack the prisoners from four sides, surprising them.
"Damn, it's the Teen Hunters! Numbuh 3, on me!"
"Okay!" Kuki replies and joins Patton as he attacks two Hunters who are attacking from the right while Kuki attacks the two on the left. She uses her powerful shield system to repel the lasers that rain on the main group and then summons a horde of ghost hamsters, who fly at the Hunters like bullets forcing them to pull back. Patton takes on the other two with his shoulder-mounted twin-laser Gatling guns and likewise forces them to retreat.
This display of power awes the prisoners, including Charles. "Damn, these guys are something else…" Then, another Hunter appears and attacks him but is hit in the stomach by an orange laser.
"What the heck?" Charles looks over his shoulder and sees Tommy, wearing his own custom dark-blue B.R.A. that covers his arms, legs and torso, all under his trench coat.
"Hah, so ya had one too?"
"The Tommy is a teenager now, so he has to have the proper equipment!"
"Hahaha, you're hilarious, kid."
"I'm not a kid!" Tommy shouts and fires a laser at the Hunter, who again tries to attack Charles. "You just keep your eyes open!"
"Don't sass me, kid." Charles replies as he likewise protects Tommy from an errant laser with his combat staff.
Then, a loud sound of shattering glass is heard and everyone's attention is temporarily drawn to the control room's window, through which, Wally is falling, back first. Kuki sees this and stops his fall with her telekinesis and he lands next to her, his right cheek bleeding. "Ah crud…thanks Kuki…" his gratefulness causes her to loosen up slightly.
"No problem…" Then, a flurry of lasers flies at her and Wally pushes her to the ground, blocking the attack with his shields pointing backwards.
"You okay?"
"Yeah…" Wally helps her up and looks towards the broken window, where a familiar figure stands.
"Is that…?!"
"Yeah, Numbuh 86…" Wally says grimly and wipes the blood from his cheek. Kuki can't believe her eyes as Fanny jumps down, her blank expression staring coldly at her and Wally. As Fanny lands she points her laser cannons at them.
"Fanny?!" Patton sees her attacking Wally and Kuki and flies over to where they are as Wally blocks the lasers with his shields. "What have they done to you?!" he shouts and takes a combat stance as Fanny draws out her claws.
"Leave her to me! You guys help the others escape!" Wally and Kuki nod as Patton goes head-to-head with Fanny, his armored gauntlets blocking her claws. Then, Wally remembers something.
"Aw crud! Numbuh 34!" He yells to Charles, who is locked in a shooting match against the Hunter with the equipment.
"Huh? What do ya want?! I'm kinda…busy…here!" He replies as he evades the Hunters lasers.
"Numbuh 202's still up there and she's injured! Go get her! I'll take over!" Wally flies to where Charles is and attacks the Hunter with his shield-knuckles.
"WHAT?!"
"Get going!"
"Oh…okay, leave her to me!" Charles nods and flies up, towards the broken control room window. The Hunter he fought fires an energy net from her backpack, but Kuki catches it mid-air and ensnares the Hunter with it, knocking her out of the fight.
"Nice one, Kuki!"
"Behind you!" she shouts as another Hunter attacks Wally but he cartwheels to the right and Stupefies him instantly. With two Hunters out of action, the KND operatives defending the hangar pull back towards the launchpads, allowing the escapees to push forward.
Meanwhile, Charles reaches the control room window and sees an injured Kimberley being held at gunpoint by Numbuh 090. "Oh no you don't!" he shouts and charges through what's left of the glass window, tackling the base commander and sending him flying back first into the wall next to the broken steel door. "Hey, you okay?" Charles helps her up on her feet as she lets out a painful gasp. "What happened to you?"
"My shoulder's busted…but it's nothing…" she grits her teeth from the pain as Numbuh 090 stands up.
"You…YOU TEENAGERS SHOULD JUST DISAPPEAR!" He starts firing wildly with his pistol version S.C.A.M.P.P., forcing Charles to use himself as a shield to keep Kimberley safe.
"We can't waste any time here…shoot the console!" She points at the control room's main console.
"What?"
"It's connected to the base's jamming array! DO IT!" Her assertive voice startles Charles, but he does as he's told and points his right-hand heat laser cannon at the console to his right.
"Huh? No…NOOOOO!" Numbuh 090 but it's too late, as Charles destroys the massive control console, shutting down all of the bases internal systems, including its jamming array and the outer hangar door's locking mechanism, forcing it open.
"Hurry, we need to join the others!" Charles nods and grabs Kimberley similarly to how Wally carried her and flies out of the control room, leaving an irate Numbuh 090 screaming from the window.
"No…this can't be…WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE DOING?! STOP THEM!" He roars over the intercom, which is heard by everyone in the hangar. He then fires his S.C.A.M.P.P. at the fleeing Charles, who is forced to evade the errant shots.
"Damn, this ain't the way I though this day would go…"
"None of us did…" Kimberley replies and sees the giant K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R. sitting on the biggest launch pad.
"Hey, that one has more than enough space to carry all of us! Take me to the bridge of that ship!"
"Huh? Oh, okay." Charles flies her towards the towering K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R. which is noticed by Tommy.
"Guys, looks like we've found our ship! Follow me!" he shouts and leads a charge at the huge ship.
…
Outside the base, near the perimeter defense system, the remaining members of Sector V and Rachel have waited for something to happen. They have not received any transmissions from the others inside the base while the Switchboard has been unable to send any help, due to the fact that they are still recovering from the Hideout raid. "Numbuh 5 is not likin' this…what's takin' them so long?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, Numbuh 5." Nigel says as he looks out into the late-night sky.
Then, Rachel, who took over Kuki's communications role, notices something. "Hm…hey guys, the jamming is gone!"
"What? Try to contact them, right now!"
Rachel nods and flips through channels until she manages to get in touch with Kuki. "Hello? Numbuh 3? Can you hear me?" At first, she hears just static but then, Kuki replies.
"Rachel? Is that you? Oh, this must mean the jamming's gone!" she replies as Rachel can hear the sounds of battle in the background.
"What's your status?" Nigel asks.
"We're…fighting the KND in the hangar…the others are trying to capture a ship…can't talk…"
"COME ON, YOU CRUDDY BRAINWASHED FREAKS!" Wally shouts in the background as Kuki is forced to cut the call while a confident smile appears on Nigel's face.
"That's all the information we need. Numbuh 2, take us up! Set course for that sports center!"
"Aye, aye, captain!" Hoagie replies as Nigel turns his seat towards Abby.
"Numbuh 5, go down to the lower ramp, just in case they need more help."
"Gotcha baby!" Abby nods but before she can leave, Rachel also gets up.
"I'm going down there too!"
"But we need you here, Numbuh Epsilon!"
"I'm sorry, but I have to do this. I'm done watching from the sidelines. Also…Fanny's there…" Rachel's voice fades as Abby puts her hand on her shoulder.
"Numbuh 5 gets what ya mean. Don't worry, Numbuh 1. We'll be fine. Besides, Numbuh 5 appreciates the backup." Abby nods and looks at Nigel, who then nods back.
"Alright. We'll support you from the ship."
"Thanks Nigel." Rachel smiles confidently before she and Abby run out of the bridge while Hoagie starts up the W.A.S.P.'s six heliojets and takes off towards the base. As it approaches the sports center, they can see faint smoke rising from the basketball court, which is split in two. Hoagie switches the ship to hover-mode and positions it over the gaping hangar doors.
"Numbuh 2, get me a visual."
"Roger that, Numbuh 1" Hoagie flips a switch on his dashboard and the camera pods located under the ship zoom down into the hangar. What they see is utter chaos but can't identify who is who.
"This isn't helping at all. Numbuh 5, Numbuh Epsilon, get ready to descend. Try to get in touch with the others."
"Okay, leave 'em to us." Abby nods and walks to the ramp, which is slowly opening. Below is a deep hole and at the bottom, is the hangar itself. Rachel meanwhile presses her 2x4 wristwatch, activating her turquoise and aqua-colored B.R.A., which Abby recognizes.
"Wait a minute! YOU were that guard Numbuh 5 fought when we joined! No wonder ya put up such a fight."
"Heh, sorry about that."
"Lemme guess, ya didn't get chance to tell me about it?" Abby eyes Rachel mischievously, who chuckles.
"Guilty as charged. But this time, I'm fighting by your side."
"Hah, that's what Numbuh 5 likes to hear." Both girls look each other confidently and bump their fist as they stand at the edge of the W.A.S.P.'s ramp and stare down into the smoking hangar.
"You ready?"
"Always. Let's go!" Rachel replies and jumps first, followed by Abby. They free fall past the massive doors and descend quickly before stabilizes themselves with their jetboots.
"Okay, let's split up and go help 'em outta there."
"Roger that." Rachel nods and dives down into the fray while Abby hovers in place, trying to figure what's happening.
"Man, Numbuh 4's started a real riot down there." she mutters when she notices a person wearing Teen Ninja armor carrying a blond-haired girl towards the bridge of a dark-blue and red K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R.
"That must be Numbuh 202…" she adjusts her flight angle and dives down towards the ship.
Down in the hangar, Charles reaches the bridge of the K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R. and let's go of Kimberley, who is in immense pain. "Ghh…"
"Hey, you're not looking so good."
"I'm fine…I'll worry about this later…" Her determination impresses Charles as she takes the keycard with her working right hand and opens the side door to the bridge. She then runs inside, followed by Charles and realize that it is abandoned. "Heh, lucky for us…" she mutters and walks over to the ship's control console. "Guard the door, I'm gonna start this baby up." Charles nods and walks over to the door but before he can do anything, Abby flies in and lands behind Kimberley.
"Hey, get away from her!" Charles brings out his heat-laser cannons but Abby stands up and brings down her helmet, surprising Kimberley.
"Numbuh 5?!"
"You're Numbuh 202, right? Heh, been awhile since I saw ya."
"Who the heck is she?!"
"Don't worry, she's one of us." Kimberley gestures Charles to lower his weapons and he does so, albeit begrudgingly. "How did you get here, Numbuh 5?"
"The hangar doors where wide open but that's not important. What's the situation? Numbuh 1 told us to come down here to help but it's a real mess out there."
"Us? You're not alone?"
"Nope. Numbuh Ep…Numbuh 362's also here, though she went the other way."
"Ah…okay…" Kimberley feels relieved that her old friend came to help everyone.
"So, how you gonna get outta here?"
"We're taking this ship and escaping. It's a safer bet than taking the S.C.A.M.P.E.R.'s."
"Good plan. I'll leave ya to it then. Numbuh 5's gonna go help the others."
"Wait a second! At least say who you are!"
"So, who's he? Your boyfriend?" Abby's blunt question leaves both teenagers blushing.
"Nononono, that's Numbuh 34! He was decommissioned…"
Kimberley looks away while Abby eyes the brown-haired boy. "Numbuh 34 huh? Heh, you haven't changed a bit. Sorry about that, I'm Abigail Lincoln but you can call me Numbuh 5."
"She's in the same team as Wallabee."
"Oh…okay, sorry if I…"
"Don't sweat it boy, just make sure you keep Miss Gearhead safe, okay?" Abby smiles cheekily and pats him on the shoulder as she walks past him. She then leaves the bridge and jumps down into the melee below, leaving the two teens by themselves on the bridge.
"Uhm…well, I'm gonna get the cargo door open so the others can get onboard."
"And I'll cover ya." Charles turns his back on Kimberley but both are feeling awkward over what Abby said.
Meanwhile, the fight rages between the prisoners and the KND. Wally and Kuki have moved to the rear of the group, to cover them from the KND troops that are pouring in from the hangar entrance. At the same time, Patton continues to duel with Fanny, who is proving to be much more formidable than he expected.
"Fanny! I know you can hear me! You have to stop this!" Fanny ignores her former friend's pleas and attacks with her claws and while Patton manages to barely evade them, she scratches his left cheek in the process.
"Dammit…" Patton mutters as Fanny charges again but he blocks her with his armored gauntlets giving him a chance to fire his Gatling guns at pointblank range but hesitates, and Fanny uses her jetboots to vault over him and slash him in the back.
"Argh!" While her claws don't pierce his armor, he can still feel the electric shock and falls to one knee. As he turns his gaze towards her, she brings out a new weapon from her gauntlet, which resembles a mix between a knuckleduster and a branding iron and at the very tip of the weapon, is a mind-control chip.
"No…" Patton tries to stand up but the shock has left him stunned. He can only watch as Fanny drives the weapon at his neck when suddenly, out of nowhere, she is hit from behind and sent flying against the hangar wall. As she looks up, she sees Rachel standing between her and Patton, who manages to get up.
"Fanny! Don't you recognize me?!" she shouts as Fanny stands up and readies the weapon again, her eyes staring blankly back at Rachel.
"How could they…how could they do this you…" Rachel clenches her fists as Patton comes to her side.
"We can free her if we take her on together! Come on!" Patton says and charges forward with his armored gauntlets, while Rachel takes out her twin-bladed energy lance and splits it in half, into a pair of swords and attacks Fanny from above. With Patton coming head-on and Rachel diving on her, Fanny jumps away and fires her laser cannons at her former comrades, who evade and close the distance. However, Fanny deploys her claws, blocking Patton with her left hand and parrying Rachel's swords with her right hand, to her opponent's disbelief.
"Ghh…how is she so strong…"
"Fanny! Listen to me! This isn't who you are!" Rachel shouts but the mind-controlled teenager doesn't react. Then, they hear a voice coming from behind Fanny.
"What are you doing, 86?! Capture those traitors and chip them!" Patton and Rachel back down and see Numbuh 090 standing in the entrance, shouting orders to the operatives. "Call all the Hunters here! Take them down!" he roars as two more Teen Hunters land behind Rachel and Patton while Fanny brings out the chipping-gauntlet.
"Well, well, well, looks like we've hit the jackpot! If it isn't Numbuh's 60 and 362. Have you come to beg forgiveness?! Hah, as if we'd forgive traitors like you!" The short Numbuh 090 sneers as Patton clenches his fist.
"The only traitors here are you and all the other brainless idiots who follow that fat loser up in the Moonbase!" Patton's insult causes a vein to pop in the base commander's forehead.
"How dare you insult our Supreme Leader!"
"He's a disgrace to the Kids Next Door. You all are." Rachel says coldly, her eyes filled with disgust.
"Gah, you know nothing, teenager! Nothing of our glorious mission! Enough! 86, 159, 29, capture and chip these traitors!"
"Oh no ya don't!" Abby de-cloaks above her comrade and Stupefies Numbuh 159 and kicks Numbuh 29 in the chest, knocking the Hunter backwards. She then points her laser cannon at Numbuh 090.
"So, you're the one pulling the strings here?!"
"Grr, 86!" Fanny, who had backed off when Abby showed up, manages to get in Abby's blind spot before she can react and grapples her to ground. Seeing her lift her chipping-gauntlet up, Patton and Rachel react instantly
"STOP!" Patton flies at her at full speed and manages to wrestle her away from Abby, while Rachel slices the gauntlet apart with swords. But, before neither can help Patton, the girls come under fire from the KND operatives surrounding Numbuh 090.
"You damn teenagers! Why do you have to get in our way?!"
"Cuz ya think it's okay to brainwash others!" Abby shouts and easily pushes Numbuh 090 and his troops backwards with her lasers, while Rachel turns her attention back to Fanny and Patton.
"You use us kids, you bully us and torment us! You're no better than the adults you serve! You could never understand Numbuh 1000's vision!"
"And we don't wanna!" Abby jumps forward and lands in the middle of the group, sweeping them off their feet with a low kick. She then grabs the base commander by his collar and lifts him in the air. "You're crazy, and everyone who follows that nutjob is crazy! Now prepare yoself, kid, cuz Numbuh 5's gonna make ya regret you ever joined the KND!" Fearing for his life, Numbuh 090 shouts for help.
"86! Get back here! Your master needs you!" Fanny turns around and tries go after Abby but Rachel jumps in-front of her and combines her swords back into a lance.
"Fanny!" She shouts but the Irish girl doesn't react to her words, instead she deploys her claws and charges at Rachel, who rapidly spins her lance and then, with a single swing, slices both of Fanny's claws clean off.
"I won't let you hurt anyone anymore!" Rachel splits the lance and lunges forward, trying to strike Fanny's armor but she is stopped by a Hunter, who blocks her swords with energy tonfa's. Seeing his chance, Patton gets the jump on Fanny and hauls her to the floor. Seeing his strongest pawn go down, the base commander starts shaking from fear while two Hunters appear behind him and run towards Abby, but she only grins mockingly.
"Why don't ya stick around for a while!" she throws the commander onto the Hunters, knocking all three unconscious.
Without orders, Fanny's resistance weakens and Patton tries to reach into the back of her neck to remove the chip. "Huh?! It's not there!" To his horror, the chip is not where it should be and Fanny springs back to life, breaking free from Patton's hold. Then, Numbuh 090 regains his consciousness.
"Gah….86! Stop wasting time and get them!" Before any of the teens can continue the fight, a voice is heard through the K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R.'s loudspeaker system.
"Hey, this ship is under new management! All those who don't want to become mindless slaves, get onboard right now! We're leaving this place!"
"WHAT?! HOW DID THEY GET INSIDE THE "KID'S REVENGE"!" Numbuh 090 shouts in disbelief.
"What a lame name…" Abby mutters and gestures to Patton and Rachel, who breaks free from the deadlock with the tonfa-wielding Hunter and regroups with Abby.
"Hey, you heard her, let's get outta here!"
"But I can't leave Fanny!"
"I know how ya feel but we can't waste time fightin' here!" Abby shouts and takes to the air, but before Patton can escape, Fanny throws a punch at him, Patton grabs hold of it and does the same with her left fist. As she keeps pushing towards him, their eyes meet and for a split second, Fanny reverts to normal.
"…help…me…" she mutters, shocking Patton. Then, her eyes go blank again as Rachel pulls Patton away from her.
"Come on, we have to get out of here!" she looks him in the eye, knowing full well how he feels. Patton bites his lip and nods to her. Then, both teens start flying before flying away. As Patton turns to look behind him, Fanny and the two other Hunters attempt to pursue but, fueled by frustration, deploys his twin laser Gatling guns.
"RAAAAAAHHHHH!" He unleashes a hail laser fire on the pursuers, driving them away. He then flies with Rachel after Abby, who has already joined the others trying to board the ship. Wally and Kuki stand on both sides of the landing ramp as the prisoners run inside, protecting them from the KND.
"Come on, get going! We ain't got whole night!"
"Please hurry!" Then, Abby lands next to ramp, beside Kuki, who is surprised by her appearance. "Numbuh 5?!"
"You two alright?!"
"We're fine! What about Numbuh 86?!" Abby looks at her friends with a grim expression as Patton and Rachel land behind the last prisoners.
While Patton fires his Gatling guns wildly at the KND, keeping them at bay, Rachel runs to Abby and the others. "Is everyone in?!"
"Yeah. Numbuh Zeta, get over here!" Abby shouts and Patton turns around, following the others into the ship as the ramp retracts and the massive bow doors close behind him.
Up on the bridge, Tommy, Numbuh 58 and Numbuh 59 have joined Kimberley and Charles, who are trying to get the ship airborne. "This looks like a job for…THE TOMMY!" Tommy shouts and grabs the ship's helm while Numbuhs 58 and 59 sit down on the two bridge operator's chairs on either side of the bridge.
"You sure you can fly this?" Numbuh 59 asks.
"Hah, have you forgotten who my brother is? Anything he can fly, I can fly better!"
"I heard that!" Hoagie's voice echoes through the radio.
"Huh? Hoagie?"
"You're gonna have a lot of explaining to do later, Tommy! But that's only when we're out of this crazy place."
"Looks like you've got an audience, don't let us down now." Abby says as she and the other TND agents enter the bridge. The appearance of Rachel on the bridge stuns the prisoners.
"Nu…NUMBUH 362, MA'AM!" Everyone but Charles salute her immediately.
"No need to salute me, we're not in the KND anymore." However, the fact she was the Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door hasn't gone away from the prisoner's memory and they continue saluting her.
"We're so thankful you came here in-person to help us!" Numbuh 58 shouts, with a tear in her eye while the others are also awed by Rachel's presence
"Hey, no need to cry. We're all in this together. I'm happy to see you guys again. Though, these aren't the best circumstances for a reunion." Rachel says with a warm smile.
"Yeah, this ain't the time cry." Abby says and notices the frustration on Patton's face.
"Sorry, Numbuh Zeta, but we had no choice."
"I know, I know…*sigh* Okay, get us outta here, Gilligan!" Patton shouts and Tommy salutes him.
"Aye, aye!" he activates the ships two space shuttle engines and the ship is enveloped in thick smoke as it slowly rises upwards.
"STOP THEM! WE CAN'T ALLOW THEM TO STEAL THE "KID'S REVENGE"! IT WAS A GIFT FROM NUMBUH 1000 HIMSELF!" Numbuh 090 shouts but noise from the engines makes it impossible to hear anything inside the hangar. He and the KND can only watch as the K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R. rises upwards and reaches the surface.
From the bridge, Tommy and the others can see the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P. hovering nearby. "Wow, is that your ship?" Charles looks at the ship in awe.
"Yup, hand-crafted by Numbuh 2, Tommy's big brother." Abby says as Tommy scratches his nose.
"Heh, he's pretty cool, isn't he?" He puffs his chest and rotates the K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R.'s shuttle engines from vertical to horizontal position and applies thrust.
The W.A.S.P.'s flies ahead and the two ships soar in formation towards the rising sun. "Okay Tommy, stick with me now."
"Where are we going?"
"Just follow me. You'll see." Then, Nigel contacts the bridge as his face appears on the K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R.'s main screen.
"Good work team. I'm glad you all made it out safely." Despite knowing of the events 3 years ago, and the subsequent escape of Sector V, the former operatives salute Nigel as well, which surprises not only him, but his teammates as well.
"Wow…" Hoagie mutters as Nigel adjust his glasses.
"I'm truly honored you're willing to salute a…traitor like myself…"
"Numbuh 4 and Numbuh 3's actions convinced us that you're the only people we can trust right now."
"Yeah…we owe you guys…" Kimberley says while holding her arm.
Nigel is so taken by their words that he has to cover his eyes for a second before he regains his composure. "Uh-hum! We'll be taking you all to the TND base at The Point hill. There, you'll be briefed by our Commnader. That's all I can say for now. Just hang tight for a little longer." Nigel then turns his gaze to Wally, who is leaning against the bridge's left-side wall. "And Numbuh 4, I'm glad you and the others are in one piece."
"Hey, I did what ya told me to do…" Wally nods as Nigel salutes the other operatives and ends the transmission.
"So, who the heck are those two?" Charles points at Rachel, who is conversing with Numbuh 58, and the big screen, where Nigel was.
"Our boss."
"And our boss's boss." Abby says over her shoulder, leaving Charles even more confused.
"Ugh…dammit…" Kimberley mutters as she almost collapses from the pain but Wally grabs her right arm and keeps her on her feet, much to Kuki and Charles' annoyance.
"Thanks, Wallabee…I think I overdid it…"
"Well duh, you're cruddy injured."
"Injured?! Why the heck didn't ya say anythin'?" Abby comes to her side and takes a look at her shoulder, which is already swollen.
"This ain't lookin' good. We gotta take her to the ship's infirmary."
"I'll do it."
"No Numbuh 4, you stay here. Numbuh 34, grab this gearhead and follow me. You too Numbuh 3, you're the medic."
"Okay…" Kuki says but as she walks past Wally, she glares at him for split second, which is only noticed by Abby, who sighs.
"I gotta break this dumb "love triangle" before things get outta hand."
As Charles helps Kimberley out of the bridge, Kuki and Abby go with them, leaving Wally, Rachel and Patton on the bridge.
"If nobody has any objections, I'll assume command of this ship until we've landed."
"No objections, Ma'am!" The prisoners shout at the same time, which makes Rachel chuckle.
"Alright then. Keep this course, Tommy."
"Got it. And that's THE Tommy." Hoagie's brother replies from behind the helm and follows Hoagie's W.A.S.P.
Patton then takes a deep breath and slumps down on a chair while Wally keeps leaning against the wall. "She was right there…I couldn't do anything…" Patton mutters, catching Wally's attention.
"You mean Numbuh 86?"
"Yeah…she's been completely brainwashed…"
"Damn…"
"There's no way I'm letting Numbuh 1000 keep her as a slave…not after that…" His head sinks as he leans against his knees, but Wally can't say anything to make him feel better. Rachel eyes her disgruntled friend and sighs silently.
"Fanny…I'm sorry…I failed you…"
Meanwhile, aboard the W.A.S.P., the ship's sensors pick up something. "Hmm…what the heck is this…" Hoagie looks at the small radar monitor in-front of him and sees an object approaching them.
"What is it, Numbuh 2?"
"The radar's picking up something…no way…OH CRAP!" Hoagie shouts and contacts Tommy on the K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R. "TOMMY!"
"Wha…what's wrong?" Tommy is startled by the frantic voice of his brother.
"I just picked up a projectile coming at us at high speed! We need to descend, NOW!" Before Tommy can react in any way, a loud boom is heard as something passes them at over 10 times the speed of sound, it's shockwave shaking both ships violently.
"What the crud was that?!" Wally shouts as Numbuh 58 notices another one on her radar screen.
"There's another projectile incoming!" Tommy reacts and applies full thrust while his brother does the same and both ships dive to a lower altitude just as the second projectile flies above them, generating a deafening sound as it passes.
"Where did it come from?!"
"No idea, Ma'am, but it's way too fast to be a missile." Numbuh 58 says as Rachel walks over to the console.
"Hey, we're tryin' to treat people here! What's the big idea?!" Abby contacts the bridge from the infirmary.
"We're being shot at!" Tommy replies as Rachel realizes what is happening and contacts the W.A.S.P.
"Numbuh 2, you need alter your altitude between shots! That goes for you as well, Tommy!"
"Explain, Numbuh Epsilon."
"The KND is targeting us with their newest weapon! They used it to shoot down the fleeing Ninjas from the Hideout! We don't know much about it, but it's some sort of a long-range cannon. If we can get closer to the base, the decoy drones will keep us safe.
"Okay! Tommy, you ready?"
"Yeah! I'm gonna do my best!"
"That's the spirit, Tommy!" The brothers nod at each other while Numbuh 58 broadcasts over the ship's intercom.
"Attention, please strap yourselves in or hold on to something. The KND is trying to shoot us down and we need change our altitude quickly!"
"That's not good…hey, strap her onto the stretcher! I don't want her flyin' around." Abby says to Charles while Kuki tries to put Kimberley's shoulder back in place.
For the next 10 minutes, the two ships continue to evade the projectiles, some of them just barely, until finally, they arrive in the range of the TND decoy drones, which deploy their cloaking fields, making both ships invisible, allowing them to escape. Soon, they arrive near the base and Rachel contacts the Switchboard.
"This is Commander Numbuh Epsilon, do you copy?"
"This is Switchboard CIC; we hear you loud and clear." Numbuh Theta-9 responds.
"We've successfully escaped the KND base and are bringing a ship full of ex-KND operatives who were being held prisoner at the said location. Requesting landing clearance."
"Roger that…Okay, you're cleared to land. Commander Numbuh Alpha requests that you bring everyone to briefing room 2 for debriefing, that is all."
"Understood, Numbuh Theta-9. Numbuh Epsilon out." She ends the call and leans back on her chair. Meanwhile, aboard the W.A.S.P., Nigel's tension goes away and he starts feeling sleepy.
"Numbuh 1?"
"Huh? Oh sorry, Numbuh 2, I didn't really have time to sleep before well, you know."
"Yeah, tell me about it. I'm running on fumes right about now."
"I think we all are at this point…" Nigel yawns as Hoagie slowly moves the ship into the hangar tunnel, followed by Tommy, who has to be extra careful due to the size of the K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R.
As the ships touch down, the prisoners are surprised by the size of the hangar.
"Wow, this place is huge…" Numbuh 58 says as she and Numbuh 59 stand up.
"I bet you could fit a whole fleet in here…" Everyone leaves the bridge and gather behind the bow doors, which slowly open. As they walk out of the ship, they are greeted by a large group of TND agents, many of whom they had worked with during their time in the KND. But, before they can do anything, Numbuh Gamma, the Intelligence Chief and his personal guards arrive.
"Ahem, could all of you please follow me? The base Commander, Numbuh Alpha wishes to speak to you."
"Numbuh Alpha? Who's that?" The prisoners become confused but Rachel and Patton step forward.
"Allow me, Numbuh Gamma. Hey, come with us, everything will be explained soon enough." Her calm but authoritarian voice makes the prisoners comply and she, along with Patton and Numbuh Gamma, lead them out of hangar but Charles has to push Kimberley's stretcher behind them.
"Sorry about this…"
"What do ya mean? This ain't a problem."
"I just don't like being a burden."
"Hah, you're far from a burden. Just hold on tight, I'm gonna catch up the others." Charles increases his pace as Nigel and Hoagie join their friends, who are watching the prisoners leave. However, they aren't the only ones who didn't go with Rachel.
"Hoagie!" Tommy, who was the last to leave the ship, waves at his brother.
"There you are, you rascal! What the heck were you doing in there?! They were gonna chip you!" Hoagie berates Tommy, who looks down at the floor in shame.
"Hey, cut him some slack! He came up with our escape plan AND got us out of that cruddy place!" Wally crosses his arms while Abby also glares at Hoagie.
"Yeah, I know that, but I'm his big brother, so obviously I gotta worry about him! You'd do the same, Numbuh 4." Wally doesn't respond but they both know he would indeed do the same.
"But you did good Tommy. I didn't expect anything less from ya." Hoagie pats his brother's head who immediately feels embarrassed by the compliment.
"D…don't mock The Tommy! It was my plan all along to get captured, so I could help those guys!"
"Sure, it was…but seriously, how did you end up there?"
"Well, I was on night patrol, looking for any evildoers when I saw a KND S.C.A.M.P.E.R. hovering over Lee's house." Tommy points at Lee, who is carrying a sleeping Joey on his back.
"I took a closer look and I saw them capturing him so I followed them but I was caught when I passed the perimeter defense system. Then they stuffed me into a cage, like the others."
"Yeah, I was caught a bit earlier before they went after Lee. It was really scary…" Sonia says with a timid voice.
"We were the last ones they put in there before Numbuh 4 showed up. But how did you get inside?" Wally presses a button on his communicator and turns invisible, surprising the three former Cadets.
"You…you're invisible!"
"Cool."
"How can you…wait, is this your doing, Hoagie?" Tommy turns to his big brother, who grins confidently.
"Heh, take a wild guess."
"I should've known…"
"Hey, we should go to the briefing room, Numbuh Alpha wanted us to be present there."
"Oh yeah, right, sorry Numbuh 1." Hoagie replies as they start heading towards briefing room 2, which is much bigger than the one they've gone to previously but then before they enter, Wally nudges Nigel.
"Numbuh 1, I nicked these from the base." He hands Nigel a folder, which contains the data disc. As he reads the disc's label, his expression becomes serious.
"Huh? Well, this certainly is an important find. We'll need to take a closer look at it later. Good job, Numbuh 4."
"No problem." Wally nods as Nigel who opens the briefing room's door, but as he does so, they are greeted by utter silence.
End of Transmission 40