Transmission 40: Operation "Free Will"
At Sector V2's Treehouse, the short Numbuh 090 runs through the hallway and enters the Treehouse's massive command center, located in the hollowed-out bridge of the huge aircraft carrier that's perched atop the Treehouse. As he runs through the doors, the non-chipped second-in command operative salutes him. "Morning, Sir!"
"I heard the alarm! What's going on out there?!" Numbuh 090 says as he stops in-front of the large screen and stares at it intensely.
"Global Command detected an enemy 2x4 ship flying over the northern suburbs. We've already engaged with the Array."
"A 2x4 ship?! Get me a visual!" The boy yells and the moment W.A.S.P. appears on the big screen, he panics. "ARRGH! It's them! The TND! Shoot it down, NOW!"
"We're trying, but it's evading all of our shots."
"Grr, keep firing! I'll contact Global Command and inform of them of this myself!"
"Yes, Sir." Numbuh 090 marches out of the command center and types a short code into this 2x4 wristwatch.
"This Numbuh 090, Commander of Sector V2, requesting permission to speak to the Supreme Leader."
"Affirmative. I will reroute him to you." A chipped operative responds and soon enough, a small hologram of Numbuh 1000 is projected from his watch.
"Numbuh 090, this better be urgent."
"It is, Supreme Commander! The…the TND have shown up here in Cleve!"
"Really? What are their numbers?"
"One ship at the moment but…knowing those teenagers, it's a diversion."
"Right...put the Treehouse on maximum lockdown and disperse the Teen Hunters. We will observe the situation from here and send backup if necessary."
"Tha…thank you Sir! Those teenagers are fools if they think they can take down this Treehouse!"
"Don't get complacent!"
"Yes, of course!"
"Good, now get to work!" Numbuh 1000 ends the call as he walks over to his window and stares down on the earth. "Are they trying the same trick they used against that Ninja Hideout? And where is their Gihugeacarrier…Something's wrong here…" Numbuh 1000 mutters and leaves his quarters.
…
Back in Cleve, Hoagie continues to evade the high-speed shells flying towards him as he steers the W.A.S.P. on a south-east course, followed closely by The Kid in his fighter. "Hey Gilligan, why the heck are ya goin' back there?"
"Just follow me! We gotta buy more time for Numbuh 1!" Hoagie says as he cloaks the ship, and The Kid does the same. Seeing the ships disappear from their sensors, causes Numbuh 090 order the Array and all other heavy guns on the Treehouse to fire all over the town, but then, the W.A.S.P. and the "Valkyrie" reappear above south-east Cleve before disappearing again.
"How did they get there?! Are they teleporting or something?!" he shouts while the command center's crew try to locate the ships yet again.
"We don't know Sir. Wait a minute…they're showing up on radar again!"
"Where?!" Numbuh 090 yells at his XO who looks over the shoulder of a chipped radar operator but he can't believe what he's seeing.
"They…they're here!"
"What do you mean here?! Argh, you're useless!" Numbuh 090 pushes his XO aside and looks at the radar screen himself and see two red dots appearing at the center of the screen, right where the Treehouse is. "How?! But I don't…NO! Fire everything up at the sky!"
"What are you saying, Sir?!"
"THEY'RE TRYING TO ATTACK US FROM ABOVE! ACTIVATE THE SHIELD ALREADY!" But before anyone can react to his orders, the Treehouse is rocked by multiple laser impacts as Hoagie and The Kid dive down directly from above the Treehouse.
"WOOHOO!" Hoagie yells as he pulls up from the dive. "Alright guys, it's your turn! You gotta land within their defense perimeter, otherwise the long-range cannons are gonna chew you up!"
"But I thought you guys made this thing indestructible?!" Wally shouts over the intercom as he and Kuki stand in-front of the side hatch, both wearing the tandem parachute pack that contains the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R.
"It's tough, but not indestructible! Now get ready, I'm opening the hatch in 60 seconds!" As the light next to the door stays red, Wally looks over his shoulder at Kuki.
"Kuki?"
"Yes Wally?"
"I uh…I just…uhm…oh crud…We're gonna make it through this, okay?"
"Right…"
"I promise, I won't let 'em land a hit on us." He looks at Kuki with determination, however, she's still troubled over yesterday but manages to nod and smile weakly.
"Okay…I'll protect you as well."
"Jump, now!" Hoagie shouts over the intercom as the light turns green and the hatch opens.
"Let's gooooo!" Wally yells as he and Kuki jump out of the ship. As they fall, they pull the two cords, one at the front and one at the back, causing the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. to form around, starting with the attack helicopter cockpit, dump truck torso, arms made of two conjoined cars and legs made of a split bullet train. In both of its arms are hydraulic excavator shovels and in its back is a jet bomber, which forms the machine's backpack.
"T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R., ready to roll!" Wally hits his fists together and robot does the same. Behind him, Kuki grabs the two joysticks on her armrests and two laser cannons appear from above the helicopter, where the head would normally be, and takes aim.
"Concentrate! You're in the middle of a mission!" she thinks as Wally charges at the one of the four buildings surrounding the Treehouse. The sudden appearance of the machine surprises not only Numbuh 090 and his subordinates, but also Numbuh 1000, who is observing the battle from KND Global Command's control center.
"What is that?" He grist his teeth and clenches his left fist.
"It looks like a robot, Sir."
"I know that, Numbuh 105! What I want to know is how did they deliver it within the Treehouse's defense perimeter?! Argh, move two Orbital cannons into position above Cleve. I want them ready to fire the moment that thing tries to touch the Array!"
"Yes, Sir!"
Down in Cleve, Wally and Kuki engage Sector V2's defenses head-on. Thanks to the multiple thrusters and the four jet engines connected to the jet bomber-backpack's wings, they are easily able to evade the flurry of lasers coming at them. "Take this!" Wally roars and activates the robot's right-arm excavator shovel, which extends forward and with a single strike, destroys two of the four laser turrets on the building's roof. Then, the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. jumps on top of the said building and rips the last two turrets off. Kuki points the robot's laser cannons at the other building and with precise aim, knocks out its turrets. Up on the Treehouse's control center, Numbuh 090 wildly barks orders to the operatives.
"Why are you just sitting there?! Deploy the G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A.'s and the U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D.'s! Launch all of our ships! Destroy those teenagers!"
Outside, as they continue to harass the Treehouse's air-defenses, both Hoagie and The Kid notice the open doors of the two un-touched buildings. "Heads-up guys, looks like they're sending in the welcoming party!" Hoagie contacts Kuki and Wally as two G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A.'s and two insect-like U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D.'s step out of the buildings.
"Yeah, I see 'em! Let's give 'em a poundin'!" Wally shouts and prepares to engage the KND machines while The Kid breaks off from the W.A.S.P.
"I'll go down there too."
"Alright, I'll cover you guys!" Hoagie replies and switches the W.A.S.P. into CQC mode as The Kid transforms his fighter into its robot mode and opens fire on the U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D. directly below him.
…
As the battle rages on above ground, Nigel and his team begin to move forward in the tunnel. Kuki's ghost hamsters had found a large, sealed door not far from where the tunnel reaches the Treehouse. Now, Nigel hops off his cycle and approaches the door.
"So uh, how are we gonna get past that?"
"Leave that to me, Numbuh Tau-6. But I'll need to concentrate. We can't make too much noise down here." Nigel says over his shoulder and activates his Silhouette Suit, startling Ted, Kimberley and Charles.
"Wha…that's…that's…" Ted stutters as the sight of the jet-black suit sends chills down to his core.
"What the heck is that?!"
"So that's his Silhouette Suit…"
"He said, be quiet. Using that suit is hard for him." Patton silences the others as Nigel moves his hands towards the door and uses his telekinesis on the massive door. Instead of completely opening it, he bends the door's bottom right corner just enough to let them slip through but doing it still takes a lot of effort, especially as he still has trouble maintaining the full Suit for a long time.
"Ghh…almost…there…done!" Nigel manages to bend the door and rips off his Suit immediately.
"Whoa, was that the same kinda magic that black-haired girl had?" Charles asks as Nigel takes a deep breath and turns to face his teammates.
"No, Numbuh 3's powers are different. Hers isn't a curse, unlike mine. But enough about that. We need to reach the underground bike terminal before they notice the breach." Nigel says and mounts his cycle. Then, one by one, the team slip through the bent door and turn their bikes invisible, allowing them to sneak past the anti-adult defenses filling the bike track tunnel. Suddenly, the tunnel goes dark and dim red lights start illuminating it, indicating that the Treehouse has gone to maximum lockdown. "Step on it! The security doors are closing!" Nigel shouts and applies more power, accelerating towards the terminal's entrance, which is slowly being sealed up by an armored shudder.
"Come on! We're almost there!" Patton urges the others on as Kimberley is the first to get inside, followed by Patton and Nigel, but Charles and Ted are falling dangerously behind.
"We…we're not gonna make it!"
"Oh yes we will!" Charles puts the bike into a low-side slide as Ted screams for dear life. But, just as the shudder slams shut, they manage to slip underneath it, barely. As the cycle grinds to a halt, Kimberley jumps off of her cycle and runs to help the boys.
"You guys okay?" she asks as Charles kicks the canopy off the cycle and climbs out, followed by a shivering Ted.
"Wooo, that was awesome!"
"Ow man…I forgot what being out in the field felt like…ouch…" Ted mutters as he, Charles and Kimberley join Nigel and Patton, who are hiding behind a loading platform.
"Alright, good work. But that was only the first phase. From here on, it's only going to get tougher. They'll notice our bikes sooner or later, so we need to keep moving. The sub-control room is in the first floor. Gear up and let's go." Nigel says as he pulls out his Stupefier Pistols. Patton and Charles activate their B.R.A.'s while Kimberley takes out a S.C.A.M.P.P. from her backpack. Ted meanwhile uses a Stupefier Pistol, a recently mass-produced version of Sector V's stolen pistols. "Numbuh Zeta, you hold the rear. Numbuh Tau-6 and I will lead, understood?"
"Got it." Patton nods as the team begin moving through the terminal, which is lightly defended. While there are multiple S.P.O.T.F.I.T.E.S. turrets dotting the walls and the curving ceiling, only two armed guards are standing in-front of the service elevator. Slowly, Nigel's team sneak closer to the elevator, when one of the guards notices the broken Battle-Ready Cycle. But before neither can call their superiors, Nigel stupefies them.
"The longer it takes for them to realize we're here, the better." Nigel whispers and calls the elevator, but his cool-headedness impresses Charles.
"Wow, is he some kind of super-agent or something?" he nudges Patton, who stands guard while they wait for the elevator.
"You have no idea. Let's just say he's got more experience in these things than me." Then, the elevator arrives and they quickly board it. However, as it reaches the halfway point of the Treehouse's hollow trunk, the base alarms go off and they hear a monotone voice speaking through the base's intercom.
"Alert, teenagers have infiltrated the Treehouse. Lockdown level: T is now in effect."
"Dammit, they must've seen those guards getting stupefied…" Nigel mutters as the lift grinds to a halt.
"Hey, why'd it stop?!"
"They know we're here, that's why! What do we do now?" Kimberley asks but Nigel is already on top of the situation.
"Simple, we'll fly out. Numbuh Tau-6, tear off that hatch." Nigel points at the steel hatch on top of the lift and Charles does as he's told. Using the enhanced strength of his B.R.A., he easily rips off the hatch and Nigel climbs out, followed by the others, except Ted, who has to be pulled up. "Okay, follow me."
"But we can't fly!"
"Calm down, Numbuh Eta-4. We'll carry you guys up. Numbuh Tau-6, you take care of Numbuh Pi-2, okay?"
"Uhm…yeah, of course!" Charles replies awkwardly as Patton grabs Ted and follows the already flying Nigel up the shaft. He then takes hold of Kimberley and looks up, trying not to make eye contact, because his face is bright red. "Hold on tight!"
"Yup." Charles then flies after the others towards the 1st floor but once he catches up, they're thwarted by the elevator doors.
"Move back, leave this to me." Nigel covers his hand in his Suit and super-heats it, allowing him to push his hand through the door like it was butter and creates a round hole, allowing them to exit the elevator shaft. Back on firm ground, Ted has to take a breather.
"Haah…that was scary…"
"Oh come on, it wasn't that bad…but uhm…you can put me down now, Numbuh Tau-6."
"Huh? Oh so…sorry!" An embarrassed Charles replies and let's go of the blond-haired technician, who chuckles at his reaction.
"Heads up team, the sub-control room is close. Let's move!" Nigel says sternly, causing the trio to focus.
"I don't like the silence…"
"Don't worry Numbuh Pi-2, they can't see or detect us as long as we stay hidden under our stealth cloaks. This floor would be crawling with operatives if they'd seen us. But I'm guessing their commander is getting pretty scared right now…" Nigel smirks, and he's guess is correct.
…
Up in the Treehouse's control center, Numbuh 090 is getting more and more desperate and paranoid, despite the fact that the Treehouse's defenses are keeping the attackers outside occupied.
"We…need to find those infiltrating teens! Where are they?!"
"Nothing is showing up in the cameras, Sir. We only know they are here, because of those Stupefied guards."
"Look harder! Those teens are here and I want them found! The Array must not be destroyed or captured by our enemy! I personally promised the Supreme Leader we would succeed!"
"Sir, we've lost contact with the sub-control room." A chipped operative manning a CCTV terminal says over her shoulder.
"The…they're in there! Order the Teen Hunters to head to the 1st floor immediately!"
"Already on it, Sir."
Down in the 1st floor, Nigel and his team have successfully taken over the sub-control room, stupefying every operative within it in the process. As Patton and Charles stand guard at the door, Nigel, Kimberley and Ted begin hijacking the base's internal defenses, such as security doors and cameras. "With their surveillance systems down, they won't be able to predict where we'll strike next. But this will only get us so far. We'll still need to secure the main control room if we want to take over the Treehouse. Numbuh Pi-2, have they sent troops here?" Nigel asks Kimberley, who is monitoring the surveillance cameras.
"Oh yeah, they know we're here. I'm seeing loads of guards and…oh no…it's those Teen Hunters."
"Teen Hunters? I thought so. Frankly I'm surprised they didn't send them immediately. Numbuh Eta-4, close all doors between the 2nd and 70th floors. They'll need to override every single door from the main control room, so that'll buy us some time."
"Okay!" Ted uses the control panel to close the doors, but notices something in the desk next to the control panel that piques his interest. "Huh? What's this?" his attention is drawn to the small folder named: "Prisoner List" on the desk and takes it. While the others are gathering at the door, Ted quickly takes a look at the folder's contents. The very first name on the list shocks him beyond belief. "No way…uhm, Numbuh 1?!"
"What is it?" Nigel notices the panic in his eyes as Ted runs over to the others.
"Lo…look at this!" He hands Nigel the folder and is visibly shaking.
"Hmm? "Prisoner List"? Interesting…"
"The…the first name! They…they…" Ted continues to stutter as Nigel opens the folder and realizes why Ted is so shocked.
"Impossible…this is…"
"What do ya mean?" Patton asks as a confident grin appears on Nigel's face.
"We knew beforehand that they'd have a dungeon here, but I never thought they'd keep such a high value prisoner here…"
"Quit stallin' and tell us already!"
"It's…Numbuh 78!" Ted shouts, stunning both Patton and Kimberley.
"Really?! Wow…"
"She's here?!"
"Who the heck is Numbuh 78?"
"She was our old Sector Commander AND KND Supreme Leader before…Numbuh 1000 took over…" Ted clenches his fists as Nigel hands the folder back to him.
"It makes sense they've kept her here since this Treehouse's security is on par with the Moonbase and the Arctic Prison. However, now that we're here, it's a totally different ball game."
"So, what, we gonna save her or something?"
"No."
"What?! But don't we need her to convince the KND to…"
"Calm down, Numbuh Eta-4. What I meant was that we will free the prisoners after we've secured the Treehouse. We need to stick with the plan. If we deviate from it, the others won't last long outside, do you understand?"
"But…she…" Nigel puts his hand on Ted shoulder and looks him in the eye.
"I understand how you feel about this, but she's not going anywhere. We'll free her once the mission is complete, understood? That goes for all of you. We can't deviate from the plan."
"Got it."
"Sure."
"Yeah, okay…"
"Good. Now, as we planned, we'll need to split up from here on out. You three will head to the communications room in the 20th floor while Numbuh Zeta and I will go further up towards the top floors. Is that clear?" The others nod, but Ted does so hesitantly. Then, the group is alerted to the sound of footsteps echoing in the hallway. "They've found us! Numbuh Zeta and I will keep them busy, you guys head to the left."
"Righty-o!" Charles replies and starts running towards the opposite direction from the where the guards are coming, followed closely by Kimberley and Ted. Nigel and Patton meanwhile charge head-on at the guards, guns blazing.
"Sorry kids, but we don't have time to play!" Patton shouts as he uses a Stupefier rifle to take out the leading guards while Nigel pushes the rest aside with telekinesis.
"We need to keep moving! It's better if we run into the Teen Hunters in the upper floors than here!"
"Gotcha!" Patton replies and blows open one of the elevator doors nearby. Then, he and Nigel hop into shaft and fly upwards, to the upper levels.
Below them, Charles, Ted and Kimberley run through the hallway, towards another elevator at a t-intersection, when they are ambushed by KND guards. "Damn, they found us!" They take cover behind a corner and Charles opens fire with his heat lasers while Kimberley takes a quick look at the Treehouse layout on her own 2x4 scanner.
"What do we do now?!" Ted holds his head while Charles keeps the guards busy.
"Hmm…I got it. There's an emergency chute not far from here! It's this way!"
"Alright, you guys go ahead, I'll cover ya!" Charles steps back on the hallway and uses his shockwave mace to knock the approaching guards off their feet while Kimberley grabs Ted's arms and runs to the right. Then, once they arrive at the chute, she plugs her scanner into the control panel and activates the compressed air chute.
"Hey, it's working! Come on!" She waves at Charles, who fires at the ceiling, causing it a part of it to collapse and blocking the hallway. "Good thinking, Numbuh Tau-6." Kimberley gives Charles a thumbs up as Ted hops into the chute, which propels him up 13 floors instantly. "You next."
"Uhm, you sure I can fit there?"
"Don't worry, I've seen bigger guys stuff themselves into these things." Charles is not convinced by her words, but goes in regardless.
"Uh-huh? Okay…here we gooooooo…!" His voice echoes in the chute as Kimberley hops in after him. Then, they regroup in an empty storage room in the 14th floor, where Kimberley looks at the map again.
"So, we're here and the communications room is…there, 6 floors above us. We'll need to fight our way through. I don't see any chutes or stairs."
"Can't we use the elevator shaft?"
"No, you can't carry both of us." As Kimberley crosses her arms and tries to figure out the safest route, Ted notices something.
"Hey, the dungeon is in this floor! Maybe we could…"
"Numbuh 1 said no! We can't deviate from the plan, no matter how much you want to free her."
"But…"
"Why are you so focused on that girl? Do like her or something?"
"NO! It's not like that…I…owe her…She recommended me to the position of Science Division Chief and…"
"We can save her later!"
"I can't leave her there any longer! I…it's my fault she's in there in the first place…" Ted hits the floor and shakes from anger.
"What do you mean?"
"I was the one who made those damn chips! Numbuh 1000 tricked me into building them and that's how he took control! It's all my fault she was ousted…" Ted tries to stop himself from crying as Kimberley puts her hand on his shoulder.
"I understand…let's take a look at the map again…" She studies the map once more. Charles meanwhile is unable to say anything but somehow, he agrees with Ted.
"I say we save her. Maybe she'll help us out."
"I don't know…I fled the KND and you were decommissioned. But she might listen to you, Numbuh Eta-4. Look here: There's a ladder that goes up to 15th floor close to the dungeon. If we use it, we won't have to deal with the guards on this floor. And we can free the prisoners too."
"Hey, this is kinda like that jailbreak we did."
"Heh-he, you're right, Numbuh Tau-6. Okay, pull yourself together, we're going to the dungeon." Kimberley pulls Ted on up on his feet and gives him an assuring smile while Charles slaps him in the back.
"Yeah, we ain't here to cry, we're here to save the world!"
"Tha…that's right!" With renewed conviction, the trio then run out of the room and make their way towards the dungeon, unaware that they are being watched.
...
As the battle at Sector V2's Treehouse rages on, standing on a hill overlooking it, are Abby, Tommy, Lee, Sonia and Bradley. They're quietly observing as the T.S.-W.R. .E.R. rips off a G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A.'s head, disabling it in the process. "Whoohoo! Man, I'm so jealous they get to ride that robot!" Tommy shouts excitedly.
"Hoagie really went all in on that huh?" Abby thinks as she spies on the Treehouse using a B.O.N.G.O.S.K.O.P.E. "So, how do ya plan on getting' inside?"
"From there! That platform in middle of the Treehouse. They use it for small 2x4 ships so we're going to land there and join the others! Pretty cool plan huh?" Tommy puffs his chest, but Abby is skeptical.
"Is that right? Well, do ya know what kinda defenses they got? Or if they have guards there?"
"Uhm…"
"Heh, Numbuh 5 thought so. But don't worry, now that you got me, we'll get there easily. Just follow my lead, okay?"
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"Hey, don't call me that. Numbuh 5 ain't leader material." Abby says as she hops on her cycle and turns it invisible before taking off, followed by the Tommy and his friends. They fly low to the ground, towards the constantly firing Treehouse. "Stay close, guys, otherwise you'll get shot down!" she steers her cycle expertly through the wild laser fire while Tommy and Lee try their best to keep up.
"Whaa, this is crazy!"
"Hold on tight, Sonia!" The boys fly the same route that Abby takes, which to their shock, leads them directly between the legs of an U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D. that is being harassed by The Kid's transforming fighter. "WHAAAAA!" All three scream as they follow Abby through the massive cricket-like mech's legs and just barely manage to make it before the robot slams its middle legs into the ground, creating a powerful shockwave. Then, they pass through the shield, using their Cycles stealth systems to interfere with the shield's surface.
"Quit screamin' will ya? We're almost through!" Abby rolls her cycle to evade an errant laser and then pulls up, climbing up the side of the Treehouse. All three cycles then close ranks and arrive on the platform. Immediately, Abby notices a heavy mustard turret being rolled on to the said platform, its barrels aimed at the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R.
"Cloaks off! Cover me, Numbuh 5's gonna take out that gun!" The three cycles de-cloak and dive on the platform, startling the operatives manning the turret. As they try to frantically crank the turret up towards the attacking Battle-Ready Cycles, Abby opens her canopy, applies full thrust and jumps out of her cycle, turning it into a missile, which slams into the turret, destroying both instantly. Abby then activates her armor in mid-air and lands on the platform while Tommy and his friends watch in awe.
"Wow, she's awesome!" Tommy cheers as they land their cycles behind Abby, who is already exchanging fire with the operatives.
"There! That's the entrance!" Sonia points at the armored door directly ahead of them.
"Alright, I'll clear a path." Abby fires her M.A.R.B.L.E. launchers at the feet of the operatives, pushing them away as she charges at the door, which slowly closing.
"It's time for The Tommy to get serious!" Tommy activates his own Battle-Ready Armor and flies above Abby, taking out any operatives with his own Stupefier Rifle while Sonia and Lee follow using their J.E.T.A.B.O.O.T.S. while Bradley holds on to Sonia's back, firing at any target he sees. Together, they make sure work of their opponents and make it inside the Treehouse. However, the moment they do, they come under heavy fire from more KND troops and have to hide behind a cargo container.
"Damn, how many operatives do they got in here anyway?"
"Don't ask me. Now we need to join up with the others."
"And, where are they?" Abby asks as she takes pot shots at the operatives, who are firing at them from across the loading bay.
"Uhm…I think one team was heading for the communications center in the 20th floor. And we're in the 31st floor."
"Hmm…okay, you three go there. Numbuh 5's gonna head upstairs. I've got a hunch the real action is gonna happen there."
"Why can't we stick together?"
"Look, if we split up, we'll cover more ground. Trust me, Numbuh 5 knows these things."
"Okay…" Sonia looks at Abby with worry but she gives her an assuring smile.
"Numbuh 5's gonna be okay. Besides, aren't you guys a TND recon team? Sneakin' around should be easy job for ya'll."
"She's right. We just need to stay invisible and we'll be fine. AND The Tommy is with you guys."
"Heh, sure. Okay, Numbuh 5's gonna draw these suckers away from here. You guys head down to the comms room, got it?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" The trio salutes Abby, who feels slightly embarrassed as she stands up to face the approaching guards.
"Numbuh 5 said don't call me that. Now get goin' already!" she booster jumps over the guards and lands in front of a doorway. "Hey, ya brainwashed brats, over here!" she waves at the guards and runs away as they start pursuing her while Tommy, Lee and Sonia sneak towards the elevator shaft.
…
Outside, Wally and Kuki continue to do battle with the remaining G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A. while The Kid keeps the U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D.'s busy.
"This cruddy robo-monkey's really pissing me off!" Wally says as he wrestles with KND mech. Behind him, Kuki has been struggling to keep herself focused and her aim is off.
"Concentrate!" She grips the joysticks but she can't get a clean shot because they're too close to the G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A. "Numbuh 4, we're too close! I can't shoot!"
"Gah…right!" The T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. jumps backwards, giving Kuki time to take aim. She fires both cannons at the gorilla robot, but it protects itself with it arms.
"Argh crud! How much can these stupid monkeys take?!" Wally gets frustrated as he is forced to pull back because of return fire from the Treehouse.
"Numbuh 2, can't ya do anythin' about those cruddy turrets up there?!"
"Hey, I've got my hands full just trying not to get hit! Damn, this Treehouse is like a porcupine!" Hoagie replies as he pulls up from another diving strafe attack. Then, The Kid also pulls back and rendezvous with the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R.
"Man, we ain't gonna get anythin' done like this!"
"We're cruddy trying! How about ya do somethin' useful instead of just dancin' with that U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D.?" Wally snaps at The Kid while evading the Treehouse's laser barrages.
"Hah, like you can do better? All you've been doin' is bashing your head against that gorilla bot."
"Grr…" Wally clenches his fist, which causes the mech do the same.
"Argh, will you guys get your heads in the game! We're in the middle of a mission!" Hoagie yells over the radio, silencing the boys.
"Yeah, yeah, Gilligan…" But suddenly, one of the U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D.'s starts running towards the "Valkyrie" and the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R.
"Hah, you wanna piece of me? Bring it on!" Wally stands his ground and grabs the six-legged machine's front legs while leaning forward slightly.
"Numbuh 3, blast that thing!" He shouts as Kuki aims the cannons at the insect mech. At this close range, she can't miss and duly fires a full volley into the robot. However, the impact creates a big cloud of dust and debris, enveloping both robots. This alarms Hoagie and The Kid.
"Guys?!" Hoagie shouts over the radio as the cloud dissipates and the T.S.-W.R. .E.R. stands before the destroyed U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D., holding it's severed front legs in its hands.
"Hmm…hey, I got an idea! Hold on tight Numbuh 3!" Wally charges head-on against the other U.N.D.E.R.P.O.U.N.D., wielding the severed legs like a pair of clubs. He evades the robot's leg-generated shockwaves and flanks around it.
"Eat this!" He slams the severed legs into the robot's torso with such force that its splits in two. However, before they can land, the last G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A. tackles the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. from behind, sending it flying into one of the Treehouse's four support buildings.
"Gaaah! Aw crud…Kuki, you okay?" Wally asks as he tries to regain his stance.
"Ugh…I'm fine…" Kuki shakes her head and through her headset, she sees the gorilla robot charging at them. "Look out!" She yells as Wally tries to stand the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. up but they've landed head first into the building and the robot is halfway stuck inside.
"Come on you stupid…move!" Wally struggles in-vain to move the robot. Then, just as G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A. is about ram them again, Hoagie and The Kid intervene.
"Oh no you don't!" The Kid fires a volley of low-yield rockets into the gorilla robot, stunning its pilots. Then, like an eagle hunting its prey, the W.A.S.P. dives down on the G.O.G.O.-G.O.R.I.L.L.A. and grabs it with its powerful legs.
"Why don't you go back to the jungle?!" Hoagie shouts and lifts the heavy robot up before throwing it into a nearby forest. But as he turns his attention towards the trapped T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R., the Treehouse's anti-air turrets open fire, forcing him to evade. "It's no good! I can't get low enough to lift you guys out of there!"
"Aw crud! Fine, I'll do it myself!" Wally replies and continues to move the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. but it refuses to budge. Making the situation even worse, multiple D.O.H.-D.O.H.'s appear from the three intact buildings and begin to fire on the defenseless mech.
High above the battlefield, Numbuh 1000 is watching the events unfold from the Moonbase's Global Command Center. "Sir, the orbital weapons are in position and ready to fire."
"Excellent. Inform Sector V2 to move their troops back and standby. We'll vaporize that robot while it's stuck there."
"Are you sure Sir? We might risk damaging the Array if we fire both so close to the Treehouse. I suggest we only fire one at a time." Numbuh 105 asks cautiously while Numbuh 1000 crosses his arms.
"Hmm…good point. Do it."
"Yes, Sir. Relay orders to Orbital Weapons Command and V2's Treehouse."
On Numbuh 105's orders, the two large orbital laser cannons that had been moved above Cleve in Earth's orbit, rotate and take aim at the town. Below, the W.A.S.P.'s orbital weapons sensor picks up the laser designator aimed at the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R.
"Huh? Dammit, not now! Numbuh 4, Numbuh 3, the KND's got an orbital heat laser aimed right at you!"
"What?! Oh, that's just great!"
"You gotta eject! It'll fry you both!" Hoagie shouts frantically while The Kid lands next to trapped machine and tries to pull it out, with little success.
"Ghh…come on…!"
"Hey, what the crud are ya doin'?!"
"Getting' you guys outta there!"
"I don't need your cruddy help!"
"And I don't need your permission! It's your fault you're stuck in there in the first place!"
"WHAT?!" Wally starts to move the mech even more violently, causing the rubble to fall away, but not fast enough. The sky above turns red as Hoagie screams over the radio.
"EJECT!" The Kid pulls harder on the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. while Wally moves his hand over the red eject button. However, Kuki, who has remained silent so far, let's out a frustrated scream.
"GRAAAAH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOU BOTH! YOU'RE DRIVING ME CRAZY!" Just as the glowing red beam descends on them, Kuki summons a giant ghost hamster, which moves over both the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R. and the "Valkyrie". It opens its mouth and swallows the massive laser, stunning everyone.
"…what the crud…?" Wally mutters while both The Kid and Hoagie are speechless. Equally shocked are Numbuh 090 and above them, every non-chipped operative in the Moonbase.
"What…just…happened?" Numbuh 1000 is visibly shaking from disbelief while Numbuh 105 panics and orders the other cannon to fire immediately. But then, the ghost hamster opens its mouth again and fires the beam it just swallowed, back into space, destroying both cannons in the process. Numbuh 1000 stands up and stares at the big screen as Numbuh 105 starts to sweat.
"Si…Sir, we've lost both orbital lasers…" he looks over towards his leader and realizes he is breathing heavily, his eyes wide open. Then, Numbuh 1000 takes his helmet and throws it on the floor, silencing the control center.
"Sir?"
"Dammit…I knew it…"
"Knew what Sir?"
"That…that…that damn Sector V is the one behind this! Damn them! Only they'd try something like this! And that means…they've infiltrated the Treehouse as well! Graaaah!" his face turns red from rage as he kicks his chair. "DAMN THEM! DAMN THEM ALL! Numbuh 105, order every single Treehouse withing 60 Sectors to send everything they have to V2! Crush Sector V! CRUSH THEM!" Numbuh 1000 screams and howls at the stunned operatives, but gets no response. "WHAT YOU STARING AT?! DO IT! RIGHT NOW!"
"Ye…Sir, YES, SIR!" Everyone salutes him and do as they're told while Numbuh 1000 pants and clenches his fists.
"They'll regret this…I refuse be humiliated by them…again…"
At Sector V2's Treehouse, the battle has temporarily died down due to Kuki's show of force. As Wally looks over his shoulder cautiously, he sees that her face is taken on its oni-like visage.
"Uhm…Numbuh 3?"
"What?!" she snaps at him.
"Tha…thanks. You saved us…" Wally stutters, while Kuki crosses her arms and huffs.
"Hmph!"
"Hey, why the crud are you mad?!"
"Because you two are stupid! Why do you have to argue and fight about everything?!"
"Huh?! This ain't the time to be pissed off about that! We're in the middle of a mission for cruds sake!"
"Oh really?! Then when?! I'm not gonna listen to you two argue all the time! We're a team and teammates are friends! Why can't you two be friends?!"
"Wha…why do ya care about that?!" Wally's headset's HUD blinks and he notices the D.O.H.-D.O.H.'s approach again.
"I'M YOUR FRIEND, AND I CARE! I'M THE ONLY ONE WHO CARES! EVERYONE ELSE GETS ALONG BUT NOT YOU TWO! YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO START FIGHTING AND I CAN'T STAND IT! I HATE IT WHEN YOU DO THAT! IT HURTS ME WAY MORE THAN YOU THINK!" Kuki screams from the bottom of her lungs, silencing Wally while The Kid tries to speak.
"Hey, you're over thinkin' this! I told ya yesterday…"
"YOU SHUT UP! YOU'RE EVEN WORSE THAN WALLY, BECAUSE YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STARTS THE FIGHTS! EVERY TIME!" She screams through the radio, silencing The Kid as well.
"Uhm…Kuki? We're still kinda stuck…can we uhm…talk about this later?"
"NO! I'M NOT DOING ANYTHING UNLESS YOU TWO PROMISE TO NEVER FIGHT AGAIN! NO MATTER WHAT THE REASON!" Kuki screams even louder as both the D.O.H.-D.O.H.'s and the Treehouse begin to bombard both the ruined building and the T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R.
"Gah, fine, whatever, we promise!"
"Really?!"
"Yes really! Just get this cruddy rubble off of us!" Kuki however doesn't respond, frustrating Wally even further.
"Oh come! I said we…"
"I didn't hear you say anything!" Kuki shouts at The Kid over the radio, who sighs.
"Fine, I promise too."
"Good! If I see you two fight ever again, you'll regret it." Kuki huffs and uses her telekinesis to free the trapped T.S.-W.R.A.S.L.E.R., allowing them to continue their attack on Treehouse.
"Alright, we're back in business!" Wally yells victoriously and turns his attention on the Treehouse itself.
"Numbuh 2, we're gonna break through that shield!"
"Gotcha, I'll keep the KND's ships at bay." Hoagie grins and begins firing on the swarm of S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D.'s flying out of the Treehouse, while The Kid joins Wally and Kuki in assaulting the Treehouse.
…
Meanwhile, within the confines of Treehouse, Ted, Kimberley and Charles have had to fight their way into the heavily guarded prison block. As they reach the security doors that separate them from the dungeon, they run into a problem. "Dammit, the door's sealed shut!" Charles tries to force them open, but to no avail. Kimberley kneels down next to left-side door and takes out her 2x4 scanner.
"Cover me. I'm gonna try and hack this."
"Got it!" Charles takes aim with his wrist lasers while Ted eyes nervously at the other hallway to their left.
"I…I'll take this side!" he stutters and points his Stupefier pistol at the dimly lit hallway.
"Okay, I've got this side covered." The boys stare silently into hallways, waiting for the KND's guards to arrive.
"Intruders spotted. Capture them." A monotone voice echoes in the darkness as the teens are subjected to an intense laser barrage from both ends of the hallway. Reacting quickly, Charles returns fire, using his B.R.A.'s visor to see where to shoot. Ted however starts firing blindly into the opposite end, not knowing whether his shots land or not.
"I got it! Hurry!" Kimberley shouts as the security doors open slightly, allowing the teens to slip inside before they close up again.
"Haah…haah…nice job…now what?"
"I've locked the door so they can't open it from the outside unless they force it. That should give us time to check on the cells." Kimberley replies and leads the boys into the prison block. Suddenly, her communicator goes off and she immediately answers.
"This is Numbuh Pi-2."
"Numbuh 1 here. Give me a status report! Have you reached the communications room yet?!" Nigel All three teens look at each other and then, Kimberley makes up a lie.
"We uh…we've met heavy resistance…but we're slowly making our way there…"
"You have to hurry. The KND has already used orbital weapons on the guys fighting outside. The sooner we can broadcast that jamming signal, the better! Gah, more coming…Numbuh 1 out." The call ends and Kimberley sighs.
"We can't waste any more time. Let's find Numbuh 78 and keep moving." She urges the boys on. However, before they can enter the containment area, they storm the control room, stupefying the two guards and a non-chipped operative manning it. Then, Ted runs over to the control panel and opens the second set of armored doors while Kimberley takes the operative's Level 6 key-card.
"Now we don't have to hack into anymore doors. Where's Numbuh 78?" she asks Ted, who frantically goes through the prisoner list.
"Uhm…she's in the special cell, at the back of the containment area."
"Okay. Numbuh Tau-6, stay here and keep an eye on the door. If they force it open, yell."
"Gotcha." Charles nods and stands guard between the control room door and the containment area door. Then, Ted and Kimberley enter the containment area and immediately, they realize every cell is empty.
"Wha…why are they empty?!" Ted becomes alarmed as he eyes the list. Most of the prisoners in it where teenagers, which worries both.
"The Splinter Cell must've moved them elsewhere…or chipped them…"
"Then…Numbuh 78!" Ted shouts and runs to the end of containment area, where he sees a special door, lined with caution paint. "This is it! She gotta be behind that door!"
"Okay, stand back." Kimberley puts the keycard into the card reader next to the door, and it slowly opens with a loud screech. But as they look inside, they are shocked to see the former Supreme Leader within a glass container. She is still wearing the same outfit she wore as Supreme Leader, minus the helmet.
"Numbuh 78?! They didn't take her away! We gotta free her now!"
"Calm down…hmm…so they've kept her in suspended animation this whole time…That's weird, you'd think Numbuh 1000 would've chipped her or at the very least, decommissioned her…why are they keeping her here?" Kimberley crosses her arms and eyes the container with suspicion.
"Don't ask me. But we need to let her out!" Ted runs over to the small console next to the container. "Pass me the keycard, I want to do this."
"Go ahead." Kimberley hands Ted the keycard but before he inserts it, he is briefly reminded of his former Sector Commander, strengthening his resolve. As he puts the card in to the reader, a loud hiss is heard as the container opens, filling the room with steam. Then, as it begins to fade away, they see the former Supreme Leader, lying on her side in the opened container.
"Nu…Numbuh 78!" Ted runs to her side, as does Kimberley, who puts her hand behind the African-American girl's head as she slowly regains her consciousness.
"Ugh…wha…where…am I?" she says weakly.
"Numbuh 78? Can you hear me?"
"Huh? Wait…I know that voice…Numbuh…42…"
"Yeah, it's me! We came to save you!" Ted is relieved that she has not been decommissioned or chipped, but she is showing signs of fatigue.
"Save…me…that's right…the…Splinter Cell…Numbuh 1000…" As her vision clears, she sees not only her former subordinate by her side, but also Kimberley and becomes alarmed.
"Numbuh 202?! What are you doing here?!" She jumps up and looks at the agents with suspicion.
"Calm down, Numbuh 78! She's not an enemy!"
"But you're a fugitive! Why are you with her?!" Numbuh 78 tries to reach for her personal M.U.S.K.E.T., but she realizes she's unarmed.
"Please, you have to calm down! We'll explain everything!" Ted pleads as Charles peeks from the door.
"Hey, you guys okay?" Seeing her other former subordinate only confuses Numbuh 78 even further.
"Numbuh 34! And…you're wearing a B.R.A.! That means…you're with the Teen Ninjas!"
"Huh? I'm not with those freaks. Man, did this girl really lead the KND? She's jumpier than a tick."
"You'd be too, if you were in locked in that container." Kimberley snaps at Charles and stands up.
"Angeline, this isn't what you think. We're not with the Teen Ninjas, nor with the KND. We came here to save you."
"Save…me? How did you know I was here?"
"Numbuh Eta-4…no, Ted found the prisoner list by accident while we were in the sub-control room."
"Eta what? Now I'm even more confused." Suddenly, a loud noise is heard from entrance as the security door is blown apart.
"Damn, they got through. We gotta get outta here!"
"Right. Numbuh Eta-4, you help Numbuh 78. Numbuh Tau-6 and I will cover you. Head to the ladders!"
"O…okay! Hurry, we need to run, now!" Ted grabs his former commander's hand and starts running towards the emergency ladder next to the containment room door while Charles and Kimberley begin firing at the other end of the cell block, which is slowly filling with armed guards.
…
Ten levels above, Nigel and Patton have continued to fight through the Treehouse. So far however, they have not faced a single member of the dreaded Teen Hunters. However, they have used their stealth cloaks to lose their pursuers temporarily so they can assess the situation.
"Numbuh Zeta, we've reached the 51st floor. The weapons control room is only two floors above us." Nigel whispers to Patton as they hide in a corridor near another elevator shaft.
"Okay, is this the point where we split up?"
"Yes. I'll head further into the upper floors while you secure the weapons control room. That should give Numbuh 2 and the others breathing room."
"Got it. Stay safe out there." Patton does a fist bump with Nigel, who nods.
"You too. But don't lose focus, if Numbuh 86 shows up."
"I'll do what I can." Patton says sternly as he stands up and runs out to the corridor, using himself as bait to lead the guards patrolling the hallway away from the elevator shaft. Nigel then uses this chance to jump into the shaft and fly upwards.
Patton cloaks again and enters a long spiral stairwell, which leads to the 52nd floor. "One more floor to go…" he mutters as he clears the stairs and reaches the next floor. Silently, he makes his way through the floor, evading the guards as best as he can. However, he doesn't know that a pair of eyes are watching his every move. "This is it!" He thinks as he finds a ladder made from a broken steel fence, which he uses to reach his goal, the 53rd floor, where the weapons control room is located. But then, he sees someone standing in-front of the armored door. "Dammit…she's here…" Patton grits his teeth as Fanny is the only one between him and the room. But before he can come up with a plan, something hits him from behind. "Gah!" he falls on the floor but quickly rolls and jumps up before the attacker can strike him.
"How did he see me?! I'm cloaked!" As he gets a good look at his attacker, he notices a pair of red goggles over the gray armored Hunter's eyes, similar in design to his own. The Hunter looks directly at him and attacks with his energy tonfa's, forcing Patton to dodge. Realizing that his cloak is useless at this point, he becomes visible and strikes the Hunter with his armored gauntlet, knocking him backwards. "So, the KND figured out how our cloaks work? Too bad you're fighting me!" He keeps the Hunter at bay by repeatedly countering his staff with his gauntlets but from the corner of his left eye, he notices a red light and instinctively dodges as a laser goes between him and the Hunter. As he gets back on his feet, he sees Fanny slowly approaching them, her laser cannon aimed at him.
"Fanny…this time, I won't fail…" He mutters and readies himself as Fanny and the other Hunter double team him. They both open fire but Patton uses his armor's shields to block the barrage while he flies towards them. Then, he lands a direct hit on the other Hunter, knocking off his helmet. Patton lands next to the armored door but then as the other Hunter looks at him, he realizes he is facing another old colleague.
"Nu…Numbuh 20,000…so they chipped you too…" He clenches his fists but remembers what Nigel said to him and glances at the door next to him. Without hesitation, he throws a smoke bomb at the Hunters, before Numbuh 20,000 can recover his goggles, blinding them. Then, Patton opens the doors and enters, locking them behind him.
"Damn…okay, calm down. Once I'm done with this, I'll free 'em…" However, he immediately notices that unlike the sub-control room, this one is empty and all of its consoles have been shut down.
"What the…they figured us out!" He shouts and tries to contact Nigel, but gets no response. Realizing what's going on, he tries to open the doors, but to no avail. Then, he hears a voice from the other side.
"Target has been secured. Start the "Recommissioner"." Upon Fanny's orders, the room's walls and ceiling slide away as five hydraulic arms are deployed from them, two from the walls and one from the ceiling. While the four wall arms have grappling claws, the arm from the ceiling has a device similar to the one Fanny used in the prison and just like it, this one also has a chip in it.
"Oh no, you're not gonna chip me!" Patton pulls out his rifle and opens fire, but his shots do nothing against the arms, which lunge at him. While he manages to evade them at first, the two arms from the right wall manage to grab him and he is pressed against the wall, he back towards the ceiling.
"Dammit…not…like…this…" He struggles as the ceiling arm slowly descends on him. Using all his strength, he manages to free his left arm and fires his wrist laser wildly upwards, hoping that a stray shot will hit something. But then, he hears the sound of metal being cut and the two arms holding him fall down, freeing him just in time. Patton then thruster jumps away from the chip-carrying arm and takes aim again.
"Huh? Who the…?" He wonders who destroyed the arms but then, the armored door is sliced in half, giving him a chance to escape. "Forget it, I gotta find Numbuh 1 ASAP!" He flies out of the trap room and notices that both Fanny and the former commander of KND'S SKWID Squad, Numbuh 20,000 have both been knocked off their feet and are visibly dazed. But the moment they see Patton, they get up and fly after him. Meanwhile, up in the rafters of the hallway, a familiar face is watching Patton flee.
"Man, that was way too close. I gotta catch up now..." Abby thinks as she reactivates her stealth cloak and goes after Patton and his pursuers.
End of Transmission 40