Transmission 33: A Past Revealed
As Nigel and his friends view the evidence at the TND base, up in the Moon Base, Numbuh 1000 is sleeping in his quarters, having spent the whole night trying to figure out where the TND's base is located.
"I'm sad to say this but because your parents refused to pay, you won't get the required treatment."
"You'll be a squirt forever! Man, wait till I tell the guys about this!"
"Shut up…"
"Heh, you're gonna regret ever joining those KNDorks! Your big bro's gonna make sure of that!"
"Shut up…!"
"Look at that weirdo, he's been the same for…"
"SHUT UP!"
"Aah! Huh? Dammit, that dream again…" He sighs and climbs out of his bed. Then, he walks over to the large window and stares in to the void grimly.
"We're running time…if this keeps up, I might have to deploy 'that' …but it's not ready, not by a long shot…Why is it, that with all this firepower and troops under my command, not only Father but those traitors keep resisting the KND. Can't they see that there are bigger forces behind this all? The more we fight amongst ourselves, the chances of 'them' coming here increase…No, I won't let that happen." He huffs and returns to his desk.
"I will succeed, I have to. I promised Numbuh 74.239 that I would make sure Project Never Grow would succeed. Adulthood must be purged from Earth, at all costs. Just like how I purged my past"
…
Back on Earth, seeing Numbuh 1000's codename appears on the list surprises Nigel and his friends. "Uhm…what's this about?" Hoagie scratches his chin.
"This is a list of potential Splinter Cell candidates. We found it inside the Super Big Computermabob's files." Immediately, Hoagie notices familiar names within the list.
"Woah, your name's in there, Numbuh 1!"
"I suspected that, since they wanted to recruit me…but look at the other ones: Numbuh 20.000, Numbuh 2x4, Numbuh 101, Numbuh 10, Numbuh 60, Numbuh 362."
"Where they considering us as well?!"
"Looks like it, Numbuh Zeta. But did they have any reasons to recruit us?"
"Based on our research, they most likely chose the candidates based on their combat performance or ideals. Operatives who had no qualms about antagonizing adults, even if they were not evil. And if they did, they could be persuaded."
"Man, imagine if they'd taken you guys…"
"Yeah, it's a scary thought, Numbuh 2…"
"Indeed. We know for a fact that apart from Numbuh Infinity and Numbuh 74.239, the other confirmed members were Numbuhs 71.562, 48 Flavors, the previous Chief of the Science Division Numbuh 275 and almost every other KND scientist under Numbuh 74.239 as well as members of Decommissioning Squad and various other members from different divisions."
"Those cruddy nerds were behind the Splinter Cell?"
"It makes sense, Numbuh 4. Everybody in the KND treated them like losers, so of course they'd join the Splinter Cell. I'm glad I was with you guys, otherwise they might've made me join them too…"
"Indeed, Numbuh 2. But the Splinter Cell did have high standards. Because, of the operatives listed in here, only a few were chosen. Numbuh 101 was approached but he outright refused, not long before he was Decommissioned. Numbuh 20.000 most likely joined but we can't confirm that since he was also Decommissioned. But they did find someone who fit their agenda, more than any other operative on the list." Numbuh Gamma points at a codename on the list, which shocks everyone.
"No way…" Wally's jaw drops while Kuki covers her mouth.
"Numbuh…Numbuh 1000?!" Patton shouts while the others remain silent, but Nigel realizes the connection.
"Of course! I should've known he was with the Splinter Cell! Now it all makes sense. Why he keeps saying that adulthood is a disease and that adults most be destroyed."
"And we worked with him…all those years we cooperated with him and he used us just to further the Splinter Cell's goals. Why didn't I realize it sooner…?" Rachel clenches her fists as she stares at the picture of a younger Numbuh 1000. In the picture he is wearing a standard Moonbase Guard's uniform and has a confident smile on his face.
"This goes much deeper than just what he has done in the past 2 months. Numbuh 1000's motives and his connection to the Splinter Cell go back further than any of us realized, especially after we decoded that disc." Numbuh Gamma has Hoagie click Numbuh 1000's picture, which opens another folder, containing various pictures of him at different points of his KND career.
"Caleb Centenar, younger brother of Steve Centenar who was also known as the former Supreme Leader Numbuh 100 and later as The Steve, leader of the Teenagers. Enrolled to Cadets Next Door at the age of 6, graduated at age 7, assigned to Sector S with the role of vanguard. Reassigned to the Moonbase as a member of the Guards at age 9, promoted to the Decommissioning Squad 4 months later. Assumed leadership of said Squad 5 months later at age 10."
"Just by looking at that, you'd think he was just a normal KND operative…" Patton looks coldly at the picture.
"Indeed, so he would seem. However, it was all a clever act. You see, Numbuh 1000 was approached by the Splinter Cell during the KND Science Fair, shortly after all you scientists staged that attack on the fair." Numbuh Gamma eyes Hoagie, who goes on the defensive.
"Hey, I wasn't in on that! Numbuh 1 sent me to…*gulp* Sector A…"
"We know but, that whole TV show marathon was also a hoax, so the real Splinter Cell could approach select operatives who were either left behind or attended the marathon. Numbuh 1000's entire Sector was taken, and he was approached by the Splinter Cell. That was his first contact with them. Based on our information, it wasn't hard for them to convince him. It would seem he held a deep hatred towards both teens and adults, no doubt stemming from the fact his brother was his parents favorite and he was none other than The Steve by then. I can only imagine what he had to endure."
"No doubt about that. I don't think any KND operative could bear being related to the leader of the teenagers. So, he joined the Splinter Cell back then?" Nigel eyes the pictures as Numbuh Gamma nods.
"Yes, he was made a "Leech". A fringe agent who would report on events within his sector but not long after that, he was transferred to the Moonbase, which would place him in an ideal position to keep the Splinter Cell up to date with Global Command's plans."
"Moonbase…then that means he was there when the raid happened!" As another piece of the puzzle falls into place, Nigel looks at his friends, who are also realizing what actually happened on that day.
"That is correct, but, Numbuh 1000 wasn't just a random guard, he was in charge of security that day. The Splinter Cell had him establish contact with Father, masquerading as an adult-sympathetic rogue operative, Leech, and let the fake Delightful Children-led armada within the Moonbase's defense network. He also tampered with Sector assignments and put your Sector in-charge of protecting the C.O.D.E.M.O.D.U.L.E."
"That cruddy…"
"So, HE framed us?! But why? Numbuh 5 and I were close to Decommissioning age anyway, while the rest of our Sector still had a year to go, why didn't the Splinter Cell do anything earlier?" Hoagie throws his arms in the air while Kuki stares at the floor intensely.
"He…he's the reason we had to suffer for three years…he took everything from us…" her lips quiver slightly but Wally puts his hand on her shoulder.
"That's right, he's the one who turned us into the bad guys…" Wally squeezes her shoulder slightly and Kuki places her hand on top of his as Nigel crosses his arms.
"To think the culprit was him all along. But what would the Splinter Cell gain from framing us?"
"That is a good question. However, the answer is fairly simple: You were Sector V. You stood for everything the Splinter Cell despised. You were a symbol, an inspiration to entire generations of KND so you needed to be taken out of the picture. But there are other reasons as well. One of them was Numbuh Epsilon's original successor." Numbuh Gamma turns his gaze to Rachel, who becomes slightly nervous and looks away.
"Original successor? What does he mean, Rachel?"
"I…I…I'm sorry but there was no way I could've told this to you before…but the one I wanted as my successor was…Numbuh 5…" The room falls silent as everyone apart from Numbuh Gamma stares at Rachel in shock.
"WHAT?! Numbuh 5 was going to succeed you?! No way!"
"Quiet down, Numbuh 3! Rachel…is this true?"
"Yes, Nigel…she was the only one fit for the job. I knew you didn't want to take my place, so I decided to pass the torch to her instead…looking back…I should've told this to her…"
"That's it! The Splinter Cell knew who your successor was and they also knew that Numbuh 5 would've never allowed them to even exist. Knowing her, she would've had them hunted down."
"Wow, imagine Numbuh 5 as the Supreme Leader…" Wally nudges Hoagie on the left shoulder.
"Yeah…" Hoagie looks away from the others as his mind drifts back to Abby, but he quickly brushes these thoughts aside.
"The Splinter Cell needed a less "radical" leader and Numbuh Eleventy Billion fit the bill. So did Numbuh 78 after him, especially. While they did possess the rank of Supreme Leader, it was the Splinter Cell who controlled everything. Their agents had all the important positions and the Supreme Leader was nothing more than a puppet."
"Just like we were…" Patton hits his hands together while Rachel sighs heavily.
"Another reason why they framed you was because they needed something to direct the KND against, a common cause. And that cause was that decommissioned or runaway operatives would join the Ninjas and by extension, serve Father, the ultimate enemy. Numbuh 1, you were made the poster boy of this cause when you joined Father's side."
"That's true. While all of us were deemed the KND's worst traitors of all time, I was even worse because I was Father's nephew and I did join him, even if it was for the sake of our promise…" A huge sense of guilt runs through Rachel but she remains silent. Patton however, can see the pain on her face.
"Also, since none of you were actually captured, you were still deemed a threat by the Splinter Cell. That's why the Teen Hunters were established and you were the Decommissioning Squad's #1 target for three years."
"I'm guessing they didn't count on us becoming so…strong villains." Hoagie mutters.
"Yeah, they tried to attack me all the time when I wasn't at school. It was annoying as heck…"
"But because they succeeded in framing you, they could implement far more harsher methods to deal with the KND's enemies. Shortly after Numbuh 1000 became head of the Decommissioning Squad, he put in motion the next phase of Project Never Grow. They needed to get rid of all those Adult Supervillains. Officially, they retired, but do you know what really happened to them?"
"I've got a faint idea, but just the thought disgusts me." Nigel replies grimly.
"He had their memories wiped." Patton says silently, surprising Sector V.
"He what?! You mean, he Decommissioned all of them?"
"Yeah. I only heard rumors about it at first but now, I'm think they were true."
"Indeed, they were. Take a look at this." Numbuh Gamma hands Nigel a list of names. "This list was taken from the Artic Prison's main computer." As Nigel reads the list, he notices a pattern.
"Soccer Mom: Erased, Mr. Boss: Decommissioned, Stickybeard: too old, Count Spankulot: Sealed, Grandma Stuffum: Erased, Mr. Fizz: Erased. These are all the super villains who have "retired" in the past three years!"
"Yes, but that's just a portion. In truth, almost every super villain not convicted by court were all memory wiped. Now they are just normal, unassuming adults. But, do you notice the word 'erased'?
"Hmm…what?!" Nigel's eyes widen as he notices that some names, instead of having 'Decommissioned' behind them, have 'erased' instead and the the first name on the list to have that marking, is that of The Steve, Numbuh 1000's older brother.
"He…he Decommissioned his own brother…"
"No cruddy way…"
"No, it's worse than that. Those people were not simply Decommissioned. They were mind-wiped."
"Mind-wiped? What does that mean?"
"One of the Splinter Cell's agendas is to stop decommissioned operatives from turning against them so they've experimented on a new way to manipulate memories. The idea is that they could remove a person's memories and identity and replace them with fake ones. They call it, "Erasure"."
"Have they…succeeded in it?"
"Luckily, Numbuh 2, they haven't. So far, they've only managed to wipe memories. Do you know where The Steve is, right now?" Everyone shakes their heads, prompting Numbuh Gamma to show a picture of him. "He is in an insane asylum with both retrograde and anterograde amnesia. He's only 21 and he has no idea who he was or is." The others look closely at the picture and see a brown-haired young man staring blankly at a wall.
"That's horrible…"
"He did that to his own brother? I mean, even if he was the leader of the Teenagers, that's just…wrong…" Hoagie adjust his goggles.
"He was not the only one of course. All those people marked as 'erased' shared the same fate, all in the name of the Splinter Cell's cause." Now a sense of anger and disgust sweeps through the room.
"This goes against everything the KND stood for…how could they possibly justify destroying someone's mind like that?!" Nigel says furiously.
"I mean, they were our enemies too but we never resorted to these kinds of methods…" Patton shakes his head in disgust while Rachel can't even look at the screen anymore.
"The Splinter Cell's hatred of teens and adults runs deep, there is no doubt about that. Numbuh 1000 is just one of many who were wronged by the adults and teens and it is this exact reason why they've resorted to this. All of them were either victims of bullies or had problems with their families, thus they hate them. Wiping the minds of the supervillains was just the second stage of their plan. Now, with the KND completely under their control, they've started stage 3, which is to defeat Father and the Teen Ninjas, which as you know, has proven to be close to impossible." Numbuh Gamma has Hoagie open another file linked to Numbuh 1000's picture. The file shows a picture of the mind-control chip and Sector V2's Treehouse.
"While we don't know how exactly they plan to wipe out all adults and teens off the face of the Earth, we suspect it has something to do with these chips. Of course, they can't do anything until Father is defeated or at least, that was their original plan. Now that the TND has risen to stand against them, I suspect they are scrambling to change their plan accordingly. Those chips are the key to everything, and if we succeed in taking over Sector V2's Treehouse, they will lose their foothold on Earth. Gathering and deciphering all this data was a very difficult task but I hope this has given you all some clarity on what has been happening behind the scenes." Numbuh Gamma then closes the computer and Hoagie gets up before his joins the others. "Do you have any other questions?"
"Hmm…only one…how old is Numbuh 1000 really?" Nigel's question surprises even the normally stoic and calm Numbuh Gamma, who crosses his arms.
"Well, he will be 13 this year. Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm certain there's something wrong about those pictures."
"I see…then let's take another look." Numbuh Gamma restarts the computer and brings up all the pictures of Numbuh 1000.
"I don't see the anything wrong with them."
"Look closer, Numbuh Zeta. The first picture is of him as a Cadet, but if you look at a newer one, where he is supposed to be 9, he looks far older." Nigel points at Numbuh 1000 radically different facial features, causing Numbuh Gamma to realize the discrepancy as well.
"You're right, it's as if he'd aged much more than 2 years. He looks closer to a 11-year-old."
"How's that possible? He's not much taller than he was in his Cadet pic…wait a minute, he doesn't seem to get taller at all!" Hoagie hits his hands together while Numbuh Gamma highlights all the pictures that contain Numbuh 1000.
"Wait, are ya guys sayin' he's fakin' his real age?"
"That's just it, Numbuh 4! That's why he held his own so well against us in the warehouse…he's not a 12-year-old, he's a teenager like us!"
"That changes everything! I'll have the Intelligence Section look into this right away. If we can figure out why he's like that, turning the freed KND against him will be much easier. Numbuh Alpha was right about letting you guys see this."
"Did she know about this already?" Nigel asks but Numbuh Gamma shakes his head.
"I wanted her to know first, but she insisted that you all should see it before her, so you all could have some king of closure on what happened three years ago."
"Well, I'm not sure about closure, but at least we know who we really need to fight against. Numbuh Gamma, we can't thank you enough." Nigel begins shaking the stoic Intelligence Chief's hand, which surprises him.
"Freeing the KND and defeating Father are our common goals. I'm glad I could be of some use, after all the things we said about you."
"Don't worry about that. What we did is something that we'll have to carry with us for the rest of our lives, but it's still in the past, and now that we know the truth, we can concentrate on what's important, right guys?" Nigel's friends nod back, except Rachel, who has a hard time even glancing at her friends.
"I'll escort you back to elevator. I believe you have to prepare for the Treehouse op?"
"Indeed. We'll need to change our plan now that Numbuh 5's left." The others are immediately reminded that Abby wasn't here to hear the truth, and Kuki especially feels sad about it. Hoagie however is unable to forget what she said to him and clenches his fists in frustration.
As the elevator stops at the 31st floor, everyone but Numbuh Gamma get off, as he returns back to the Deciphering Room, armed with the knowledge that Numbuh 1000 isn't who he's claiming to be. As the door closes behind him, Nigel turns to face the others.
"Alright, I'm sure we all need to uhm…come to terms with what we just saw, so it's okay if you want some time to think things over first."
"Don't need to. Knowing that cruddy Splinter Cell's behind the whole thing just makes me wanna beat 'em up harder! I'm headin' to the training center." Wally cracks his knuckles and starts walking away.
"Uhm…wait Numbuh 4, I'm coming too!" Kuki runs after him as does Patton.
"Might as well get some cardio done. Give me a call if ya need help with planning." he shouts over his shoulder, to which Nigel responds with a nod. Hoagie meanwhile calls an elevator.
"I'll go back to the lab." he says with a dry voice but before Nigel can say anything, he's already gone, leaving him with Rachel.
"Uhm…what about you, Numbuh Epsilon?"
"…I…I need to be alone for a while…" Rachel hides her eyes under her blond bangs and begins walking away swiftly.
"Wha…wait, Rachel!" Nigel calls after he but now she starts running and disappears into the hallway. "So that's how it is…" he mutters and runs after her.
Rachel runs through the hallway, ignoring the agents who happen to salute her. Her heart is gripped with guilt and disgust towards herself. It feels like everything has fallen from underneath her. All those years she thought she was doing the right thing, only to learn that she was just a puppet, who the Splinter Cell used to do their dirty work. Some of the names she saw on the list were of those who she had personally captured and brought to the Arctic Base, without knowing that they'd end up losing their memories and identities. "How could I let that happen…what was I doing…" she thinks as she arrives in-front of the empty leisure room. Rachel looks over her shoulder and runs inside, throwing her beret on the floor before falling face first on the sofa, burying her face into a pillow.
"I knew you'd come here." She looks over her shoulder and notices Nigel standing in the doorway, but seeing him only makes her feel worse.
"Please, I said I wanted to be alone…"
"I can't do that. I know how you feel. Seeing all that must have been quite the shock." Nigel says calmly and sits on an easy chair opposite to the sofa, just like Rachel did when Sector V came back to the base after their Treehouse was destroyed.
"'Quite'? No kidding…I just…how could I be so blind for so long? I…I was just doing my duty…" Rachel turns her back on Nigel and holds the pillow tightly.
"You had no idea, and I doubt anyone not directly involved knew either."
"But I was the one who brought them there! For three years I hunted you guys and captured any villain I saw, in the name of the Kids Next Door! But it was all lies! They used me and my friends, they turned us against you and made us think you really were traitors, even though you were innocent all along! All this time I was just a puppet! You saw how easily Numbuh 1000 branded us traitors when we weren't useful anymore! How can I face the others now? Even Numbuh 5…she could've been the next Supreme Leader…"
"It wasn't your fault, Rachel. We were all tricked by the Splinter Cell."
"But you guys knew you were innocent! I wholeheartedly believed that you were traitors…and I hated you for it…I was so blinded by it I even forgot why I hated you."
"Look at me Rachel." Nigel stands up and looks down on her.
"…"
"I said look at me!" Nigel shouts and Rachel slowly rolls on to her back and sees Nigel's expression.
"I'm not in a position to comfort you, but I won't let you get swallowed up by your guilt. We all did things we regret; you know that. But we can face it together."
"I can't…I'm not strong like you…I can't just move on…"
"Rachel…"
"How am I supposed to go on after knowing that because of me, people suffered and lost their identities!"
"I told you it wasn't your fault!" Nigel pulls Rachel up and stares directly into her eyes.
"Don't let the guilt take over you! No one here is going to blame you for what happened! You didn't know and neither did anyone else!"
"T…then why does it hurt so much…"
"It hurts me too, believe me! You're not alone."
"I…Nigel…" Rachel's lips begin to quiver and tears start forming into her brown eyes, prompting Nigel to give her a hug.
"We can get through this together, all of us." Nigel says calmly as Rachel is unable to hold back and breaks down, crying against his right shoulder. Nigel helps her back on the sofa and gently brushes her blond hair.
"I…I'm so sorry…for all the things I…"
"It's in the past…we need to focus on what's ahead. We're going to bring the Splinter Cell down, no matter what."
…
While the rest of Sector V are trying to come to terms with what they learned, Abby slowly walks along a sidewalk, hiding under her B.R.A.'s stealth cloak. She had been wandering around town the whole day, without a destination. However, now she has decided to go home.
Every few seconds she looks around, trying to see if someone is looking for her. As she makes her way towards home, she notices some KND scouts fly overhead and a team of Teen Ninjas passing by her, on the other side of the road. However, she keeps her distance. "Come on Numbuh 5, don't do anythin' stupid now…" She tries to control herself even if the urge to decloak and fight the Ninjas is overwhelming. However, she stays strong and reaches her home without incident. To her surprise, she notices a police patrol car parked in-front of the house. "Oh no…" She's gripped by a sense of dread as she opens the door and enters the house. "Uhm…hello?" She asks cautiously and as if on cue, her mother waves at her from the kitchen.
"Abigail! There you are, mon cher!"
"Uh-huh…hi Mama." Abby removes her shoes and joins her mother in the kitchen. "What's with the police car?"
"Oh Abigail, it's just horrible! Cree is still missing and the police came to investigate her room…"
"Oh man…" Abby laments and slumps down on a chair.
"They said they'll do everything they can but Mama's so worried…"
"I know Mama…Abby's worried too…"
"Oh, I know you are, mon cher. But at least you're here safe and sound. Did you have fun at your sleepover?"
"Uhm…yeah…" Abby is unable to reply with a straight face and leans on her left elbow.
"Abigail, Mama knows that face. Oh, don't tell me you had a fight or something?"
"Nnnno! No way, Mama…Abby just…needed to be alone, that's all…" Abby looks away, hiding her eyes under her hat.
"You can't fool your Mama. I know you always hide under your hat when something isn't right. Why don't we have a talk? Maybe Mama can help?"
"No…this is somethin' Abby's gotta deal with by herself…Sorry Mama, I…uh…I gotta go!"
"Mon cher?!" Abby jumps up and runs upstairs but before she can reach her room, she almost runs into her father in the hallway.
"Woah there Abigail, what's the hurry, girl?"
"S…sorry Daddy, I was just goin' to my room…" Abby tries to run away but Dr. Lincoln grabs her hand.
"Now hold it right there, young lady. Can ya come with me for a sec? There are some people in here who wanna ask ya some questions. It's not gonna take long."
"I…okay Daddy…" Abby relents and follows her father to Cree's room where two police investigators are inspecting the place.
"That's my girl. Hey uh, Mister Investigator, this is my daughter, Abigail. Was there something ya wanted to ask?" A gruff-looking officer wearing a light brown trench coat and a brown hat approaches Abby and her father.
"Ah yes. Hello. My name is Inspector MacArthur, I've been assigned to look into the disappearance of your older sister." He says sternly and looks at Abby but only his right eye is moving, since the other is made of glass.
"Hi…"
"No need to be afraid, I'll ask some questions and then you can go. Now, when was the last time you saw your sister?" The inspector takes a pen and paper from his pocket.
"Uhm…Thursday, before she…you know…"
"I see…" MacArthur nods and scribbles into his notepad.
"What about her behavior? Did she seem different before she disappeared?
"…yeah…but she was like that since she broke up with her…boyfriend…" Abby bites her lips slightly as she is immediately reminded of Maurice.
"Ah yes, her boyfriend…I believe his name was…Maurice?" Abby nods as Dr. Lincoln puts his hand on her left shoulder.
"Abigail grew up with Maurice and the three of them were close friends back when they were kids."
"Ah, so you knew him as well? Interesting…You are aware that he also disappeared at the same time?" Abby nods again, but this time, she struggles to keep herself calm, since she knows what really happened.
"There's no doubt that the fact your daughter running away and her boyfriend disappearing at the same time aren't a coincidence…Alright, one more question and we're done here: Have you ever heard the name, Benedict Wigglestein?" Abby immediately freezes upon hearing Father's real name, and her reaction is noted straight away by MacArthur.
"Well?"
"Wigglestein? Isn't he that mass-kidnapper who got acquitted with the lawyers and the prosecution and the…"
"Yes, Dr. Lincoln, that very same person. Now, do you know him?"
"I…I…" Abby is unable to reply as a scary thought pops up into her mind. What if Cree also tortured those kids, under Father's orders?
"He…he hurt my friends…that's all Abby knows…"
"What do ya mean, Abigail? Did he kidnap one of your friends?" Dr. Lincoln becomes concerned as Abby's hands begin to shake.
"Okay, that's all I needed to know. Thank you, I hope this wasn't too much trouble. Don't worry, with this knowledge, we'll find your sister."
"Tha…thanks…" Abby mutters and runs out of Cree's room.
"Abigail?!"
"Must be tough for her..."
"Yes, it is, Inspector. When she heard Cree ran away, she wanted to look for her by herself."
"Is that so? Alright, we're done here. If we find out something, I'll inform you personally."
"Thank you very much." Dr. Lincoln shakes the inspector's hand and leads him and his partner downstairs, where they explain the situation to a worried Mrs. Lincoln.
Upstairs, Abby has locked herself into her room and lies in her bed, burying her head in to a pillow. "This ain't happenin'…Cree…what the heck have you done?! Why does everyone hafta leave me behind…" She mutters as tears stream from her reddened eyes.
End of Transmission 33
Note: And so, Numbuh 1000's origins have been revealed or have they? Like I wrote in the first chapter, he was never meant to be nothing more than a side character, a stereotype of the Decommissioning Squad, but as I wrote further, I decided to give him a bigger role. But if you think we're closing on the climax, nope. Part 3 is only halfway done, and then we'll have 4 and 5. The next chapter however will focus on our cool but now disheartened Numbuh 5.