Transmission 39: Calm Before the Storm
Having successfully secured the abandoned KND Bike Relay hangar, Nigel opens the large hangar doors, allowing Hoagie and The Kid move their ships inside, all the while staying under the cover of the decoy drone. As the W.A.S.P. lowers its hull close to the ground, The Kid parks his "Valkyrie" next to it.
"Wow, what the heck happened here?" Hoagie asks as he, Kimberley and Ted walk down the secondary ramp.
"L.O.C.K.A.H.S.O.C.K.A.H.'s, lots of 'em. They were all over the place." Patton replies as Nigel joins them, having checked the control booth moments before.
"That's strange, didn't Numbuh 1 design the L.O.C.K.A.H.S.O.C.K.A.H with a pilot in mind?" Kimberley kneels down next to a shutdown L.O.C.K.A.H.S.O.C.K.A.H. that Wally didn't demolish.
"Yes, I did, but I'm guessing the Science Division made some modifications. Regardless, now that we have the hangar under control, let's start unloading the equipment and establish contact with the Teens Next Door."
"Okay! Can you guys help carry the supplies?" Kimberley turns towards Charles and Patton, who nod back.
"Leave it to us."
"Yeah, heavy lifting is my kinda work." Charles replies enthusiastically while Hoagie opens the lower hull ramp.
"Right, let's get to it!" But before they can even board the ship, a loud scream is heard from the cargo bay.
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! GET ME OUT OF HERE, I DON'T LIKE DARK PLACES!"
"Sonia, wait up!" The panicking pig-tailed girl runs out of the cargo bay, followed by Lee and Tommy, who successfully stowed away aboard the W.A.S.P.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?!" Nigel shouts as Sonia runs into Kuki's arms, who had been helping in clearing the hangar, instead of helping The Kid.
"Eh? Sonia? How did you…?" Kuki tries to calm down the scared 12-year-old while Hoagie and Nigel question Tommy and Lee.
"Tommy! What the heck's this about?! Why are you here?!"
"I…I wanted to help you guys out! I know you're gonna attack that freaky Treehouse!"
"Tommy, this is an extremely dangerous mission!"
"I know, that's why I wanna help! We're members of the TND too, you know?"
"Honorary members! You guys aren't even 13 yet. Aw man, what do we do, Numbuh 1?"
"Well, we can't exactly send them back. Having Numbuh 3 teleport them is impossible too, since she needs to know the specific location of the Gihugeacarrier to do so…"
"Then let us help! I'm sure we'll be useful!" Tommy pleads Nigel, who sighs and looks at the others.
"Well…you are a TND Scout team so…"
"It's fine, isn't it? I mean, we need all the help can get right?" Kuki says as she pats Sonia's head gently.
"And we could use some extra hands here." Patton points at the supplies in the cargo hold.
"Numbuh 2?"
"Agh, whatever. Just, don't do this ever again, okay? I swear you're a real pain sometimes."
"Hah, The Tommy will do his best!"
"Cool."
"Alright then, why don't you two help Numbuh Zeta and Numbuh Tau-6 with the supplies? And Numbuh Chi-3 can help Numbuh Pi-2 and Numbuh Eta-4 set up the equipment."
"Sir, Yes sir!" Lee and Tommy reply while a calmed down Sonia nods and walks over to Kimberley who is inspecting the wrecked robots.
"Numbuh 2, Numbuh 3, you two go and check the base's power plant. If its hamster powered, put the ghost hamsters to work. And where is Numbuh 4?!" Nigel looks around but he can't see Wally anywhere.
"He stormed off after we piled up the robots."
"*sigh* Numbuh 2, can you two find him as well?"
"Okidoki!"
"Gotcha, Numbuh 1." Hoagie and Kuki nod and head out into the dark hallway closest to them. Nigel then turns his attention to The Kid, who has kept to himself, leaning against the nose of his fighter.
"Help out Numbuh Zeta and the others, Agent Halcón. Right now, we need efficiency."
"Sure, boss." The pilot replies and walks over to the W.A.S.P.'s ramp, but despite appearing calm on the outside, what happened earlier with both Wally and Kuki is fresh in his mind.
Meanwhile, Nigel goes back up the control booth and connects a TND Signal Receiver he got among the supplies to the control panel. Then, he starts fiddling with the radio, trying to contact the Wild Child.
"This is Numbuh 1, do you copy, Home Base?" At first, he only gets static but then, a familiar voice speaks to him.
"This is Home Base; we hear you loud and clear. What is your status?" Numbuh Gamma replies but his voice is clearly distorted.
"Base secured. We'll begin prepping the facility for relay set up."
"Roger. Once your relay is ready, we can start contacting friendly bases. Keep us informed of any developments. Home Base out." The call ends and Nigel walks over to the window, from which he can see the whole hangar below him.
"Now then, let's see what the real purpose of this hangar really is." Nigel mutters to himself and heads into the commander's room, which is connected to the control booth. He then starts going through the cabinets and locked chests inside the abandoned room. While at first, Nigel finds nothing of value, soon he stumbles upon a hand drawn map of Cleve, which shows every single bike track running across the city. His attention is immediately drawn to the blue line that runs from the relay hangar they just took over, to a location in southern Cleve marked as 'NG Site: C'.
"Hmm…this could change everything…" he rolls up the map and puts it into his pocket, before continuing to rummage through the room but he finds nothing else.
…
As the others set up the hangar for operational use, Hoagie and Kuki head deeper into the base, looking for the power core. Since the power is out, Hoagie lights up the dark corridors with his 2x4 scanner's flashlight. Lining the walls are KND anti-adult posters, which seem to be in better condition than the worn-out Yipper and Rainbow Monkey posters. "Not gonna lie, I don't like the vibe coming from the posters…"
"Yeah…they're scary…" Kuki replies as they stop in-front of a stairwell that leads both to the upper and lower levels.
"If my memory's right, the core should be downstairs. Follow me." Kuki nods and walks behind Hoagie down the stairs and sure enough, they find a reinforced submarine door, behind which lies the power core. It's way smaller than the one they had at their Treehouse, but is in essence the same: A main generator surrounded by hundreds of hamster wheels. "Okay, this is it. You call your…friends and I'll use the control panel to activate the star up sequence."
"Okidoki. Come on out everybody!" Kuki's medallion glows pink and a horde of ghost hamsters rise from the floor, freaking Hoagie out.
"Ugh…this feels like a horror movie or something…Numbuh 3, I'm all set."
"Gotcha, Numbuh 2. Okay, start running!" The ghost hamsters begin running in their hamster wheels and the generator starts to purr like a kitten.
"Now I'll just cut us out of the KND grid like so…there, we're up and running." Hoagie says proudly as the base's lights turn on, as do the screens in the control room and the intercom system.
"Let's go find Numbuh 4 now. He's probably sulking somewhere…" Hoagie says cautiously as Kuki's expression becomes serious and she nods back.
They head back up to the hangar floor and climb the stairs up to the floor where Wally dived down from. Again, the walls are lined with anti-adult posters which seem to get more and more propaganda-like the further along the hallway they walk. Then, they find an open door from which a shadow is clearly visible. "Uhm…maybe I should go in first…" Hoagie enters the room while Kuki peeks out of the doorway, feeling hesitant to talk to Wally herself. As she looks inside, she can see Wally sitting on a chair in a kid's playroom. The room is filled with old toys, worn-out sofas and chairs and the same posters they saw before are lining the walls.
"Hey buddy, you okay?" Hoagie approaches Wally cautiously, who is eyeing his clover necklace.
"Huh? Ah…hi Numbuh 2…"
"So, this is where you went. Man, this is one nostalgic room. I forgot bike relay hangars had these." Hoagie looks around the room while Wally sighs and stands up.
"Sorry I messed up again, Numbuh 2. I made you guys worry about me cuz I was being stupid."
"Hey, don't worry about it. At least you're alright."
"But it's not alright! I just…seeing that cruddy…The Kid show off in-front of Numbuh 3 just pissed me off…" Kuki turns her back against the wall next to door and looks dejectedly at the floor.
"So, you thought you could one-up him. Heh, that's kinda what happened to me back when we got together again and Maurice showed up…" Just mentioning their friend's name feels uncomfortable.
"Yeah…but I don't like it. He's the only guy I know who drives me crazy like that!"
"You got jealous, that's all."
"Je…jealous?! No way! Why the crud would I get jealous of…aw crud…" Wally facepalms and slumps back on his chair. In the hallway, Kuki remains completely still and listens intensely.
"Heh, I guess you're finally starting to get it. Well anyway, Numbuh 1 wants us in the hangar. Let's get moving, you can worry about your relationship with Kuki later."
"Relationship?! How many times do I gotta tell ya I…?" Wally is interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps coming from the hallway, which quickly fade away. "What the crud was that?"
Hoagie doesn't answer but he knows exactly who's footsteps they were. "Oh great…"
As the boys leave the playroom, far ahead of them, Kuki runs all the way to the walkway that overlooks the hangar. She leans against the railing and watches in silence as her teammates are finishing setting up the equipment, among which is a simple simulator for the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. "…stupid Wally…" Below her, Nigel walks out of the control booth and waves to his team, including Wally and Hoagie who just arrived in the hangar.
"Good work everyone. Come up here and we can start going through our plan for tomorrow. I found something interesting." Everyone stops what they're doing and head over to the control booth while Kuki floats down from the walkway and lands in-front of the control booth door, startling Wally, who is the last to climb up the stairs.
"Woah! Where did you come from?"
"I was just…relaxing on the walkway." Kuki replies, trying to act normal. Then, everyone gathers around a steel table in-front of the control panel, against which Nigel is leaning.
"Alright, now that we're all here, I'll explain our new, revised plan. But first, I want you all to see this." Nigel spreads the map he found on to the table and everyone turn their attention to it.
"So, you mind telling us what this is scribble is supposed to be?" Charles crosses his arms.
"Hmm…it looks like some sort of a map…hey, that's your old Treehouse over there!" Kimberley points at Sector V's old Treehouse, which is clearly visible on the map."
"And that's the relay hangar that leads to the Central Bike Hub." Ted says while Nigel nods.
"Correct. What you're looking at is a comprehensive map of Cleve's KND Bike Tracks. It shows every single bike track they built up to four years ago, a year before me and my team were framed. But what really piqued my interest is this." Nigel points at the hangar they are in, which only has a single line running through it, and it's not connected to the main network at all.
"Why's it only got a single track?" Patton crosses his arms as Nigel looks at his team sharply.
"Follow the line and you'll understand." The others look intensely at the map and follow the blue line, which takes them to southern Cleve and the mysterious site.
"'NG Site: C' Is that a codeword for something?" Patton scratches his forehead as Hoagie puts two and two together.
"…wait a minute! NG…does that mean Never Grow?!" His suggestion shocks the others while Nigel nods firmly.
"Then C must be…It's Sector V2's Treehouse! This hangar leads directly into their Treehouse!" Kimberley shouts.
"Correct. This is no ordinary Bike Track Relay Hangar. I suspect it was used as a storage area for the equipment and the Treehouse seed for V2."
"But wasn't V2 established by Numbuh Eleventy Billion after you guys left?"
"That maybe, Numbuh Zeta, at least officially. But this map tells a different story. The Splinter Cell where already planning on building a new Treehouse in Cleve to replace our Sector well before we were framed."
"Well, that would explain the anti-adult propaganda posters on the walls." Hoagie looks sternly at the map while Charles gets confused.
"Hold up, let me get this straight, these Splinter Cell guys are the ones behind everything? Like when we were kidnapped and stuffed into those cages?"
"Yeah, that's right! They hate everyone who's over 13 and want to take over the world!" Tommy replies loudly.
"Yes, that's the gist of it." Nigel nods while Charles remains silent.
"So Numbuh 1, you saying we can sneak into their cruddy Treehouse or something?"
"That would make the attack much easier, Numbuh 4. But we'll need to a do a reconnaissance run first. See how far the bike track goes and is the tunnel still intact. Knowing the Splinter Cell, I doubt the route is clear all the way to the Treehouse." Nigel crosses his arms while Kuki puts her hand up.
"Hey, I can send my ghost hamster to snoop around! That way we don't have to go in by ourselves!"
"Numbuh 3's got a point, Numbuh 1." Hoagie says while Patton nods as well.
"I agree. We can concentrate on preparing for the mission instead of wasting time doing more reconnaissance."
"Alright then. Numbuh 3, if you could send a few right now, that would speed things up nicely."
"Okidoki!" Kuki salutes and runs over to the doorway, summoning ten ghost hamsters and orders them to fly as far as the tunnel takes them and then keep going until they find the Treehouse. She then rejoins the others. "All done!"
"Good, that's one more base covered. Now, about the Treehouse infiltration itself; we've been provided with Battle-Ready Cycles so we'll use them to go from here to V2. Their speed and mobility should let us clear the tunnel easily."
"So, who's going in? I know I am, obviously."
"I'll of course go too, and so will Numbuhs Tau-6, Eta-4 and Pi-2."
"Huh? I thought we were the backup."
"Since Numbuh 2 is going to provide close-air support for Numbuh 3 and 4 with the W.A.S.P., I need you two to come with us. Your knowledge of 2x4 technology is paramount if we want to succeed. After all, you are the one who designed the Signal Jammer we'll use to free Earth's KND operatives from Numbuh 1000's control, Numbuh Eta-4" Nigel then shows everyone the layout of the Treehouse, and highlights their primary targets. "In order for this mission to succeed, we need to secure these four areas: first, the sub-control room. We'll use it to shut down the base's secondary defenses, which will make it much easier for us to infiltrate the rest of the Treehouse. Second, the communications room. It's vital that we take it over, so that we can hijack the Treehouse's signal emitter, which we'll use to broadcast the jamming signal. You three will be in-charge of securing this room, understood?" Nigel looks at Kimberley, Ted and Charles, who all nod back.
"Sounds like a plan." Charles cracks his knuckles while Ted appears slightly nervous.
"Uhm…are the three of us gonna be enough? I mean, I'm not a fighter so…"
"That's why you'll use these." Nigel hands Ted the portal discs Numbuh Omicron and he developed. "Once the room is secure, use this to create a portal and call reinforcements. I presume you briefed your Combat Force about our plan yesterday, Numbuh Zeta?"
"Absolutely. They're ready and waiting." Patton gives a thumbs up to Ted, who sighs.
"That means you don't have to do all the fighting yourself!" Kimberley nudges Charles, who stutters.
"Y…yeah…even though I could totally do that…" Kimberley chuckles slightly while Nigel draws attention to the layout once again.
"While you're broadcasting the signal, Numbuh Zeta and I will head to the upper levels and secure the remaining two locations: I'll head to the command center while Numbuh Zeta heads to the weapons control room. Of course, our success also depends on how well you four can keep the enemy occupied outside." Nigel switches the layout, which now shows the Treehouse's exterior. "To say it's heavily defended is an understatement. I won't lie, attacking it from the outside is a real challenge, but I'm sure you're prepared for it." Nigel looks at Hoagie, Wally, Kuki and The Kid.
"We just gotta smash 'em up and keep 'em occupied, right?"
"Putting it simply, yes. However, I need to stress that cooperation is paramount. If you don't work together, it'll be easier for the defenders to take you out." Nigel eyes both Wally and The Kid sharply.
"Hey, don't look at me, air superiority is my forte. I'll do my part." The Kid says calmly, but Wally doesn't like his tone but stops himself from reacting and simply clenches his fist slightly. But when Nigel keeps looking at him, expecting an answer, he replies.
"I'll do my best."
"Good. Like I said before, I won't have any in-fighting here, understood?" Both boys nod reluctantly.
"Right, now, here's a basic outline of our strategy. Go through them thoroughly so you'll know exactly what to do tomorrow. That's all. Numbuh Zeta, we'll need to get in contact with the other TND bases and see if we can get support."
"Got it." While the others leave the control booth, Patton stays behind with Nigel as they start calling other TND bases using the Signal Receiver. As they get to work, Wally stops Hoagie.
"Hey, Numbuh 2, before I found this place, I filmed that Treehouse. You wanna check it out?"
"Of course! The more we know about their defenses, the better. Hand me your B.R.A. for a second." Wally gives his wristband to Hoagie who pulls a wire from his 2x4 scanner and plugs it in to it. "Okay…let's see…there we go." The footage Wally took appears as a small hologram. "Guys, you might wanna check this out!" Hoagie gestures to Kuki and The Kid, who join them and watch the short recording.
"Man, that's a lot of guns they've put on that thing."
"Yeah, and those hangars. I'm guessing that's where they're storing the G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A.'s. And look, even they're filled with turrets. We're really heading for a hornet's nest." Hoagie closes the recording and hands the wristband back to Wally. "Nice job Numbuh 4. I'll put this to good use." Hoagie starts walking over to the W.A.S.P. so he can analyze the footage better while Wally, Kuki and The Kid stand awkwardly next to the ship.
"…" Kuki looks at the boys, who keep staring at each other coldly. Then, The Kid speaks up.
"Let's get one thing straight, I still think you're a total loco, but since you're the one piloting that thing, I'll say this: don't pull the same crap you did today." His condescending tone angers Wally beyond belief, but despite every part of his body urging him to punch The Kid, he stops himself, for Kuki's sake and turns his back on them.
"I don't need your cruddy advice. This ain't my first dance." He says over his shoulder and stomps away.
"Really? Cuz it sure looks like it." The Kid scoffs and also walks away, towards his fighter, leaving a dejected Kuki standing by herself.
"You promised you wouldn't fight anymore…this isn't how friends act…" She mutters and heads for the W.A.S.P.'s infirmary. Meanwhile, Tommy, Lee and Sonia huddle together.
"Uhm…is it just me or did they completely ignore us?"
"I guess we're just a nuisance to them…"
"That's uncool. Maybe we should've stayed behind after all…"
"No! They wouldn't have let us do anything back there! Come on, let's go talk to Numbuh 1!" Tommy shouts and walks back to the control booth, followed by Sonia and Lee. "Hey, Numbuh 1!"
"Hmm? What is it?" Nigel says while he types on the control panel.
"You didn't give us a job for the mission!"
"Oh, well, you can just man the W.A.S.P. with Numbuh 2."
"But that's not what we're here for! Come on, give us something better. We really wanna help."
"Hey, Numbuh 1, aren't you forgetting something? I trained those three. They can do better than man a ship." Patton nudges Nigel, who sighs and turns to face the three 12-year-olds.
"Yes, of course…" He crosses his arms and starts to think while Tommy and his friends watch expectantly.
"Actually, there is something you could do. While the rest of us attack the Treehouse, you three go to the eastern suburbs. We need Numbuh 6…and Numbuh 5."
"Eh?! Numbuh 5? But didn't she quit?"
"Yes, but right now, we need her." Nigel stands up and puts the layout again on the table.
"I've gone through this plan thousands of times in my head but…no matter how many times I think about it, this mission would be way easier if we had an infiltration expert like her. I know this is a tough ask but if you could talk her over and get her to help us, that would be great."
"Uhm…what if she says no?"
"If she refuses no matter what, then come back. But the way things are now, our team can't perform without her. The others aren't showing it, but I'm sure they're thinking the same."
"Don't worry! The Tommy will not fail you! I'll drag her back myself if I have to!"
"I'm in too! We'll bring her back, I promise." Sonia nods confidently.
"Me too."
"Thank you. Now, you guys need to leave early tomorrow morning, since our attack starts 09:00."
"But how do we get there?"
"Well duh, we use the Battle-Ready Cycles! Come on, let's go see how they work!" Tommy runs out the control booth, forcing Sonia and Lee to run after him.
"Ah, wait up!" As his former cadets run down the stairs, Patton laughs.
"It's been 5 years since those three graduated and they haven't changed a bit."
"Indeed. You mind helping me with this?"
"Sure, just tell me what to do."
...
As the afternoon starts to turn to evening, high in the clouds, the Gihugeacarrier has moved up to the stratosphere, in preparation for their planned assent in to space. In the commander's quarters, Rachel is lying in bed. She has spent the day planning the attack on the Moonbase and reading through intelligence reports they've received from the other TND bases. As she stares at the ceiling, she feels exhausted from the day's work. "I forgot how tough being a Commander was…" Then, someone contacts her through the intercom.
"Who is it?"
"Commander Numbuh Epsilon, Numbuh Gamma wants you to come to the Deciphering Room."
"Huh? Okay, I'll be right there." She replies and leaves the room. Once she descends down to the Intelligence Section's Deciphering Room, she meets with Numbuh Gamma, who seems more tense than normal.
"Greetings, Commander." The Intelligence Chief salutes her and Rachel does the same.
"At ease. So, what did you want to talk about?"
"It's about Numbuh Alpha." His serious tone causes Rachel to tense up. "Since she is now on the enemy's side, I believe we should reinforce the Wild Child's communication network's defenses. If Father gains access into our system, it would mean the end for us."
"I understand…well, do what you can."
"Thank you. There's also the fact that Father might develop counter-measures against our both our stealth drones and the stealth cloak itself. That's why I asked Numbuh Omicron to hasten the development of the Portal Discs."
"You authorized it? I thought I was the commander here?"
"Yes, but I made that decision before Numbuh Alpha was Delightfulized."
"Oh, I see…How much have you kept from both Numbuh Alpha and me so far?" Rachel eyes the white-haired Intelligence Chief but his composure is rock solid.
"I admit I have overstepped my authority a few times, but only when it was absolutely necessary. Such as when both of you were occupied, I thought it would be wise to not overload you with work. Don't take it the wrong way."
"Of course, I won't, but you can't deny that if your subordinate starts acting behind your back, you can't help but get suspicious."
"I'm only thinking of what's best for the TND. We can't afford to lose, not now."
"We all are, Numbuh Gamma. And we won't lose. As long we have hope, nothing can stop us."
"Yes indeed. Now, I'd like to review today's intelligence reports with you, so we'll know what awaits us in space."
"Right." Rachel nods sternly and walks past Numbuh Gamma, who sighs silently.
"It's incredible how optimistic your Earth friends are, Numbuh Delta. I wish I could share that same sentiment…"
"Numbuh Gamma?"
"Ah, sorry, I'll be right there."
…
As the sun sets over Cleve, inside the relay hangar, the members of the strike team have been preparing themselves for the up-coming mission, each in their own way. Nigel has gone through the plan multiple times, trying to come up with a solution for any possible problem they might encounter along the way.
Hoagie has been helping Kimberley and Ted in assembling the Battle-Ready Cycles and the all-important Jammer. Tommy, Lee and Sonia have also helped them but Hoagie and Tommy seem to argue at every turn. Patton meanwhile has been doing his daily exercises, his mind focused on freeing Fanny. Charles however is still trying to come to terms with everything that's happened so far, and the magnitude of the mission he and the others are about to take upon themselves.
"Oh man…" He mutters as he leans on an empty supply crate with his arms crossed.
"What's up?"
"WOAH!" Charles is startled by Kimberley, who snuck on top of the crate and is sitting on top of it. "Hey, that's not cool!"
"You were thinking about something, weren't you?" She looks at Charles sharply and he sighs.
"I don't know…I just…for two years, I've been going to school, playing football and all that stuff and yet, I didn't know a damn thing about this whole…other world being here."
"Yeah, crazy isn't it. When you get Decommissioned, for some reason, you stop being aware of the KND or anything else related to them. That's why adults don't react when they see a battle or 2x4 technology."
"…"
"Don't you want your memories back?" her blunt question takes Charles by surprise and he sighs.
"What's the point anymore? Was I really any different back then than I'm now?"
"Not really. Apart from being a kid, with a kid's point of view. Like we all were. Though, I'm the wrong person to ask about that. Numbuh Eta-4 served with you in the same Sector."
"Yeah, that's what I heard…" Charles looks on as Ted tries to stop the Gilligan brothers from arguing over what they're doing.
"Then there's also Numbuh 78. She was your Sector Commander, and the Supreme Leader before Numbuh 1000 took over. I was a friend of hers too. I'd sure like to know if she's safe…" Kimberley sighs solemnly and jumps down from the crate. "Well, anyway, you need to stay sharp for tomorrow. We can't have you daydreaming in the middle of the battlefield." Kimberley winks at Charles and goes to help Ted while Charles looks on silence.
Meanwhile, Kuki is sitting on the railing of the walkway, watching over the hangar in silence. Despite not showing it, she is frustrated, about both Wally and The Kid. No matter how hard she tries, she can't understand why they can't get along, even after they shook hands and everything. She sighs and hops off the railing but then, she sees someone approaching from the hallway. It's none other, than The Kid.
"There ya are. I kinda guessed you were sittin' up here." He says and leans against the railing while Kuki looks away. "Hey, listen, I was outta line earlier."
"Why are you saying it to me? I didn't punch Wally and mock him. You should say sorry to him, not me." Kuki crosses her arms and glares at The Kid.
"You think if I'll say that to him, we'll be friends? Hah, don't be stupid. He and I ain't ever gonna be friends."
"But we're all friends here! If you're not friends, you can't work together!"
"We don't get along, and that's that." The Kid says bluntly, frustrating Kuki even further.
"That's not true! I'm friends with Wally, even though we didn't get along when we met! I'm sure if you just…"
"No! Don't compare us! It's different with you two."
"How? What makes our friendship different?!"
"You haven't figured it out yet?" The Kid lowers his aviators and looks Kuki directly in the eye, causing her to take a step back.
"He told me that you went through some bad times, and he wasn't there for you. I guess he's feeling pretty guilty about that. That's why that guy's number 1 motivation is you, and you alone." Kuki mind goes blank and she's unable to reply, but her reaction causes The Kid to chuckle slightly.
"Heh, you're a real airhead, you know that? Anyway, I'll give him credit for being so determined. I'm not, and that makes me kinda jealous. Just look at him. He's been spending the whole evening in that simulator." The Kid points down at the hangar floor, where Wally has strapped himself into the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R.'s simulator. However, Kuki refuses to look down and simply stares at the walkway.
"I've always flown by myself before Miss Commander recruited me. But he and I are opposites, and that's not gonna change." Kuki still can't find any words to respond with and her shoulders slump down. Then, she walks past The Kid without looking but she manages to open her mouth.
"You're wrong…without friends, you can't…you can't go forward…being alone is…horrible…" She starts running into the hallway while The Kid looks on.
"Sorry, but I'm just too stubborn to admit defeat…it ain't over until I say it's over."
As The Kid stays on the walkway, Kuki runs through the hallway until she reaches hangar. She hesitates to enter and looks around. Then, she hears a familiar voice.
"AW CRUD! I screwed up again!" Wally shouts as he unstraps himself and climbs out of the simulator.
"Hey, Numbuh 4! You've been in that thing for four hours. How about taking a break?" Hoagie waves at him with a soda can in hand.
"Yeah, I guess…" Wally replies and joins Hoagie, who is sitting on an empty crate. "Where'd you get that?"
"Heh, the TND gave us some rations. Soda and snacks. You want one?"
"Of course, I cruddy do!" Hoagie smirks and hands Wally a cold can of soda.
"You ready for tomorrow?"
"I dunno…but I'm not gonna mess up, that's for damn sure…"
"You still feeling angry over what The Kid said?"
"It's not that. Numbuh 5 was right when she said I'm not takin' things seriously. We're not kids anymore, so I gotta start actin' like it but…I guess I've still got a bit of my old 10-year-old self in me…"
"We all do. I know I still do things the way I did them when I was 10. Remember what Numbuh 1 said before we fled the KND?"
" 'Even if you become teens and adults, never grow up.' How could I forget?"
"That's right. Now pull yourself together, Numbuh 4. We can't have you chicken out now."
"Hah, you wish!" The boys share a toast and laugh while Kuki, who overheard everything, walks away, feeling even more confused than before. The Kid's words have left an impression on her, but so have Wally's and she is unable make sense of them.
"You don't have to try so hard for my sake Wally…Being with everyone is enough for me…"
Up in the control booth, Nigel contacts the Gihugeacarrier one last time.
"This is Numbuh 1, Home Base, do you copy?"
"…this is Home Base; we hear you loud and clear." This time, the one speaking to him is Rachel.
"Commander? Uhm…I was expecting Numbuh Gamma."
"He's busy right now. Or am I not good enough?"
"No, that's not what I mean! Eh-hem, our preparations are complete, Commander. We'll begin the operation at 09:00 sharp."
"Good work. We'll start our assent to space at the same time. Did you get in touch with the other bases?"
"Yes. It took some persuading, but they are willing to give a hand. They will send every available craft they have to help in the Moonbase operation. The rest will aid us if need be. All you have to do is give the order, Commander."
"That's a relief. Right, then I wish you all good luck."
"Alright. We'll see you in space. Numbuh 1, out." Nigel ends the call and leans back on his chair, his mind focused on what's ahead.
…
Monday morning arrives as the sun rises over the esker and within it, the strike team have huddled together. "Alright team, this is it. We're about to embark on probably the most important mission of our lives. You all know what's at stake here so failure is out of the question. Numbuh 2, is the equipment ready?"
"We've got everything set up and ready to go."
"Numbuh Eta-4, what about the Signal Jammer?"
"Ready to be installed."
"Good. Now, you all know your assigned parts so I won't repeat them here. However, I want you all remember that no matter what happens, everyone comes back. I promised Numbuh Eps…No, I promised Rachel we would meet in space, and that's what we'll do, no matter what the Splinter Cell throws at us. Understood?" Nigel puts his hand forward and everyone puts theirs over his.
"Alright, TEENS NEXT DOOR, BATTLE STATIONS!" Nigel shouts and everyone cheers loudly before the group split up and head to their positions. Nigel, Patton, Charles, Ted and Kimberley hop on their Battle-Ready Cycles, with Charles and Ted riding together while Tommy, Lee and Sonia do the same and take off immediately. Wally, Kuki and Hoagie board the W.A.S.P. while The Kid climbs into the cockpit of his fighter. Then, the massive door that covers the tunnel entrance opens remotely and Nigel leads his team into the abandoned bike tracks while Hoagie and The Kid take-off in their ships.
Ahead of them, Tommy, Lee and Sonia fly towards the eastern suburbs, where Abby lives. "Are you sure this is gonna work, Tommy?"
"We promised Numbuh 1 we'd bring Numbuh 5 with us, Sonia, so we have to succeed!" Tommy replies and makes a sharp right turn, followed by his friends. Then, they land on an empty parking, turn their bikes back to normal form and begin pedaling towards the Lincoln residence. Soon, they arrive to their destination. Tommy hops off his bike and runs across the front yard to ring the doorbell; however, no one is answering. He then peaks through the window but can't see anyone. "Oh man…"
"What's wrong Tommy?" Sonia asks as she and Lee join their friend on the porch.
"I keep ringing the doorbell but no one's answering it…"
"Oh no…what do we do now?"
"Well, we can't sneak in or pick the lock, we'll be in trouble…" Tommy says dejectedly and rings it one more time. Suddenly, he hears someone approaching the door.
"Now who's ringin' my doorbell this early in the mornin'?" Dr. Lincoln mumbles as he opens the door. "Huh? Hey, if it isn't Hoagie's younger brother. What brings ya here?"
"Ah, morning Dr. Lincoln uhm…is Abby here?"
"Of course, she is, but she's still asleep with the snorin' and the dreamin' and the…"
"We need her help! H…Hoagie's in trouble!"
"What?! Well, then we gotta go wake her up! Come on in kids." Dr. Lincoln let's Tommy and his friends inside and leads them upstairs.
"Abigail? Some of your friends are here to see ya!"
"Muhm…huh? Why would I call friends over right now…?" Abby mutters and turns her back towards the door but then, she jolts up when her father opens the door anyway. "Daddy! I'm trynna sle…huh?" Abby shouts but then, she notices Tommy, Lee and Sonia peeking through the door.
"I'm sorry Abigail, but young Gilligan here said your friend's in trouble." Dr Lincoln says and walks away, humming a tune as he heads down to the kitchen.
"Uhm…hi…"
"Wha…what are you guys doin' here?"
"We uhm…were ordered to get Numbuh 6…"
"Huh? Oh, right…wait a minute! How'd you guys get here from who knows where ya were hidin'?" Abby sits on her bedside and crosses her arms while looking at the three 12-year-olds with suspicion.
"We…came here with Numbuh 1 and the others."
"What?! Nigel's here?! Why the heck would he…wait, are they here to attack that Treehouse?!"
"Yeah. They'll start the attack at 09:00." Sonia nods her head as Abby looks at her digital alarm clock on her nightstand.
"08:49…argh, whatever, fine, just take Bradley and go. Abby's gotta get ready for school." Abby puts her hand under her bed and pulls a sleeping Bradley out of there. The skunk refuses to move at first but then it opens its eye and sees Tommy, Sonia and Lee standing in the doorway. It immediately jumps into Sonia's arms and nuzzles her cheek.
"Hey stop that, you're tickling me!"
"There, now get outta here…" Abby says silently but Tommy refuses to move.
"No! We didn't come here just for Numbuh 6!"
"Huh? Just what the heck are ya talkin' about?" Abby eyes Tommy, who stands his ground.
"Numbuh 1 ordered us to get you back!"
"He what?!" Abby jumps out of her bed and glares the kids.
"That's right! He…your team needs you! He said they can't complete the mission without you!"
"Nuh-uh, not a chance! Abby can't just…go back like that…I…not after all I've done…"
"What do you mean?" Tommy's blunt question angers Abby as she keeps glaring at the boy.
"It's because of me you guys had to flee in the first place! If I hadn't sent that Ninja there…"
"So what?"
"What did ya just say, boy?!" Abby snaps and grabs Tommy by his collar while Lee and Sonia run to his side.
"Hey! Let him go!"
"Yeah, that's uncool!" Abby ignores their pleas and stares directly into Tommy's eyes, but he remains steadfast.
"Abby's not likin' that attitude of yours! Abby sold you all out!"
"So what?! No one's blaming you for it. Not me, not my friends, not Numbuh 1, or anyone else!" Abby let's go of Tommy and stares at the floor, her long hair covering her face.
"Just go away…Abby's just a good for nothin'…"
"Stop running away!" Sonia shouts, startling her friends and especially Abby. "You can't just spend all your time here, feeling sorry for yourself! It's not going to make things any better! Even if you're scared, you have to face it! I…we all want you to come back!" Sonia pleads with Abby, who looks away while clenching her fist. But before she can answer, Tommy's communicator goes off.
"Huh? Uhm, Scout Team W here…" Tommy answers with a slightly shaky voice.
"This is Numbuh 1 to all teams, we've reached the blocked off section of the tunnel. What's your status?" Abby listens silently while Tommy, Sonia and Lee huddle together.
"This is Numbuh 2! I'm ready to begin air attack. We'll swing by North Cleve and draw their attention."
"Agent Halcón here, ready for action."
"Excellent. Numbuh 4, Numbuh 3, everything ready on your end?"
"Heck yeah! Ready to kick butt!"
"I'm…ready…" Abby can sense some hesitation in Kuki's voice as Tommy speaks into the mouth piece.
"Scout Team W here, we…we've got Numbuh 6 with us." He doesn't get an immediate answer but then, Nigel responds.
"Understood. Head over to your infiltration point. We'll see you at the Treehouse, and remember what we talked about, everyone comes back, no matter what."
"YES, SIR!"
"Good, commence Operation: 'Free Will'!" Tommy puts the communicator into his pocket and turns towards the doorway.
"Come on guys, let's go, we're out of time…" he says quietly and starts walking away, followed by his friends while Abby stands still. In her head, she is conflicted over what she should do. While her anger at herself for, in her words, failing the team is overwhelming, she can't help but worry for her friends, especially after having listened to the recording and learning the truth about Sector V's framing and everything else up to this point. Finally, she is reminded once again of Maurice's favorite saying and speaks up.
"uh…Hey, wait a minute!"
"Huh?"
"Are you guys gonna go fight in there too?"
"Of course! We're going to help them secure the communication room!" Tommy puffs his chest and Abby takes a step back.
"…give me a sec!" she shouts and runs over to her wardrobe. Sonia immediately pulls the boys into the hallway.
"Hey, why'd you do that?!"
"You can't peep on her when she's changing!"
"But we weren't gonna…" Sonia snuffs Tommy's protests with an angry glare, and the two boy's freeze. Meanwhile, Abby puts on her blue top, B.R.A., long blue and white shirt, short jeans and sandals and her hat. Then, she takes a belt with a small leather loop in it and wraps it around her waist and pulls out a box from under her bed, which contains all the things she took home from the Treehouse back in April. Inside it, is her white peppermint sword, which she puts on her belt and takes her old KND emblazoned backpack, filling it with various things, including her old L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S., Nigel's sunglasses and finally, quickly combs and braids her hair before she puts on her hat and rushes to the hallway where Sonia, Tommy and Lee are waiting.
"Eh? What are you…?"
"If you three are gonna storm that place, Abby can't just stay here anymore, feelin' sorry for myself! I'm done with that!"
"Does that you're…?"
"That's right baby, Numbuh 5 is back in business! Let's get goin' already!"
"Alright! We did it!" Tommy cheers.
"Yeah, yeah, stop yellin'! Mama's still sleepin'." Abby says and leads Tommy's team downstairs. As they walk through the kitchen, her father notices them.
"Abigail? Is everythin' okay? I heard you makin' noise up there."
"Daddy, I uh…I gotta go now…" Abby says nervously as Tommy, Lee and Sonia quietly leave the house.
"Okay, but make sure ya don't miss the bus."
"No Daddy, what I'm sayin' is…I'm not goin' to school. Abby's gotta go help her friends and…I don't know if I'll be back today, or tomorrow…"
"Is that so?" Dr. Lincoln stands up and looks in to his daughter's eyes. Seeing the burning determination in her eyes, he puts his hand on her shoulder. "Alright Abigail, you go do what you gotta do. But remember, don't get in trouble out there. And come back, okay?" Abby tears up and hugs her father, who hugs back.
"Of course, I will, Daddy, I promise!"
"That's my girl. And don't worry, I'll tell the school that you're 'sick.'." Dr. Lincoln pats Abby's head as she let's go and walks over to the door. She looks back one more time and waves at her father, who smiles and gives her a thumbs up. Then, she wipes the tears from her face and walks out of the house. Just as she steps outside, she can hear the distinct sound of the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P.'s six heliojets as it soars over the suburbs, evading Sector V2's long range bombardment with ease.
"Hold on guys, Abby's comin'…" Abby hits her cheeks and joins the others, who hopped on their Battle-Ready Cycles.
"So, uh…you want a ride?"
"Oh no, Numbuh 5's not hitching a ride. Can you two ride that one?" Abby points at Lee's bike and Sonia immediately gives Abby her cycle while she herself hops behind Lee with Bradley on her shoulder.
"Eh? Are you sure you wanna…?"
"Just don't do anything crazy okay?" Sonia says, feeling slightly embarrassed as Abby climbs on the last cycle.
"Alright Tommy, you lead the way. We can't waste any more time!"
"Okay! Follow The Tommy!" Tommy adjusts his fedora and changes his cycle to its armored mode while the others do the same. Then, the three Battle-Ready Cycles charge down the road before taking off into the morning sky.
End of Transmission 39