Note: While writing the fight scene for this chapter, I listened to "Before My Body Is Dry" from Kill La Kill's OST. It just fit so well, considering the combatants (Abby and Cree).
Transmission 34: Sisters
As the evening comes around, inside a Teen Hideout next to a lake, somewhere beyond the city limits, Cree Lincoln is lying on a bed in her private room. It's a very simplistic room compared to the one she has in her home, with only a single bed, an easy-chair and a window, behind which a vast underwater world is visible. Having assumed her new role as leader of the Teen Ninjas following her return to the fold, she hasn't been allowed to perform as many solo missions as she would prefer and even now, her urge of finding Abby and getting her revenge is nagging at her mind.
"This is all a waste of time…" she mutters and rolls onto her side. She is wearing her red Teen Ninja bodysuit that covers her from the toes up to her neck and her hair is slightly unkept. Cree stares out of her window, and thinks back to her past, when she was a member of the Kids Next Door. When she used to be in the same Sector as Maurice and Abby. Even though her sister had just graduated from the Cadets Next Door, she had already proved herself a promising young operative and like any big sister, Cree took her under her wing and taught everything she knew to Abby, from hand-to-hand combat to espionage.
The sisters became a formidable duo and along with Maurice, they formed the backbone of the old Sector V. However, the dream ended when Cree turned 13. As per KND rules, she was going to be Decommissioned but she didn't want lose her precious memories and fled, but not before stealing the KND Global Command's Sooper-Secret Communications Codes, which she used as leverage to join the Teen Ninjas.
However, despite serving Father, she was actually waiting patiently. Waiting for the day both Maurice and then Abby would join her on the teenager's side. And when Maurice turned 13, it felt like a half-victory but it wasn't meant to be. Abby didn't join the Ninjas like she had hoped, despite numerous attempts to persuade her. Instead, Abby joined Stickybeard's crew and became a Candy Pirate. Though their relationship had recovered somewhat due to their shared animosity towards the KND, it became irreparable after Maurice ended his relationship with her and claimed he'd been Re-commissioned.
Now, having lost the boy she had loved, the only thing left for Cree were memories, that she had refused to give up in the past. All other emotions she might have had were replaced by anger, frustration, sorrow and especially revenge. Revenge against the person she held responsible for everything that had happened to her. "Maurice…why did you have to choose her…"
Cree then rolls on her back and sighs. After the loss of the downtown Hideout, she has had to deal with a lot of damage control since they can no longer use their biggest base. Then, she hears someone knocking on her door. "Unless you're here to tell me that my sister's been captured, go away." Cree says coldly and turns her back against the door.
"Commander Cree, Ma'am? We…uhm, just received info that those TND or whatever showed up in the suburbs yesterday…"
"WHAT?! Why are you telling me this now?!"
"Well…those Hooligans did it without permission and tried to hide it…"
"Grrr, those useless idiots! Fine, I'm coming." Cree jumps out of her bed and activates her armor for formality's sake and opens the door. Waiting for her outside is a brown-haired female Ninja, who is immediately intimidated by Cree's angry appearance. "So?"
"The…they're in the interrogation court…Ma'am."
"That so? Then let's go ask some questions." Cree says coldly and heads down the hallway, followed by the female Ninja, who keeps her distance. They walk through the hallway until they arrive in to the arena-like central hub. To her left is a large sign that reads "Interrogation Court" and she walks past the sign into a small corridor, at the end of which is a one-sided dodgeball court. The moment she enters, the Ninjas manning the announcer's box immediately salute her.
"Like, welcome Commander." A Ninja wearing a special helmet that has the words "Ref" greets her sternly.
"So, you wanna explain why I needed to come here?"
"Well, an enforcer team found these guys patrolling without permission and when they asked about it, they tried to run away, so now they're here. We were just about start the dodgeball cannons since they kept uh…'dodging' our questions."
"I heard they fought the TND? What's that about?"
"Yeah, they fought them on Saturday afternoon. They haven't told us anything else so far."
"I see. Then how about I give it a shot?"'
"Oh, sure, Ma'am. Here's the trigger." The "Ref" points towards a gun-shaped joystick on the control console next to him and hands her his headset.
"Alright boys, you better start talking right now. Why were you patrolling without permission and how did you find the TND?" Cree asks with an intimidating voice and leans against the console while glaring towards the other end of the court, where five Ninjas have been cuffed into the wall. One of them is Ernest's cohort, Chuck. "If ya don't answer, I'll pull the trigger."
"We…wanted payback and were looking for those TND freaks…"
"Uh-huh." Cree glares at Chuck and places her hand on the joystick.
"It's the truth, Supreme Commander!"
"Then how did you find them?"
"We were stakin' out a house and one of them ran inside! Then we heard voices from a forest nearby." Chuck then explains the whole battle, causing some of the Ninjas to laugh while others sneer at him and the remaining Hooligans.
"Magic? Hah-hah! These guys are a riot!"
"Shut up!" Cree yells, silencing the court instantly. "I believe you. I've seen it myself."
"But Supreme Commander, come on, magic? These guys probably just got beat up so bad they've got a few screws loose."
"Then explain Father's powers, hmm?" Cree glares at "Ref", shutting him up. She then turns her attention back to Chuck and the Hooligans.
"As I was sayin', they got away. I expected as much from you. Why do I gotta do everything around here…" Cree sighs and pulls the trigger for one second, sending a volley of dodgeballs at the Hooligans, who scream in pain.
"Get those losers off the wall and send them packing. We wouldn't have to hide in this hole if they had kept the WHK Hideout safe." She mutters and starts walking away when suddenly, a Ninja runs inside the court.
"Su…Supreme Commander!"
"What is it now?" The Ninja freezes as Cree give him a murderous look.
"Ah…uhm…"
"Well? Spit it out already!"
"R…right…Uh-hum, one of our Freshmen Surveillance Teams just sent a report from Cleve, Ma'am. It says that they've sighted your sister in your parent's house."
"WHAT?! When?!"
"J…just this afternoon. She was spotted entering her room…"
"So, Abby's gone outside huh? Okay, inform all Enforcer Teams in the area to bring her here, no matter what. Overwhelm her with numbers and use whatever means necessary, understood?!"
"Yes, Ma'am, I'll relay the order immediately!" The Ninja turns around and runs out of the court as Cree looks back at the "Ref".
"Set some heavy-duty chains at the bullseye. I want this place set up perfectly for my dear little sister…"
…
Meanwhile, back in Cleve, as the clock hits midnight, Abby is lying in her bed. Despite her parent's attempts, she has refused to speak to anyone and stares silently at the ceiling. Her thoughts are in shambles as her guilt over Maurice's death has resurfaced. Despite knowing that there was nothing she could've done, somewhere deep inside, she still believes she could've saved him. The guilt, combined with her decision to leave the TND has made her even more uncertain. Only what's and if's spring into her mind as she sighs and rolls on her side.
"What am I doin' here…I can't just go back there after everythin' I said…but…why does it hurt so much…?" She curls up and pulls her blanket over her head. "I couldn't do anything back there…they don't need me…they're probably already plannin' on takin' down Numbuh 1000…they don't want me breathin' down their necks…" She lifts her head and looks at her nightstand, on which are her hat and two framed pictures. One shows Abby posing with her friends on the roof of their Treehouse they had rebuilt after the Delightful Children had destroyed it. The other picture is a family photo from her older brother's child's 1st birthday. At the center of the picture, surrounded by the rest of her family, are Abby and Cree holding their nephew, both smiling happily. "Why the heck did things hafta go like this…?" she mutters and curls up under her blanket.
Outside the Lincoln residence, multiple groups of Teen Ninjas are gathering around the house. A Ninja wearing black and green B.R.A. commands them from Teen Battle-Ready Van parked across the street. "Alright, you all know what to do. I don't need to remind you that this is Cree's younger sister were dealing with, so don't try to fight her head on. Rush her room and restrain her immediately. Start the operation." Upon hearing the order, the Ninjas swarm the building, sneaking in through the windows, front and back doors and through the garage.
Abby however is so wrapped up in her thoughts that she is completely unaware what is happening. Then, she hears an odd sound resembling a footstep and immediately jumps up. She puts on her B.R.A. and peeks through her door as her training kicks in and she looks across the dark hallway. "Somethin' ain't right here…" She slowly opens the door but the moment she does, over a dozen Ninjas descend upon her. "Huh?! What the…?!" Before she can activate her armor, the Ninjas have already pinned her to floor. "Gah…no…damn you…lemme go! Daddy! Mama!" Her screams go unheard as the Ninjas had used special sleeping gas on her parents to keep them asleep. "You think you can take me on?! Ugh…gah…argh!" Abby struggles as the Ninjas pile on top of her, restraining her arms and legs. Then, a familiar looking Ninja enters through the window of her room and stops right in-front of her.
"…Numbuh 206…" she mutters as Slade kneels before her and sprays her with the same gas they used on her parents.
"Ugh…no…I ain't…gonna…no…" Abby loses her conscience and the Ninjas tie her up before swiftly leaving the building, as if nothing had happened.
…
While she is unconscious, Abby hears distorted voices.
"Why didn't you save me?"
"You could've jumped…"
"You weren't there…"
"I don't need your pity…"
"MURDERER!"
"…it's all my fault…"
"I lost everything…"
Then, the voices fade away and slowly, she comes to. Abby's eyes begin to open and immediately she realizes that they have been covered and her mouth has been gagged. Also, she is unable to move her arms or legs.
"Did they capture me? Are they gonna do the same things to me like they did with Wally? …I guess this my punishment for failin' everybody…" she thinks and consigns herself to whatever fate her captors have planned for her. Then, she senses that she is being moved somewhere as she can clearly hear the sound of doors opening and faint murmurs. "That gas musta messed up with my head or somethin'…" Then, she starts hearing a loud roar coming from ahead of her. It keeps getting louder and louder until it becomes deafening as Abby realizes it's a crowd of people. She feels that her arms and legs are being chained into something, as she can hear the chains clanging, despite the loud roar around her. Then, she hears someone talking into a microphone.
"Alright dudes and dudettes! We've got a special, midnight event for ya'll. Tonight, were gonna humiliate and most definitely humiliate a teen traitor who was responsible for the death of a fellow teenager AND for taking down our super cool downtown Hideout!" The crowd begins booing and whistling but Abby doesn't react. "And now, the star of out show, she's a living legend among the Teen Ninjas and an inspiration to us all, please welcome, our favorite Teen Ninja and the leader of all Teenagers, Cree!"
"No…"
The crowd erupts into cheers as the gag over Abby's mouth and the blindfold are removed. At first, she is unable to see anything due to bright lights but soon, she is able to recognize her surroundings. She has been chained into wall with a bullseye painted into it. Before her is a half-sized dodgeball court and directly opposite to her is the announcer's box, behind a layer of reinforced glass that separates the court from the stands, which are filled with both normal teens and Teen Ninjas, who are watching with anticipation. But as her vision clears, she realizes to her horror that standing before is none other than her older sister, Cree. "Rise and shine, Abigail." she says coldly and grabs Abby's hair, pulling her head up.
"Cree…I shoulda known it was you…If ya missed me so much, ya coulda just called…" Abby's snarky reply causes Cree to let go of her hair and her head hunches forward.
"Hmph, even when you're chained up you still run your mouth. Well, I guess I should welcome you. After all, you're tonight's main act. Isn't that right, everyone?!" Cree gestures to the crowd.
"YEAH!" The crowd replies with a loud roar while Abby remains silent.
"Come on Abigail, aren't ya gonna say something? This is your big night after all." Cree sneers as Abby keeps her head down. "What's wrong? Are you so happy to see me that ya can't even talk?" Cree again grabs Abby's hair but again, she gets no reaction from her. "Hey, it's no fun if you give up already. Where's my spunky little sister? Don't ya have anything smart to say?"
"It don't matter what Abby says. Nothin' matters anymore…" Abby apathy irks Cree and she shakes her sister's head violently.
"Oh, I know what you're doing! I'm not gonna fall for this act again!"
"…"
"Fine, have it your way. Let's start round one!" The crowd starts to cheer wildly as Cree steps aside. Abby lifts her head and sees five compressed-air cannons rise from the floor panels right in-front of the announcer's box, each loaded with dodgeballs. She can only grit her teeth as the crowd begins to chant "SHOOT HER, SHOOT HER!" and the cannons unleash a volley of dodgeballs at her.
"Gah!" Abby gasps in pain as the balls strike her body. The deafening roar of the crowd, combined with the sickening sound of the balls bouncing off of her echoes in the arena until finally, the cannons stop. Though she is not bleeding, she is in severe pain as she pants and groans, to the jubilation of the crowd.
"So, how does it feel?" Cree asks coldly as she yet again pulls Abby's head up.
"…so this…is yer revenge…" Abby huffs.
"Oh, I'm just getting started. This is not just for me though, it's for Maurice as well!"
"Hah…I figured…" Abby's nonchalant answer angers Cree even further and she slaps her across the face hard.
"You're the reason he's dead! You took him from me…from all of us!" The crowd boos as the guilt in Abby's heart begins to consume her.
"…I know that…"
"So, you admit it?! Well, it's too late to beg! I'm gonna make sure you suffer, just like I did!"
"…do whatever ya want with me…Abby don't care anymore…everythin's my fault anyway…"
"You damn right it is! If you'd just joined the Ninjas back then, none of this wouldn't have happened! But your so damn stubborn! You were jealous of me! That's why you lied and humiliated me! And had Maurice recommissioned! I've lost everything because of you!"
"Ya have Mama and Daddy…they miss ya, Cree…" Abby says with a raspy voice, but Cree refuses to hear it.
"Shut up! They've got nothing to do with this! Second round!" Cree shouts and steps aside again as a second volley of dodgeballs rains on Abby. Her screams are drowned by the crowd's loud cheering as each shot hits her. As she writhes in pain, Slade watches on with his arms crossed from near the entrance, while the brown-haired female Ninja is visibly horrified by what she is seeing. Then, the cannons retract back into the floor as Abby is looking much worse than before. Some of the bruises in her arms and legs have begun slightly bleed and she is coughing, since some of the balls have struck her chest and stomach.
"Had enough?" Abby is unable to answer as she keeps gasping for air. "Good. Release her." Suddenly, the cuffs in her arms and legs open and she collapses on the wooden floor.
"Ugh…gah…"
"Get up. I'm not done with you." Abby tries to stand up but her body gives in and she collapses again, frustrating Cree. "I said, get up!" She grabs Abby's collar and lifts her up, but she's barely managing to keep her eyes open, as the pain is too much. "I thought you were tougher than this. Hmph, you're a disappointment." she throws Abby onto the floor and activates her B.R.A., causing the crowd to erupt wildly while "Ref" speaks into his microphone.
"Well, dudes and dudettes, I guess it's time for the grand finale. Though I don't think our guest is gonna last much longer." Then, Abby clenches her fist and with a lot of effort, brings herself back up on her feet, despite the intense pain.
"Oh, so you you're not dead yet. Good." Cree takes a combat stance while Abby has a hard time just standing up. "I'm going to finish this right here. Then I'll hand you over to Father. He's got all sorts of fun things planned for you."
"Guh…like I said…Abby don't care what yer gonna do me…cuz I know that I'll win…in the end." Even though her body aches, her knees are weak and her arms are shaking, something is keeping her from giving up completely.
"Oh, really?!" Cree kicks her in the stomach, sending her flying against the wall behind her. But she stands up defiantly.
"You must've hit your head hard if you really think that! We're the winning team here! Not you or your KND friends!"
"Hah, I ain't part of the KND anymore…but the TND are gonna bring ya'll down, just like they did with Ernest at your Hideout!"
"Grrraaaahh!" Cree grabs Abby by the collar and throws her on the floor before kicking her on her side.
"Guh…!" she coughs as Cree stomps on her back.
"You know what I hate about you the most? You…never….know…when…to…GIVE…UP!" Cree continues to stomp on her sisters back but suddenly, Abby reminded of Maurice's last words.
"Never give up!" The faces of her friend's flash before her eyes, and so do those of her parents and Maurice and finally, Hoagie and his goofy grin. A sense of injustice takes her over as every fiber in her body stiffens and she begins to resist Cree's stomping left leg.
"Huh?"
"…You're right Cree…but, do ya wanna know why? Because Maurice always said, NEVER GIVE UP!" With sheer determination, Abby manages to jump up, to the surprise of both Cree and the crowd while Slade lifts an eyebrow.
"Hah-hah, I was hoping you'd get back up. That disgusting look on your face…I hate it much…it's like it's mocking me…"
"That's cuz you're the only person in the world Abby wants to surpass!" Abby activates her own B.R.A. armor as heavy steel plates fold over the court, separating it from the rest of the arena.
"Do you know why I didn't have you disarmed? Because I want to settle this one on one, without interference! Only one of us is leaving this court, and it ain't you!"
"Hah, there's no way Abby's gonna lose to a puppet!" Abby deploys her talons and foot blades while Cree brings out her combat staff.
"RAAAH!"
"HIYAAAAH!" The battle between the sisters erupts as the crowd watches through the large TVs above the sealed court. Slade however huffs and leaves the arena.
Inside, Cree fires an electric net from her staff, but Abby easily rips it apart with her claws before she performs a jump kick, aiming straight at Cree.
"Too easy!" Cree opens fire with her arm lasers, but before they hit, Abby disappears using her armor's in-built stealth cloak, shocking all those watching, especially Cree.
"What?! Where'd you go?! Coward!" Before she can take a defensive stance, something wraps around Cree's left wrist and a massive electric bolt runs through her body.
"AARRRGGH!" Cree collapses on her knees and hunches forwards while Abby de-cloaks behind her.
"What's a matter Cree? Am I too shocking for ya?"
"Grrr, shut up!" Cree flies up using her jet boots and spins her staff before diving on Abby, who strikes her foot blades into the floor and grabs hold of the staff, causing a deadlock.
"I won't lose to you, Crabigail! I can't lose! Not after what you've done!" Cree applies more thrust while Abby is kept in the fight with sheer adrenaline.
"I ain't gonna lose either! There are people waitin' for me!" Abby allows Cree to get slightly closer, with only the staff separating the two sisters.
"Why don't ya try this!" Two small tubes extend from under Abby's wrist gauntlets and Cree is immediately blasted point blank by Abby's B.R.A.'s secret weapon: two M.A.R.B.L.E. launchers built in the underside of the gauntlets, behind the wire launchers.
"Arrrgh!" Due to being so close, Cree is blasted across the court and slams in the wall that used to be the announcer's box. Abby meanwhile collapses on her left knee as the pain from her injuries begins to creep in.
"I can't do this much longer…I gotta get outta here…" she pants as Cree struggles to get up.
"Guh…you and your stupid tricks…"
"Hah, blame yoself for givin' your stupid box to me. Hoagie had field day with all the tech ya had in there. I'll give him yer regards when I see him."
"RAAAARRGHH! You're so dead!" Just as Cree is about charge again, the Hideout's general alarm goes off.
"THIS IS THE CONTROL ROOM! LIKE, WE'VE GOT KNDORK SHIPS COMIN' HERE!" The announcement sends the crowd into an uncontrollable panic while the reinforced walls that sealed the court begin to retract.
"Hey, what's going on?! YOU! You let yourself be captured so they could find us! DAMN YOU!"
"Huh? No way, Abby's didn't do nothin'!" Abby tries to get away but an enraged Cree pins her against the floor, completely ignoring the chaos unfolding around her.
"You always ruin everything!"
"I swear, it wasn't me!"
"SHUT UP!" Cree points her right-hand laser gun at Abby's left cheek and she can feel the weapon charging.
"NO! I gotta…get…out…!"
"Let…go!" Abby manages to free her left hand and swings it at Cree's right wrist before kicking her in the stomach, causing Cree to scream in pain. As Abby gets up and jumps backwards, she notices blood dripping from her index finger's talon and turns to look at her sister, who is holding her right cheek.
"You…you…YOU CUT MY FACE!" Cree scream as a bloody cut runs along her left cheek, going right from her mouth to nearly her right ear. As blood slowly falls down her arm, Cree finally snaps. "ABBY!" she screams and deploys all of her hidden laser guns. She then begins firing wildly, forcing Abby to evade, but in the process, she starts destroying the reinforced glass covering the court. Abby sees her chance and fires a M.A.R.B.L.E. at Cree, stunning her and then another at the glass, shattering it. Before Cree can regain her stance, Abby flies out of the court and into the hallway, which is filled with panicking teenagers. Meanwhile, Cree stands up while covering her cheek, her eyes filled with rage. "SHE'S GETTING AWAY! STOP HER!" she howls her subordinates, but due to the chaos, no one hears it.
As Cree continues to rage furiously, Abby is frantically looking for a way out. Because of the panic, no one is noticing her and she slips past the fleeing crowd. "Where the heck is the exit?!" Suddenly, she sees a hand waving at her from a doorway to her left. Despite some hesitation, she flies in and immediately, the door behind her closes.
"Huh? What the…?!"
"Shhh! Come on, I'll take you to the hangar." The brown-haired female Ninja says as she locks the door.
"Who are you?"
"Just someone who realized what a big mistake she's made." The girl replies and starts leading Abby along the tight corridor.
"Heh, I guess not all of ya are a bunch of creeps."
"I just joined because my friends did but…this isn't what I…wanted…"
"Only people who wanna hurt others join the Ninjas."
"Yeah, I figured…Okay, the hangar is just behind this door." the girl opens another door and just as she said, the huge hangar opens up beyond it. "Take one of their cycles and get out!"
"What about you?"
"I…" The girl hesitates as Abby looks at her sharply.
"We can get outta here together. Ya don't have to hang around with these guys."
"But…my friends are here…I can't…"
"If they really were your friends, they wouldn't have made ya join the Ninjas. Do ya have any idea what they've been up to?"
"I…I've never been out in the field…I just deliver reports…"
"Then come with me. I'll show ya the truth about these guys." Abby's assuring gaze manages to convince the girl, who nods back.
"O…okay…"
"Right, lemme show ya how we do things in the Teens Next Door." Abby gets caught up in the moment and forgets she left the TND as she stands up and readies her weapons.
"The…Teens Next Door?"
"I…uhm…used to run with 'em. They're the ones you should join. If we get outta here, I'll tell ya where to go."
"Uhm…okay…"
"Now, follow my lead." Abby peaks through the door and sees an idle Battle-Ready Cycle sitting not far from the door. "Okay, pull up your helmet and cover your mouth. It'll be harder for 'em to recognize ya."
"Right…" The girl does as she's told and brings up her samurai helmet and faceplate.
"Good, now stick close." Abby opens the door and runs with the girl towards the idle Cycle. Just as she jumps on it, a group of heavily armed Ninjas led by Cree enter the hangar. "Damn! Come on, get in!" Abby shouts as Cree sees her.
"ABBY!" she screams and sicks the Ninjas after them. As the girls get onboard, Abby starts up the Cycle and takes off but before she closes the canopy, she fires M.A.R.B.L.E.S. all over the hangar, causing a chain reaction as Cycles, Vans and other equipment begins to explode.
"I'm sorry Cree…next time…I promise…I'll bring ya back…no matter what…" Abby looks down one last time at her sister, who is screaming and shaking her fist at her. Then, Abby rips off the Cycles tracking beacon and flies out of the exploding hangar but as soon as she passes the doors, she notices that the night sky is empty. There isn't a single KND ship or vehicle in sight.
"Whu…where's the Kids Next Door?" The girl asks while Abby scans the horizon.
"Dunno, but Abby's got a hunch somebody else wanted me outta there…" she says as the Cycle flies towards downtown Cleve. As she approaches the suburbs, the adrenaline begins to fade and the pain comes back, causing Abby to gasp. "Ugh…I guess…this is it…"
"You're still injured! Maybe we should go to the hospital…"
"No! Ugh…Don't worry…I'll be fine if I can just…get back home…but enough about…me…I need to get you somewhere where the Ninjas can't find ya. They'll figure out who let me out sooner or later…"
"Oh no…"
"Okay…listen, ya know how to fly this thing, right?"
"Uhm…yeah…"
"Good. Once I get off, fly to Point Hill. Ya know where that is, right?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Right. Fly low until ya see a gas station. The TND will send someone to bring ya down so just land and surrender to 'em. Tell 'em that Abigail Lincoln sent ya. They'll understand if ya tell 'em that, okay?"
"O…okay…"
"And turn off your B.R.A.'s communicator. Then the Ninjas won't find know where ya went, okay?"
"Right, I got it."
"Good. I'm gonna put her down here…ugh…" The pain in her body begins to feel unbearable as Abby lands the Cycle close to her neighborhood. As she gets off, the girl takes her place and fiddles with the controls. "Thanks for getting me outta there…"
"No problem…maybe I really did hang with the wrong people…"
"Don't worry, you'll know when ya meet real friends, trust me. Now get going!" As the canopy closes, the girl waves to Abby, who waves back. Then, the Cycle takes off towards the Point Hill. Abby meanwhile turns off her armor and begins to walk towards her home, but every step feels heavier than the last and her vision begins to blur. "No…I gotta…get back to…" she musters all of her remaining strength and keeps going along the sidewalk but then, she begins losing her balance and falls towards a bush to her left. As she falls head firsts into it, Abby hears the faint sound of a siren before everything goes dark.
...
At the same time, four police cars are parked in-front of the Lincoln residence. Abby's father had noticed that her door was open and she wasn't in her bed. Even more alarming, her hat and cell phone were still on her nightstand and her window was open. Now, Abby's parents are standing on the porch, talking to none other than Inspector MacArthur. "So, she never leaves her hat behind, is that right?"
"That's right. It's her sisters you see and she always wears it, no matter what."
"Well, all the evidence points to the sad possibility that she was kidnapped while in her sleep."
"What?! Oh no…not Abigail as well…" Mrs. Lincoln starts to cry while Dr. Lincoln holds her hand tightly.
"Please, you gotta find my daughter!"
"We'll do our best, Dr. Lincoln. I sent a few patrol cars to search the neighborhood. Since there aren't any tire tracks, the kidnappers where most likely moving by foot, which is rather odd." Then, MacArthur's cellphone begins to ring and he picks it up.
"MacArthur. What? Is that so? Okay, get back here right now."
"Who was that, Inspector?"
"It was one of the guys I sent on patrol. Good news, they found your daughter."
"Really?! Oh merci! Mon amour, she's safe!" Both husband and wife sigh in relief and then Dr. Lincoln turns towards the inspector.
"Where was she?"
"She was found passed out in a bush two blocks from here. She seemed to be severely injured."
"She was what?! Then bring her here right now! I'm gonna get my bag and the stethoscope and the bandages and the…" Dr. Lincoln marches inside while his wife waits outside for the patrol car and soon enough, the car arrives. Lying on the backseat is Abby, covered in bruises and cuts, shocking her parents.
"Abigail! Oh, mon cher, who did this to my bébé?!" Mrs. Lincoln shouts as Abby is carried from the car into the house.
…
Monday morning arrives and Abby is lying in her own bed, her arms and legs filled with bandages. She was initially put on the ambulance but since she only had cuts and bruises, she wasn't admitted to the hospital. Now, as the sun shines into her room, her eyes start to open. "Ugh…ow my head…" She mutters and realizes she's back in her room, safe and sound. "I'm…home…how did I?"
Then, the door opens and her mother enters. "Abigail?" she immediately realizes that her daughter is awake. "ABIGAIL! Mon cher, you're awake! Oh, Mama was so worried about you." Mrs. Lincoln sits down on Abby's bedside and strokes her daughter's black hair.
"Hi Mama…"
"How are you feeling?"
"Ugh…Abby's fine…gah…I just got a little bruised, that's all…"
"A little? You were unconscious when the police brought you here! What happened to you?"
"I…" Abby is reminded about last night's events and begins to tear up.
"I…I…I'm sorry Mama…"
"Abigail?"
"I…went to look for Cree…I needed to find her…" Abby lies to her mother, as she could never tell her what really happened. She then closes her eyes and tries to stop herself from crying.
"Oh Abigail, why? Didn't your Papa tell you to not do that?"
"I had to…I just want her back…that's all…"
"Did you go all by yourself?"
"Yeah…I…didn't find her…"
"Then why were you injured, mon cher?"
"Some…some high school kids jumped me when I was comin' home…"
"What? Oh, mon dieu, that's horrible!"
"It's okay Mama…I got away…cuz Cree taught me how to defend myself…" Abby bites her lip while Mrs. Lincoln takes hold of her hand.
"You really miss her, don't you Abigail?"
"Of course…she's my big sistah…"
"Mon cher, you don't know how happy Papa and I are that you're safe so please, don't sneak out of the house like that? If we lost you…I don't know if I could take it…"
"I won't Mama…I promise…right now, Abby's got some stuff to think over…so I can…be stronger…"
"Stronger? What do you mean, mon cher?"
"I couldn't help my friends when they were in trouble earlier…that's why I came home…I…I realized that…after 3 years of bein' apart, people change…but I couldn't…I haven't changed at all…I'm still the same…"
"Oh, what are you talking about, Abigail? Of course you have changed."
"No, I haven't! My friends…all of 'em have changed but not me! Nigel don't need my advice anymore, Kuki can take care of herself now, Wally ain't a big hothead anymore…They…they've left me behind…"
"Abigail, stop that!"
"Huh?" her mother's stern expression surprises Abby.
"I won't hear that from my own daughter. You've grown up, just like your friends. You just haven't realized it. Think about it, mon cheré, did you sneak out of the house without permission when you were 12?"
"Uh…no…"
"Try to think, Abigail, what have you done, that you never did back then?"
"…"
"You weren't born into this world so you could live your life for someone else. Your life is yours, Abigail. So, don't worry if your friends have changed. You've changed too. You've grown into a fine young lady."
"Mama…I…"
"Now, you just rest, mon cher. I'll tell Papa that you're alright." Mrs. Lincoln plants a kiss on her daughters' forehead and walks over to the door. "Oh, I almost forgot! How are things going with uhm…what was his name again…ah, Hoagie Gilligan? Cree told me last month that he's grown into a tre bien young man. Have you made any moves on him yet?"
"MAMA! We ain't like that! He's just…just my friend, that's all…" Abby's face turns red and she pulls her blanket over it to cover her embarrassment.
"Oh-hon-hon, you're still so young, Abigail." Mrs. Lincoln chuckles and closes the door behind her. Abby huffs and rests her head on her pillow. Every part of body is still aching from the dodgeballs and the fight with Cree but somehow, her heart doesn't feel as heavy as it did before.
"Live for your own sake…" she rolls to her right side and looks at the framed picture of her friends. However, she is instantly reminded of the face Hoagie made when she pushed aside his attempts to talk to her and curls up, despite the pain.
"I can't just go back there now…but…I can't stay here either…"
…
Up on the Point Hill TND Base, Nigel is shaken awake by Wally in the open sleeping quarters.
"Hey, Numbuh 1, wake up, will ya?"
"Huh? Uhm…no…"
"Get up! Numbuh Epsilon wants us in the briefin' room."
"Wha…what time is it?"
"It's 9 in the morning, silly." Kuki says over Wally's shoulder.
"Oh…right…okay, I'll just go to the bathroom first…" Nigel mutters and gets up, dragging himself into the bathroom while Wally and Kuki wait for him.
"Uhm…Numbuh 3?"
"Hmm?"
"How did ya learn that healin' magic thing back there? I uh…din't get chance to ask earlier cuz of all the…you know?"
"Oh that? I uhm…I don't know really. I just know this charm was my great-great-great-great-grandma's and she could heal people. I guess I just sorta can do it now…maybe because I've changed now…I don't want to be a burden to you guys anymore."
"You're not a burden, you're a part of the team. Didn't Numbuh 1 tell ya that before?"
"I know…but that's how I've felt for a while…But now I know what I want to do. I'm not going to use this to hurt people like I did back then. That's why I can't use the lightning power anymore."
"Heh, yeah. Now ya can't zap me anymore." Wally's comment annoys Kuki and she uses her telekinesis to lift Wally off the floor.
"Hey! Put me down! I was just kidding!"
"I thought so!" Kuki smirks and drops Wally into a pile of beanbags.
"Guh, at least ya didn't drop me on the floor…" he mutters and stands up while Kuki giggles. Their little moment is however interrupted by the sound of Nigel flushing the toilet and washing his hands. He then marches out of the bathroom, as if he hadn't slept at all.
"Alright, let's get moving!" he says sternly and leads Wally and Kuki to the elevators. But as they walk along the 31st floor's hallway, they are greeted by The Kid, who has just arrived from a night patrol mission.
"Well, well, good morning, Kuki." he bows his head slightly while Wally rolls his eyes.
"Morning! Were you on patrol the whole night?" Kuki asks.
"Yup. I got some juicy info along the way. You guys headin' to the briefing room?"
"That's right. Numbuh Epsilon requested our presence."
"Mind if I tag along? I gotta hand over my report to her anyway."
"Of course, you can, right guys?"
"By all means."
"…whatever…" Wally mutters as The Kid joins them.
"By the way, is that necklace you're wearing the reason you can use magic?"
"Yup. I got it from my great-great-great-great-grandma."
"That's pretty cool." As Kuki and The Kid continue their small talk, Wally becomes increasingly annoyed by the pilot's advances on Kuki, but keeps his cool, for her sake. Soon, they enter the briefing room and sure enough, Rachel and Patton are waiting for them.
"Numbuh 1, Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 4 of Sector V, reporting."
"At ease. Sorry about this, but something big came up last night. Where's Numbuh 2?"
"Yes, I was wondering about that as well. Numbuh 3, Numbuh 4, have you seen him?"
"No…"
"He's probably holed up in the science lab or somethin'. I swear, that's all he's been doin' since we came back from Kuki's house."
"Hmm…I'll contact Numbuh Omicron and ask him about it." But just as Rachel is about to open her 2x4 communicator watch, the door swings open and to the other's surprise, it's an exhausted Ted.
"Numbuh Eta-4, what's wrong? Why are you panting?"
"Haah…sorry Commander, but…Hoagie fell asleep on his workstation and we had to take him to the infirmary…"
"He what?! Don't tell me he was overworking himself again?!" Nigel asks disapprovingly.
"We've tried to tell him to ease off and rest but he won't listen! He keeps saying he has to do this and that…it's like working is the only thing in his mind."
"Hmm…I should've known…"
"Is it about Numbuh 5?"
"I think so, Numbuh 3, but it must be more than just what happened during the weekend. For now, he should rest. We'll go and talk to him later."
"Numbuh Eta-4, make sure he stays in bed."
"Oh, don't worry, we took all of his gadgets away from him."
"Good." Ted then salutes and closes the door.
"Not the best way to start a day…anyway, what is it that you wanted to talk about, Numbuh Epsilon?"
"Yes, right. Agent Halcón, did you bring the patrol report with you?"
"Yup, got it right here." The Kid throws a data disc to Rachel, who places it into the computer next to the big screen behind her.
"Okay. Now, last night, something…unexpected happened. We had an intruder."
"An intruder?!" Nigel becomes alarmed, as do his friends, but Rachel gestures them to calm down.
"Don't worry, nothing was taken or damaged. The intruder didn't even get inside. However, the fact they knew where to go and land, was really alarming. Worst of all, the intruder was a Teen Ninja."
"The crud?! How the heck did they find this place?"
"I'm getting to that, Numbuh 4. At first, we thought she had just strayed into the area but when we apprehended her, she told us that she had been instructed to come here."
"She knew the location of the base? That does not sound good…have we been compromised?"
"We're still looking into that. But she claimed that the one who told her to come here was Numbuh 5."
"WHAT?!" Nigel jumps up while Kuki covers her mouth in shock. Wally meanwhile sits next to her in stunned silence. "That's just…impossible…why would Numbuh 5 tell the location of the Switchboard to a Teen Ninja?"
"That's what we wanted to know too. However, when we questioned her further, it turns out that she had been assigned to the Ninja's new Hideout headquarters outside of town. That's where she came into contact with Numbuh 5." Rachel shows a picture of the base that The Kid took on his patrol.
"Then what was Numbuh 5 doing in a…wait…don't tell she was captured?!"
"That's what the Ninja claims. She had apparently been dragged from her bed and forced through some kind of public torture by her sister."
"No cruddy way…Those damn Ninjas tortured Numbuh 5?!" Wally's face contorts from rage but Kuki tries to calm him down.
"Now, according to the Ninja's testimony, she not only beat her sister in a 1 on 1 fight but also escaped when an alarm sent everyone into a panic."
"So, she's safe now?"
"Yes, Scout Team W confirmed that she's sleeping in her bed but she is injured." Nigel and his friends breathe a sigh of relief.
"That's a relief…"
"How the heck did the Ninjas even get her in the first place? This is Numbuh 5 we're talkin' about here."
"Maybe there were just too many of them…"
"Well, if you want, you can ask that the Ninja herself. Numbuh Gamma and Commander Numbuh Alpha are questioning her as we speak."
"Then we'll do just that."
"Okay, Numbuh Zeta and I will come with you. I haven't had the chance to see who this Ninja is yet myself. Follow me." Rachel turns off the computer and leads the others out of the briefing room.
"Cruddy Ninjas…" Wally mutters under his breath, catching The Kid's attention.
"Psst, hey Kuki, what's his deal? The dude looks like he's gonna blow up or somethin'." Kuki looks over her shoulder towards Wally, who is walking behind everyone else and has his hands buried deep in his pockets.
"I…I'll tell you later…" she whispers back and The Kid nods, before he too looks over his shoulder at a visibly angry Wally. Everyone boards the elevator that takes them up to the 20th floor, where the TND detains and interrogates prisoners. Then, they stop in-front of steel door and enter similar divided room that was used to question Ted. However, instead of a bed, a table is in its place in the interrogation room, where Eliza is sitting opposite to the cuffed Ninja. Her B.R.A. is lying on the table, and she is clearly in distress. She is wearing a black t-shirt, wide legged jeans, black and red sandals, gold bracelets in her wrists and gold earrings. As Rachel and the others gather behind Numbuh Gamma, who is monitoring the captive from the observation room.
"Ah, Commander Numbuh Epsilon. You're just in time. We gave the captive some time to rest and are about to start the interrogation.
"Has she said anything?"
"She keeps insisting that she's not a spy, nor did she know about our base before Numbuh 5 told her."
"Has she said why Numbuh 5 did it?" Nigel looks sternly through the mirror wall, towards the captive.
"Well, apparently, she was the one who helped Numbuh 5 out of the base in the first place."
"What?! Why would she do that?"
"We haven't gotten to that point yet, but based on her behavior, she doesn't seem to be as devoted to their cause unlike most."
"I don't trust her. Teen Ninjas are full of crud, if ya ask me." Wally crosses his arms and glares at the girl but then, Kuki notices something familiar about her.
"Hey, I've seen her before somewhere…"
"So, you noticed? Her real name is Virginia Sims, but you all know her as Numbuh 23, former Incendiary Confectionery Munitions Agent of Sectors K and M." Numbuh Gamma says calmly, but the others are surprised by the Ninja's identity.
"No way! Numbuh 23 is a Ninja?! But…that's horrible…why would she join them?" Kuki looks sadly at the former Numbuh 23, who used to be a friend of hers back when she was still in the KND.
"She must've been decommissioned and joined the Ninjas. That's usually how it goes with the Ninjas…it's a damn shame…" Patton shakes his head.
"Well, if she is ex-KND, why haven't you told her about it?" Rachel asks while Kuki comes to her side.
"Yeah! Can't you recommission her?!"
"Sadly, that's not possible, Numbuh 3."
"Why is that?" Nigel asks but then, a scary thought pops into his head. "Wait a minute…you don't mean she's…"
"Yes, she is an early victim of the Splinter Cell's 'Erasure' process."
"Wha…oh no…" Kuki becomes distraught while Rachel puts her hand on Kuki's shoulder.
"But if that's true, how is she a Teen Ninja?"
"Well, like I said, she's an early victim. We believe that the Splinter Cell's first attempts at "Erasure" only permanently removed specific parts of the subject's memory, just like decommissioning but instead of extracting and storing, it must've just removed them, with no way of recovering. The Adult Super Villains and The Steve were most likely exposed to a newer version of "Erasure" instead. After all, Numbuh 23 is the same age as you, Numbuh 3, so she would've had her 13th birthday two years after your Sector was framed."
"To think they would use it so quickly…they must've had it under development far longer than we thought…It makes me sick that they're willing to use such methods…" Nigel crosses his arms and looks grimly at the others.
"Grrr, those bastards!" Wally shouts and angrily hits the wall behind them, startling the others.
"Wally!" Kuki attempts to console Wally, but she is equally devastated buy what she's heard and hesitates.
"Hey man, calm down will ya? Hittin' things ain't gonna solve anything."
"Then what the crud am I supposed to do, huh?! Numbuh 5 got captured and tortured by those cruddy Ninjas and one of our friends got her memories wiped. And you want me to calm down?! I ain't gonna calm down until I make those bastards pay!" Wally lashes out at The Kid but Nigel steps in.
"We know how you feel, trust me, I'd like to do the same, but just like Agent Halcón said, hitting and yelling isn't going to make things better."
"I…I know that…I just…wish there was somethin' we could do about those guys, all of 'em."
"Don't worry, Numbuh 4, we're almost done with the planning of the Treehouse operation, so try to wait for a little longer."
"I'll try…sorry guys."
Their conversation is stopped by Eliza's voice, as she contacts the observation from the other side of the mirror wall.
"Numbuh Gamma, we are ready to continue."
"Alright, go ahead, Commander." Everyone's attention is drawn towards the interrogation room where Eliza starts asking new questions from Virginia.
"Okay, it seems you're not lying, as our recon squads confirmed that Numbuh 5 is safe and her injuries match your descriptions, let's move on. Why did you join the Teen Ninjas?"
"Well…some of my friends knew people who were members and I just…went with them when they joined…I thought it was just a fad or something but…it wasn't…"
"Many teens join the Ninjas without knowing exactly what their purpose is. Now you know that they are just people who want to hurt kids and other teens. Many of them are known bullies after all. Did you fight the Kids Next Door?"
"No…I was just told to deliver reports while my friends…no, they weren't my friends, they stopped hanging out with me when they got assigned to the combat teams."
"I see…that's good, that means you didn't participate in the torture."
"T…torture?! What do you mean? Oh…like what they did to her?"
"Not just that. Were you aware that the Teen Ninjas had a dungeon in their old Hideout in downtown Cleve where they brutally tortured kids, under Father's orders?"
"I…no I didn't…I've only been in the lakeside Hideout…but why would they do that? I mean…I know the KND are the Ninja's enemy but torture? I don't believe that."
"Even though you saw Numbuh 5 get tortured by getting strapped to a wall while they fired dodgeballs from air cannons and humiliated by over a hundred Ninja affiliated teens?" Behind the wall, Nigel and Kuki are horrified by Eliza's description while Wally is close to a boiling point.
"They…shot her with cruddy dodgeballs?"
"Abby…"
"At this point, their methods don't even surprise me anymore. I can't imagine how she feels, getting captured, tortured and humiliated by her own sister like that…" Nigel clenches his fist and his Silhouette Suit covers it for s split second but he calms himself down and the Suit fades away.
"Is it really Father who ordered them to torture them or are the Ninjas just so evil by themselves?"
"Difficult to say, Numbuh Zeta. The Ninjas have been around for as long as we can remember yet it is true that since they've allied themselves with Father, they have become crueler in their operations." Numbuh Gamma says silently. On the other side of the wall, Eliza puts some photographs on the table, each of them showing kids and young teenagers who were liberated from the Hideout, as well as the devices used in their torture.
"Wha…no way…did the Ninjas…do this?"
"Yes. We also have recordings taken from the Hideout. If you want more proof, we can listen to them."
"No, I understand…But I still don't get it, why would they do this?"
"Partly because Father told them to and mostly because they simply could. Thanks to Father's support, the Teen Ninjas have become much stronger than they used to be, so their power is what's made them like this. And that is the organization you joined, Virginia."
"Then…what am I supposed to do? They'll probably know by now that I helped her out of the Hideout…"
"Indeed. There is also the fact that you were told to come here and know our base's location. As it stands, we'll have to detain you until we know what to do with you."
"Wha…what? But I'm not your enemy! Didn't I prove it already?!" Despite her pleas, Eliza shakes her head, despite knowing that she is a former KND operative like her. Similarly, seeing their old comrade beg makes Nigel and the others feel uncomfortable, especially Kuki.
"Can't we just let her join us?"
"Right now, we don't know for sure that she isn't a spy. Keeping her here is the only way we can ensure that she won't leak our location to the Ninjas." Numbuh Gamma says grimly.
"But we were allowed to join…"
"Yes, Numbuh 3, but our situation was different." Kuki however isn't convinced by Nigel's words.
"No, that's wrong! She's our friend!"
"It doesn't matter if she used to be in the KND, she is a member of the Ninjas now and we have to treat her as such, until proven otherwise."
"But…"
"Come on, Numbuh 3, there's nothing we can do right now…" Rachel tries to console Kuki, who hides her eyes under her hair.
"Okay, Commander, we should end it here. I'll arrange her transfer to the prison floor." Eliza receives Numbuh Gamma's message and gathers the pictures into a folder she had on her lap and stands up.
"Roger that. Looks like our time's up. I'm sorry about this, I really am, Virginia. If things were different, I…"
"Wait! Can I ask something first?"
"Sure."
"Why are you treating me like you know me or something?"
End of Transmission 34
Note: Hands down, this was one of the most fun chapters to write. Just like with Numbuh 3, I wanted to give Numbuh 5 some much needed attention in the story, since she is such a cool character. Not to mention, she was voiced by Cree Summer, who is a phenomenal VA. Numbuh 5 always had the best movie reverences in her highlight episodes, like the multiple Indiana Jones parodies that had Heinrich Von Marzipan as the villain or Operation: L.I.C.O.R.I.C.E., which was a Pirates of the Caribbean parody.