Songs featured:
-The Specter's End: "Device" by Frequency
-Teenagers vs an Adult: "The Almighty" by Shoji Meguro
-Earth is Free: "Shooting Star Remix" by Frozenith
-Father's Monster Form: "A New World Fool" by Shoji Meguro
-Nigel's Vision: "We Still Have a Long Way to Go" by Kota Hoshino
Transmission 83: Never Ending Hope
"NIGEL!" Rachel screams just as the explosion throws her and the others to the floor while a horizontal surge of fire sweeps over them. Stunned and struggling to stand up, Rachel looks around frantically for any sign of Nigel, who was enveloped in the blast. With rain falling down through the hole Nigel blew into the roof, Rachel manages to get up on her feet and notices his white and green sunglasses lying close to her. She picks them up and starts calling out to him once more. "Can you hear me?! Where are you?!" Then, out of the darkness, she sees a faint figure moving.
"…Uhhh…urgh…"
Cautiously, Rachel approaches the figure until she recognizes the red hoodie. "Nigel!" she quickly runs to his side as Nigel lies prone on the floor. He reacts to her voice and looks to his right but upon seeing Rachel's worried expression, Nigel remembers what he was about to do and looks away. "Are you okay?"
"…it doesn't matter…I'm sorry…you were right…I fell for his trap…"
"Normally I'd say told you so, but I won't…If it had been me in your shoes, I would've snapped too."
"But this time it was different…I was so close to losing myself to the Suit…or…maybe I did…if it wasn't for you and the others…"
"Just forget about it, Nigel. You're back to yourself and that's all that matters." Rachel puts her hand on Nigel's shoulder as he notices his cousin Eliza, The Kid and his team approach him.
"Guys…I…"
"Nuh-uh, don't start apologizin'. We knew you'd go nuts at some point."
"But I…"
"Forget it, Numbuh 1. Save the apologies for later. We ain't done here, right?" Wally says as he and Abby help Nigel up while Kuki quickly checks him for any injuries.
"…" Then, Nigel notices Hoagie's damaged Exo-suit and the sling holding his left arm. "Numbuh 2, what happened to you?"
"Ah this? Heh, it's a battle scar for saving Numbuh 5 from getting killed by Cree." Hoagie says proudly while Abby shakes her head.
"Not the time for that, Goggleboy."
Then, Nigel makes eye contact with Eliza and clenches his fists. "Eliza…I…I'm…I'm sorry…" However, before he can finish the sentence, Eliza gives Nigel a hug.
"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. I should be the one apologizing…for everything."
"No! You were Delightfulized because…"
"Because I didn't destroy that B.R.A. before we interrogated Virginia. You had nothing to do with it." Eliza tightens her hug on Nigel, who's lips start to quiver and then, he hugs her back. "But I'm free because of you, Rachel and The Kid. You guys saved me."
"Right…but…" Then, Eliza grabs Nigel's shoulders and looks him in the eye.
"No buts, Nigel Uno. That's in the past now." Nigel at first tries to look, but upon seeing Eliza's Delightfulized left eye, he takes a deep breath and nods.
"Yes, you're right. All of you are right. We need to…urgh…" Suddenly, Nigel is gripped by immense pain, causing him to collapse to his knees.
"Numbuh 1!" Abby shouts while Eliza notices the black aura growing from his hands.
"The Silhouette Suit…"
"Urgh…ARRRRGHHH!" Nigel screams as the Suit starts to cover his body once more while Grandfather's Specter appears above him, shocking his friends, who up to this point had never seen it in person.
"You insolent, impudent, foolish child! I have had enough of your pointless resistance! You think you can simply ignore your destiny?!"
"No! This…isn't my…destiny! You can't…control me…anymore!"
"Is that so? Then let's see how long you can fight back!" Grandfather exerts his control over Nigel Suit and has him point his black left hand towards Eliza, generating a fire ball from his hands.
"Stop! Urrraarrrgh! Don't…" Try as he might, Nigel can't stop the sphere from growing but just before it fires a heat ray at Eliza, The Kid intervenes.
"Get down!" he tackles Eliza out of the way as the ray flies over them and melts a hole in the wall behind them. "You okay?"
"I'm fine…thanks…" As The Kid helps Eliza back up, they see Nigel standing up, half of his body transformed into the purple and black, demonic form he had a short while ago. "Nigel…" Eliza stares in shock as her cousin struggles in-vain to control the Suit.
"No…I won't…let you…"
"Let me what? Your only purpose from the moment you were born was to inherit my power and become my new vessel! You will cover this world in darkness and subjugate its insignificant inhabitants! That is what you were meant to do! Now surrender!"
"Never! Urgh…because…my purpose…is to…save the world…with my team…and my friends…from you…" With his non-transformed right hand, Nigel tries to rip off the Suit but it only causes him more pain, which amuses Grandfather.
"You are pathetic! Nothing in this world can stand up against MY power! Not even…your bonds! I think it's time you severed them once and for all!" Grandfather smirks and forces Nigel to grab his friends with telekinesis and press them against the wall.
"Guh…crud…not this again…"
"Nigel, ya gotta fight it!" As Nigel applies more pressure on his friends, Rachel realizes that he still has the Book of KND in his hoodie.
"Nigel! The Book of KND! Take it out!"
"That won't work! I'll have you destroy it before you…urgh!" Grandfather sees Nigel pull the book from his hoodie and hold it in his hand. "You think can just…what is this?! Why aren't you obeying me?! It didn't work before, so why now?!"
"You…controlled me before because I sought revenge…but not anymore! I'm ending this curse now!" Nigel shouts as the Book of KND starts to glow and emits a white light that begins to burn the Silhouette Suit, causing Grandfather immense pain.
"Guargh! You…think this will…argh…stop me?! You can't go against your own Grandfather!"
"Watch me!" The light from the Book grows ever stronger, blinding Grandfather while Nigel begins ripping the weakened Silhouette Suit apart while his friends are freed from the telekinesis. "Now…get…off…me!" Nigel roars as the light condenses into a single beam and cuts the connection between him and Grandfather's Specter.
"NoooooARRRRGHHHHH!" the specter lets out a blood curdling scream as Nigel collapses, but he is quickly caught by his team.
"Wow…what the crud did you do?" Wally asks as they watch the distorting specter writhe in pain before them.
"Did you…destroy your Suit?"
"No, Rachel *pant*…I just…severed it from Grandfather. Now he has nothing to anchor him to the physical world." Nigel replies as he stands up and grips the Book of KND in his right hand.
"Youuuuuu traitor! You'll pay foooorrr thiiiiiisss! I am immortal! I can't dissaaaappppeeearr!"
Then suddenly, the pile of rubble that used to be Father's elevated throne blows apart as he rises up, enveloped in raging fire. "Grandfather!" he roars as his flames grow stronger by the second.
"Be…BENEDIIIIIIIICT! SAAAVE MEEEEEEE!"
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen. And after everything you did to me, now you beg me to save you?" Father says coldly as the specter distorts and screams.
"YOU ARE THE ONLYYYYY ONEEEE LEFT WHO CAN CARRY MY LEGACYYYYY! GIVE ME YOUR BODYYYYY!" Despite being on his death rows, Grandfather remains defiant, but his order goes on deaf ears as Father chuckles, having finally given up on trying win favor from the man who ordered Nigel to torture and kill him and who made him suffer all his childhood.
"Hah-hah, Grandfather, you think you can order ME around? No matter how much I tried, you only saw me as a failure. No, I've known all my life that the only thing you can truly rely on in this world is yourself. I have no need for you, and I should've realized that a long time."
"NOOOOO! YOU CAN'T TURN YOURRRR BACCCKK OOOONN MEEE! YOUR OWN GRANDFATHER!" the specter dives on Father and tries to merge with his Silhouette Suit in a last-ditch effort to stay alive.
"Pappy died four months ago, and you should've gone along with him. So why don't I hasten your departure to the afterlife?!" Father unleashes black tentacles from his right arm, skewering the specter and begins to slowly torture it by tearing it apart piece by piece.
"UUUUUARRRGHHH! BENEDIIIIIIICTTT! YOUUUUUUUUU WILLLLLL PAAAAAYYYYYY! I CANNNNNOOOOTTTT DIEEEEE LIIIKKKEEEEEE THIIIIISSS! ARRRRRRRRGHHHHH!"
"There's only room for ONE evil overlord on this planet and that is ME! HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH!" The throne room is filled by the cacophony of Father's deranged laughter and Grandfather's painful screaming as his son slowly kills the specter. Witnessing this horrifying sight, Nigel and the others can only stand in stunned silence. Kuki grabs Wally's arm and presses her head against his shoulder, unable to watch while Rachel puts her hand on Nigel's shoulder, and he can sense the fear in her.
"BEEEEENNNNEEEEEDDDDIIIIICCCCCTTTTTT! YYYYYYAAAARRRRRGGHHHUURRRRGGHHHH!"
"Just die already, old man!" Father fires a heat ray from his eyes and deals the deathblow into the specter, causing it to explode into a black cloud that flies through the roof and disintegrates high in the sky, leaving only a ghostly echo of it's scream. Then, as Father stares up through the hole in the roof, he closes his fists and begins laughing wildly. "Heh…heh-heh…hah…HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAAAAAA! YES! I have never…felt so refreshed in my entire life! Ahh, revenge truly is a dish best served cold…that old man…is finally dead!" Clenching his fists, Father's flames die down slightly as he turns his attention to the shocked teenagers. "Now then…where were we, Mr. Uno?" Father's wicked eyes stare at Nigel, who puts the Book of KND into his pocket and glares back.
"…yes…we're not done here yet."
"Hah-hah, you just never learn to give up do you? You have no chance against me now, Mr. Uno. Especially without your purple Silhouette Suit."
"That's because I fought you by myself but now, it's different. Team, on me!" Nigel shouts as his friends come to his side, weapons at the ready.
"I think you need these." Rachel offers Nigel his shades, but declines.
"Not this time. Numbuh 5?" He gestures to Abby, who reaches for her B.R.A.'s utility belt and hands Nigel his tattered and twisted sunglasses that he had given to Abby after he lost control inside the Teen Hideout. "Now that's much better. Numbuh Alpha, you should take that pair. I think they suit you better." Nigel says to Eliza, who nods, and Rachel gives her Nigel's white shades.
"Just what I needed." she puts the shades over her eyes as Wally nudges The Kid.
"Hey, take this." Wally detaches the Accelerator Rifle from the left-side sub-arm and hands it to The Kid.
"Hmph, not really my style, but it'll do." he smirks as he arms the weapon while Abby hands Nigel her Stupefier Pistol and Kuki does the same.
"Here Boss, thought ya might need this."
"You can't fight empty handed." the girl's gesture to Nigel, who nods and takes the pistols.
"Thanks. Just what I needed." Nigel replies as Eliza puts her blue sword over her right shoulder, catching Father's attention.
"Hmph, I see you were cured."
"Disappointed? You can thank your nephew for that. You'll pay for what you did to me."
"You should be thanking me, Eliza. The Delightfulization made you perfect in everyway and I even gave you the Silhouette Suit as a bonus. Yet you still chose the losing side." Father mocks Eliza, who remains cool and smirks back.
"Losing side? Aren't talking about yourself? We're the ones who'll walk out here as victors, not you."
"*sigh* You just as defiant as Margaret. Must run in the family. Now then, enough talk. I think it's time I showed you teenagers what happens when you defy the adults!" Father surrounds himself in a cloak of flames and takes a step forward, causing the floor to ignite while the teens stand in a line, showing no fear whatsoever.
"Alright team, this is it. Remember our plan. Stick to it and we'll succeed." Nigel takes a final look at his friends, who all nod back at him. "Good. Now…BATTLESTATIONS!" Nigel shouts his old battle cry, and the teenagers charge towards Father at the same time.
"Fools!" he yells and launches streams of fire at his foes, who split up.
"Numbuh 2, Agent Halcon, covering fire! Numbuh 3, Numbuh 5, pincer formation."
"You got it, Uno!"
"Let's give him heck!" The Kid and Hoagie reply and start bombarding Father with lasers and EM Shells, prompting him to turn himself intangible while Kuki and Abby go around him.
"Your turn, Numbuh 3!"
"On it!" Kuki summons ghost hamsters from the floor and sends them at Father.
"Undead hamsters? Is that the best you can…urgh!" Despite being intangible, Father can't evade the hamsters as they surge through him and begin draining his strength. "Grr…what is this…" Unable to keep his intangible state, Father reverts back and is immediately blasted by multiple M.A.R.B.L.E. fired by Abby, who used her chance to get close to him.
"How you like that?!" she shouts as Nigel gestures to Wally, Rachel and Eliza.
"Numbuh 5, fall back! Your turn guys!"
"Aw yeah!" Wally yells as he draws his sword and makes a beeline towards Father, followed by Rachel and Eliza, who is still wearing her old Acceleration Boots.
"Let's do this together, Numbuh Alpha!"
"It would be my pleasure!" Eliza replies as they reach the stunned Father, who counters with a heat ray.
"No, you don't!" Wally gets in-front of the girls and blocks the ray with both of his shields, just barely. Seeing their chance, Eliza and Rachel jump over Wally and slash his Silhouette Suit with their swords, staggering him.
"Guargh…annoying…pests…"
"YAAAAAHHH!" Wally charges at Father with his heat sword and strikes his chest, creating a visible rip in Father's Suit and follows it with an uppercut to his jaw.
"Ghhh…what?!" As Father's vision clears from the punch, he sees Nigel standing right before him, hands covered by his weakened and flickering Silhouette Suit.
"UAAAARRGHHH!" his nephew screams as he creates two small flame discs from his hands and drives them into the rip, tearing pieces off Father's Silhouette Suit.
"You think…this…can defeat me?!" Father kicks Nigel back and tries to punch him with both hands but Nigel catches his fists, putting them in a deadlock. "Grr…you're tenacious, I'll give you that…but I won't lose to you…Mr. Uno."
"We'll see about that! Open fire!"
"What?!" From the corner of his eye, Father see Nigel's friends standing behind, weapons aimed at his back.
"Fire!" Abby shouts they unleash lasers, Stupefier beams and any other projectiles they have while Nigel jumps away right before they strike Father.
"Gaaaah! Uargh….grrrr…."
"Keep blastin' him!"
"Guah…e…e…ENOUGH!" Father creates a horizontal telekinetic blast and sends his foes flying against the throne room's walls. "*pant* *pant*…Very clever…but not clever enough, Mr. Uno!" Father grabs Nigel by his shoulder and lifts him up. "I'm disappointed in you. I had such high hopes for you. I trained you to use that Suit and this is all you could muster against me. Even my brother would've come up something better than this." Father sneers at Nigel but to his surprise, Nigel smiles back defiantly.
"Hmph…you're wrong. Our plan did work."
"Hmm?"
"Numbuh 2, Numbuh 3, NOW!" Nigel shouts as Father realizes what he meant and looks over his shoulder. His eyes widen as Hoagie and Kuki stand next to the organ shaped console in-front of the still intact screens.
"No…"
"Time to take back the world!" Hoagie shouts as he puts a USB stick into the console, hijacking the system. Then, a large lever pops up from the console and Kuki immediately pulls it.
"NOOO!" Father drops Nigel as a blue energy surge streams through the console into a pillar that goes upwards, all the way to the Mansion's highest spire, emitting a huge blue flash that quickly covers the entire globe.
High in the stratosphere, the mysterious Omnius watches as the flash passes overhead. "So…your friends actually succeeded. But it's not over yet, S-26." he mutters as he looks up into the space with a faint but visible smirk on his otherwise featureless face.
…
Up in the Earth's geostationary orbit, the Shuttle Pod that Patton, Numbuh Gamma and an amnesiac Fanny escaped in, has changed its course and now approaches the huge debris field that once was the Splinter Cell's Orbital Shipyards. "How is she?" Numbuh Gamma asks as a space suit wearing Patton enters the cockpit.
"I put a space suit on her, but she's still sleeping…" a stone-faced Patton replies as he sits down on the navigator's seat.
"I see…Numbuh Zeta…I…"
"Save it. It wasn't your fault. Let's just make sure nobody else ends up like her." Patton gestures to Gamma, who nods and turns his attention to the debris field. Then, from the corner of his eye, Patton sees a blue flash appear over the US. "Huh? Wait a minute…is that?!" Gamma also looks out of the window just as the flash begins spreading all over the planet.
"That's…the Delightfulization Ray! They succeeded!"
"Hah…HAH-HAAA! YEAH! WAY TO GO GUYS!" Patton puts up his fist while a faint smile forms on Gamma's face.
"Good job…I knew I could rely on you…but it's not over yet, Numbuh Zeta. We still need to capture Numbuh 1000."
"Or what's left of him."
"He's still alive. The command P.U.R.I.F.I.N.A.T.O.R.'s cockpit is extremely durable. Unless he was thrown out somehow." But before they can start investigating the debris field, they begin receiving a transmission.
"…Numbuh…mma…Ze…do…y…cop…y?"
"What the heck?"
"This is a KND frequency…that means…Father's global jamming went down as well. You take the controls. I'll try to boost the signal."
"Got it." Patton and Gamma switch seats and then, the Intelligence Chief begins fiddling with the shuttle's radio.
"This is Numbuh Gamma, do you read me? I repeat, do you read?"
"…Loud and clear, mon."
"Agent Hermit?!"
"In the flesh."
"Why did you turn around?! What about the operatives?"
"Hey, calm down, mon. The kids at the Moonbase brought down the Space Fleet and a patrol took those erased kids oboard. I'm comin' there now with some reinforcements, so hold tight."
"He's not kidding, look!" Patton points out of the right-side window, and they see a detachment of 2x4 ships approaching them, including the massive G.I.G.A.-K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R.
"That Numbuh 81 is really something. He took a small team of kids with him, boarded this big clunker with a P.I.P.E.P.O.D. and took it over while they were stuck in the barrier trap, mon."
"What about the Delightfulized operatives?"
"They were Stupefied and locked up. He said they'll start freeing them in the Moonbase. So, you guys wanna start clearing this place up?" Keith says from the bridge of the G.I.G.A.-K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R.
"We were planning on doing it without you, buddy."
"Wait a minute…where's Numbuh Beta?" Keith doesn't get an answer and he realizes what happened. "…you're not serious, right mon?"
"…She was Erased…"
"Dammit…"
"But otherwise, she's all right. We'll find a way to reverse Erasure, I promise." Numbuh Gamma says sternly to Keith, while eyeing Patton, who nods back.
"Yeah, she's not hurt and that's the most important thing…so let's go find that P.U.R.I.F.I.N.A.T.O.R. and catch Numbuh 1000."
"Alright mon, we'll surround the debris field. You guys can go ahead and start looking for him."
"Right, we'll contact you if something shows up but be careful. If the command unit is undamaged, it'll be real tough opponent to take down."
"Numbuh Beta said it only needed one more hit to the emitter and it's done for."
"I see…right, proceed with caution. That floating debris is dangerous.
"Roger." Patton replies as he flies the shuttle into the swirling debris field while Keith has the 2x4 ships form a perimeter around it.
…
Back in Cleve, the reversed Delightfulization Ray has swept through the battlefield around the Mansion and one by one, both the chipped Teen Ninjas and Delightfulized KND operatives begin regaining their senses. One of them, is Angeline, who has collapsed onto the floor of her personal S.C.A.M.P.E.R. "Urgh…my head…"
"Supreme Leader, are you okay?" a 11-year-old operative helps her up and walks her to the captain's chair.
"What happened…where…"
"We've been freed, Supreme Leader! We're not Delightful anymore!"
"Delightful…oh…of course!" Then, the ship's 2x4 radio operator gestures to her.
"Ma'am! The Teens Next Door are trying to contact us!"
"Put it through, right now!" Angeline stands up just as the big screen over the pilot's head lights up and Herbie's face appears on it.
"Numbuh 78, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear, Numbuh 65.3…was it?"
"It's Numbuh Iota-3 now. Looks like Sector V succeeded."
"Then I owe them again…No, we all owe them. What's happening out there?"
"Well, our carrier's been shot down and we crashed into the lake. But now that you've been freed, all that remains is for them to defeat Father and for Numbuh Gamma's team to capture Numbuh 1000. He escaped shortly after you were Delightfulized."
"I see…then we should surround the Mansion immediately."
"Then we'll mop up the area and deal with any Teen Ninja stragglers. Maybe we can finally put an end to this war…"
"I hope so too. Don't worry, the Kids Next Door will do our part. But let me speak to everyone first. I want to avoid any further fighting."
"Alright, we'll standby and see how the Ninjas will react."
"Thank you." Angeline salutes Herbie, who salutes back and ends the transmission. Then, Angeline addresses everyone over the ship's loudspeakers and the KND communication network.
"Attention everyone! Can you hear me?! I am Numbuh 78, the Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door. Now that we are free of Father's Delightfulization, I urge all of you to stop this pointless fighting! We were all pawns in Father's plan, both us kids and you teenagers, so I implore all those who are sick of this fighting, to throw down their weapons and leave. But if any of you Teen Ninjas feel that you can't follow Father anymore, the Teens Next Door will take care of you. If not, then at least leave this area. I know I'm just a kid, but please, don't make us hurt each other more than we already have. That is all."
Her words receive a mixed reaction, as some Ninjas still refuse to surrender while others flee, but a fair amount fly over to the Gihugeacarrier and turn themselves in to the TND. Then, Angeline's ship receives another transmission. "Supreme Leader, we're being hailed again."
"Who is it?"
"It's…It's the Moonbase!" the operative shouts as Angeline has him show the transmission to her.
"Supreme Leader! Are you there?! This is Numbuh 81 from the Moonbase." The French-Canadian Numbuh 81 shouts frantically and his appearance makes Angeline breathe a sigh of relief.
"Numbuh 81! I'm so glad you're alright!"
"Same here, Ma'am. Sector V's plan worked and the Earth's no longer Delightfulized. We managed to defeat the Delightfulized operatives controlling the Space Fleet and detained them. Should we send ships to your position?"
"No! Disperse as many ships as you can to other Earth Sectors. We don't know what's happening there."
"Understood, Ma'am. Leave it to us."
"And Numbuh 81?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you for protecting the Moonbase. I'll keep that in mind when I turn 13. Numbuh 78 out."
"Wha…? Supreme Leader what do you…?!" Angeline cuts the transmission and walks back to the captain's seat.
"*giggle* I think I just found my successor…"
"What was that, Ma'am?"
"Oh, nothing. Right, focus, everyone. We're not done here yet. Move all our ships around the Mansion. That way Father will have nowhere to go."
"But shouldn't we storm it instead."
"No. There's only one Sector that can defeat Father. We'd just get in their way."
"They? Who?"
"Don't you remember? The greatest KND Sector of all time, Sector V." Angeline smiles confidently as the KND ships circle the damaged Mansion.
…
Inside the Mansion, Father can't believe his eyes. In the blink of an eye, his years of planning and scheming have come to naught as the world is freed from his Delightfulization Ray's effects. "No…this…this can't be…" But before he can reach the console, Nigel uses what strength he has left to fire a heat ray from his Suit-covered hand, melting the console completely.
"*pant* Yes, it can…we've taken back the world, just like we said we would. And we fried your main computer too, so you can't reuild any of your devices." An exhausted Nigel says as he slowly gets up behind Father.
"No…no, no, no, NOOOOOOO!" Father roars as he is surrounded by immense flames. Seeing his plans fall apart right before eyes, he is reminded how 38 years ago, Monty foiled his plans to brainwash their old school. Now, seeing the same determination shining in Nigel's eyes, Father finally snaps as his eyes change from orange to blood red. "GRAAAAAARRRGGHHHH!" His flames form a swirling twister around him and then, Father begins to transform.
"What the heck is he doing?!" Wally shouts as the teens regroup around Nigel.
"Wait a minute, this is just like during that scavenger hunt 3 years ago. When we stole Father's pipe and he changed into that dragon."
"Yes, Numbuh 2, but this time, he's even angrier. Brace yourselves!" Nigel shouts as Father shapeshifts into a floating, shapeless mass with dragon-headed tentacles growing from him.
"…Grrr…Now you've really DONE IT, MR. UNO! You've foiled my plans for the last time!"
"Scatter!" Nigel shouts as the dragon heads begin spewing fire everywhere, setting the throne room ablaze.
"You won't escape! I'll make you regret your very existence!" Father sends the dragon heads after everyone. Acting quickly, Kuki summons hundreds of ghost hamsters to jam the dragon's mouths, while Wally, Abby, Eliza and Rachel start chopping them off one at a time. However, every time they cut one off, two more grow in its place.
"Ow crud, these things are multiplying!"
"Pull back! We'll blast 'em!" Hoagie and The Kid take aim and bombard Father's new form relentlessly, but their attacks are simply absorbed into his shapeless body.
"It's pointless! I told you, a bunch of impudent teenagers can't…defeat…AN ADULT!" Father switches to heat rays and fires them into all directions. Despite putting up their shields, Wally and Abby are sent tumbling to the floor, prompting Hoagie to come to their side and cover them using his remaining shield emitters.
"Gah…"
"You guys okay?"
"Numbuh 5's seen better days, that's for sure. Hey, Numbuh, 1! How the heck are we gonna beat him now?!"
"Ghh…I…don't know! All we can do is keep hitting him. He doesn't have endless stamina."
"Are you sure about that, Mr. Uno?!" Father sends a single dragon head after Nigel, who tries to bring out his weakened Silhouette Suit to counter the attack, but it's not appearing.
"Argh, no, not now!" he mutters and jumps out of the head's way just as it's jaws clamp into the floor, ripping a huge chunk out.
"You've ruined everything! All my hard work, gone, down the drain! You've doomed this planet, Mr. Uno! I finally created a peaceful world, yet you had to interfere!"
"Of course we did! Nobody wanted the world you desired!" Nigel shouts back as he regroups with Rachel and Eliza.
"But I did! And my word is final!" Father sends another pair of heads at them, but The Kid fires a well-aimed shot from the Accelerator Rifle, blowing both heads up instantly, giving Nigel and the girls a chance to pull back. "It is my destiny to rule the world! Mine alone! And yet the Kids Next Door and your annoying band of teens always kept getting in the way! None of this would've happened if Monty hadn't found that retched book all those years ago!"
"But then you'd still be under Grandfather's rule! You'd be no better off than anyone else!" Eliza shouts as she slices off another dragon head, but it's becoming clear that they simply cannot keep Father at bay.
"I would've overthrown him eventually! But it doesn't matter anymore! With that fool gone, I alone am the most powerful being in this solar system! And once I'm done with you, I'll burn the whole planet and start from scratch! I'll remake this world into an ideal world, where adults rule!"
"Not as long as we're still standing!" Nigel shouts defiantly as the teenagers continue to attack Father, to no avail.
"Why won't you give it a rest?!" Father brushes off their counter attack and then, generates a telekinetic pulse that sends everyone flying into the back wall.
"Guargh…" Hoagie groans as his damaged Exo-suit shuts down while grasping his injured arm.
"Gah…crud…why isn't anything working?" Wally grits his teeth as he helps Kuki up. Both of them have lost their helmets, along with Wally's Stupefier Cannon and Kuki's right shoulder booster. Abby's helmet has also been shattered and her M.A.R.B.L.E. launchers aren't working anymore.
"Dammit…Numbuh 1! We gotta get outta here! We can't beat him like this!" she yells as she let's Hoagie lean on her.
"Numbuh 5's right, we should pull back!" Rachel shouts as Nigel stands up and shakes his head.
"And then what?! Father will just hunt us down! We have to defeat him right here, right now."
"How? He's too strong!" Eliza says as The Kid leans on her shoulder, clutching his injured leg.
"Numbuh 1, we're not strong enough to beat him! Why don't you realize that?"
"Yes I do! But if we run now, he'll keep growing stronger!"
"What do you mean?" a pained Hoagie asks as Nigel clenches his fists.
"Because I can feel it. The same rage, pain and hate, that I felt for 3 years. Father is fueled by those emotions and if we don't stop him now, no one will. We have to defeat him before he becomes invincible like Grandfather." Nigel replies grimly, silencing his friends.
"Aren't you forgetting someone?!" Suddenly, a dragon head flies directly at Nigel, it's jaws wide open.
"Nigel!" Rachel reacts and tackles Nigel out of the way just as the head slams into the wall, causing to crumble and kick up a large cloud of dust.
"Numbuh 1, Numbuh Epsilon!" Abby shouts as she and the others run into the dust cloud while Father's mad laughter fills the destroyed throne room.
"Where are they?!" Eliza yells frantically as they start clearing the rubble. Then, Kuki and Wally notice movement close by.
"Numbuh 3, give me a hand!" Kuki nods and they push aside the wall's support beam, underneath which they find a relatively unscathed Nigel and a seriously injured Rachel.
"Guys, we found them!" Wally gestures to the others, who immediately run over to him.
"Urgh…dammit…" Nigel clenches his fists as he is pulled out of the rubble while Eliza and Kuki attend to Rachel, who has a wound above her left eye and a broken right wrist.
"Numbuh 1…please…we gotta get outta here…" Abby pleads to Nigel, who stares intensely at the floor, before he stands up and turns his back on the others.
"You're right…Numbuh Alpha, Agent Halcón. Take Numbuh Epsilon with you and get out."
"…Okay…" Eliza nods but then, Nigel starts walking back into the throne room.
"Hey, where the heck are ya goin'?!" Abby runs up to Nigel and tries to grab his hand, but he brushes her aside.
"As leader, it's my job to keep you safe, so I'm staying. I was prepared to take Father on by myself from the start." Nigel says without looking back, enraging Abby.
"Ya can't be serious?! He's gonna kill ya!"
"If that's what it takes, then I'll accept the cost." Nigel looks over his shoulder, towards his friends and they realize there isn't a trace of fear in his eyes. Only determination. "Numbuh Alpha, once you get out and if you won't hear from me again, tell the TND and the KND to fire everything they have into the Mansion. He must not be allowed to hurt anyone else, anymore."
"But…Nigel…you…"
"It's alright. This is my way of redeeming myself for everything I've done." Nigel smiles weakly, but then, Wally walks to his side.
"Hah, there's no way I'm gonna let ya do this alone."
"Numbuh 4?!" Kuki reaches out to Wally, who smirks over his shoulder.
"Numbuh 1's right. We gotta stop him here. Besides, if he ended up dead and we didn't do anythin' about it, I couldn't live with myself."
"That's right!" Hoagie reactivates his damaged Exo-Suit and slams its fists together. "We win as a team and go down as a team. Nobody, gets left behind."
Then, Kuki slaps her cheeks as she joins the boys and holds onto Wally's hand. "Then I'm going too."
"Are ya sure?"
"Of course, silly. I'm the medic…and I don't want to lose my friends." Kuki looks into Wally's eyes and squeezes his hand, but a torn Abby doesn't agree with their decision.
"Guys…" she says hesitantly but then, Hoagie points at her.
"Abby, aren't you forgetting something?" he says with a smile as Abby lifts her head. "What did Maurice always say?"
"…'Never Give Up.'"
"That's right! And we're not gonna give up now!" Abby looks at her friends from under her cap and upon seeing their fearless expressions, sighs, adjusts her hat and walks up to them.
"You guys are crazy. No way Numbuh 5's gonna let ya go back there without her."
"Hah-hah, that's what I'm talking about." her teammates laugh while Nigel wipes away a faint tear.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it, Numbuh 1. We're a team, remember?" Hoagie smirks as Nigel looks towards Eliza.
"We'll hold him off. Go." Looking directly into his cousins' eyes, Nigel gives her a reassuring smile.
"Nigel…I…I can't let you do this!" she shouts but then, The Kid grabs her from the waist while tossing the Accelerator Rifle to Wally.
"Don't get yourselves killed." he says without making eye contact and quickly flies away, carrying both Eliza and Rachel.
"Wait! We can't just…" Eliza tries to protest but stops when she sees faint tears running down The Kid's cheeks.
"We gotta do our part…and they gotta do theirs…" he bites his lip as they fly out of the damaged Mansion and rejoin the others.
As their friends fly away, Nigel puts his hand forward and the other place theirs over it. "No matter what happens, I just want to say I couldn't have asked for a better team…or friends."
"We made a promise, Numbuh 1, and we're gonna keep it."
"So, let's go kick Father's butt for good."
"*giggle* And when this is all over, we can hold a birthday party for Wally."
"Oh yeah, your turnin' 15 next week."
"And you're turning 16 in July." Hoagie says to Abby, who chuckles.
"So are you, Goggle Boy."
They let go of each other's hands and turn to face Father once more, who has reverted back to his normal, human-shaped form. "Right, are you guys ready?"
"Born ready." Abby replies to Nigel, who nods and arms his pistols.
"Good. Now, let's do this! ATTACK!" Sector V charge at Father once more, showing no fear in the face of pure evil. "If you want to burn the world, you'll have to go through us first, Father!" Nigel shouts while firing his Stupefier Pistols at his uncle, who stands still, his Silhouette Suit absorbing everything coming his way. But it soon becomes apparent that Sector V has no chance against Father's new powers and he quickly overwhelms them. Kuki tries to use the ghost hamsters, but Father simply shatters them with a telekinetic pulse, sending her tumbling towards Wally and knocking both of them to the floor. Then, Father fires a heat ray from his eyes, destroying Hoagie's Exo-suit's back-mounted arm, which causes Betsy MK-II Custom to short circuit and shut down, leaving Hoagie defenseless and Father easily knocks him down as well. Turning his attention to Abby, Father sends rubble flying her way but when she tries to cut them, Father grabs Nigel with telekinesis and uses him to swat Abby to the floor, piling the teenagers into a pile.
"Are you done now, Mr. Uno?" Father says coldly as Sector V struggle to stand up, but Father simply forces them against the floor time and time again. "You teenagers are all talk. I admit I expected a bit more, since you were so confident moments ago, but I guess I overestimated you."
"Ghh…we won't…give up…"
"Knock us down all ya want…we're gonna keep getting' up!"
"Yeah…you won't…defeat us…"
"As long as…we have…each other…"
"We'll never lose to you!" Sector V shout defiantly, despite the crushing pain.
"Hmm? Is that so? Well, you still haven't felt REAL pain and I'm about to make you wish you were dead!" Father lifts the teenagers off the floor and forces them upright.
"Grr…do your worst! We're not afraid!"
"Hah-hah-hah, you will be!" Father smirks and unleashes hundreds of tentacles from his arms and wraps them around Nigel's friends.
"Urgh…what the are you doing?!" Nigel yells as his friends struggle against the binding tentacles, that quickly turn into cocoons.
"Now Mr. Uno, I'll let you watch the show before it's your turn!" Father's eyes turn from blood-red to purple and then, Nigel begins hearing his friend's muffled screams coming from the cocoons.
"No…STOP!" Nigel tries to summon his Silhouette Suit but to no avail.
"Don't worry, you can join your teammates now!" Father traps Nigel into a tentacle cocoon and subjects the team to a form of mental torture, forcing them to see horrific visions, while they are slowly suffocating inside the cocoons:
Hoagie has to watch as both Abby and Maurice fall into the burning Treehouse repeatedly while he can't do anything about it. "ABBY! MAURICE! AAAAARRRGGHHH!"
Abby is trapped in an endless dark space, trying to catch her friends, her family and Maurice, all of whom keep getting further away from her. "Wait! Don't leave me! Please! Hoagie! Cree! NOOO!"
Kuki is sent to a dark dungeon and through the bars, ghostly fingers begin pointing at her, speaking with the voices of the bullies who forced her to the brink of suicide 2 years ago. "No...stop...leave me alone! I don't want to hear you anymore! STOOOP!"
Wally stands in-front of a closed door, with faint light shining from underneath it. He can hear familiar crying from the other side and tries to frantically open the door, but it won't budge. "Rarrgh! Dammit, open! Let me in! KUKI!"
And finally, Nigel. He stands alone in a black void as one by one, he sees his family, friends, comrades and everyone else he has known slowly turn to dust, all asking the same question: "Why didn't you save us?" As their voices echo in his head, Nigel starts to realize that all hope is truly gone and it's all his fault.
…
Meanwhile, with the thunderstorm slowly moving away, The Kid, carrying both Eliza and Rachel, flies out of the Mansion, but the battle has taken its toll on him, and his arms can't hold on to the girls much longer. "Ghh…" As he starts losing his grip, Eliza forces him to let go of her and somehow in mid-air grabs Rachel before landing on her feet while The Kid lands into the grass. "Ow…how the heck did you do that?"
"I…I don't know. But forget about that, Rachel needs treatment." Then, a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. lands near them and out of it steps out Angeline, followed by two guards.
"Numbuh 10!" she shouts and runs over to the teenagers. "You're not Delightful anymore!"
"For the most part…it's been too long since we last met."
"When you were Decommissioned…anyway, what's happening in there?"
"First, get a medic here or something! The Kid and Rachel are hurt."
"Argh, don't worry about me. My leg's not that badly hurt." The Kid shakes his head as Angeline signals for a C.O.O.L.B.U.S. to land nearby and KND medics exit the ship, rolling two stretchers with them as Herbie contacts Angeline's 2x4 wristwatch.
"Numbuh 78, what's happening in there?"
"Uhm…I think you should answer that." Angeline removes her wristwatch and gives it to Eliza, who hesitantly accepts it.
"…Numbuh Iota-3?" her voice shocks Herbie to his core and at first, he can't reply.
"…Co…Commander Numbuh Alpha! You're…back to yourself again!" Eliza can hear the commotion from Herbie's end as other agents try to peek over his shoulder to see their leader.
"Commander?! She's there?!"
"No way! Sector V freed her!"
Touched by their reactions, Eliza smiles weakly and nods. "Yes…it's me…"
"I'm so glad you're back, Commander. You have no idea how worried everyone were about you."
"It's good to be back, Numbuh Iota-3."
"So, could you fill us in?" Eliza bites her lips slightly and then explains what has happened after she was freed from Father's control.
"Is that so…they stayed behind…"
"They did what?!" Suddenly, their conversation is stopped by a woken-up Rachel. "We have to go back! They can't fight Father by themselves! He's too strong!" she starts to struggle but Eliza grabs her shoulders and presses her down.
"I know that! But they didn't listen…" Rachel sees the tears forming in Eliza's white shades and looks to her right, where the damaged Delightful Mansion looms menacingly. Gritting her teeth, she covers her eyes with her working hand and breaks down.
"Nigel…Kuki…Wally…Hoagie…Abby…I don't…I don't want to lose you guys again…ghhhhh…" Eliza kneels next to her and gives her a hug as rain falls around them.
"…you better take her to the carrier. No point staying out here…" The Kid says, trying to stop himself breaking down as well. Then, Eliza stands up and looks at Herbie and Angeline with a grim expression.
"Numbuh 1 said this to me before we left: If you don't hear from them soon, he wanted the TND and the KND to fire everything they have at the mansion."
"What?!"
"No! You can't do that!"
"That would be too risky, Commander! We don't know if they…"
"That's what he told me. He and Sector V want to defeat Father no matter what it takes, even if…it means they…lose their lives…"
"NO! WE CAN'T JUST LET THEM…" But before she can finish her sentence, a black orb made of energy completely covers the mansion and it's basement, severing it from the outside world.
"Wha…what is that?!" Angeline shouts as Eliza clenches her fists.
"Father…he doesn't want us to interfere…"
"Damn him…" Rachel mutters as her grief begins to turn into anger.
"Open fire with everything we've got! Break down that shield!" Angeline orders all the KND ships around the mansion to shoot at it, but the orb nullifies all their attacks instantly.
High above them, Omnius stares down at the mansion with his shadowy hands behind his back. "That should stop them from meddling…I want to see whether your boasting was warranted or I overestimated you, Benedict Uno. Either way, everything is still going according to plan."
…
Trapped in Father's illusion, Nigel starts losing his will to fight back and he collapses on his knees. "I'm sorry…I thought…I thought we could defeat Father…somehow…but it was all for nothing…" he collapses on his knees and punches the black ground while tears stream down his cheeks. "Everything…is pointless…I was really just a pawn my whole life…the GKND and…Father…I was just a tool to them…how could I ever even think of beating Father…I'm a failure…"
"What are you talking about?" A faint, but familiar voice speaks to Nigel, causing him to lift his head as a figure appears before him.
"No…it can't be…Numbuh…Numbuh Zero." Standing before Nigel is an apparition of his father, Monty Uno, holding the Book of KND.
"Now what's this talk about being a failure, Nigel? You haven't failed yet."
"Yes I have…Father is too strong…no matter what we tried, we couldn't defeat him…" Nigel grits his teeth as Monty kneels and puts his hand on his son's shoulder.
"Now that's not the Numbuh 1 I know. Don't tell me you're going to simply give up now, are you?"
"Then what else am I supposed to do?! I've let my team and everyone else down! And now nothing can stop Father!" Nigel screams in despair as Monty strokes his moustache and huffs.
"Nothing you say? Well, that's because you haven't tried everything yet."
"What?"
"It's true that Ben has mastered Pappy's powers quite well, but that doesn't make him invincible."
"Well, I can't exactly drown him in chocolate ice cream…"
"True, but there are other ways to defeat him. But to do that, you'll need to master your own power. The Silhouette Suit isn't just a curse, Nigel. I was Decommissioned before I could use it, but you're different. You can unlock it's true form, I know you can."
"But…I don't know how…"
Monty smiles at his son and hands him the Book of KND. "The answer to that, son, lies in the Book. You are its Keeper after all." Then, Monty stands up and begins to fade away.
"Wait, Dad!"
"A word of warning Nigel. Something or someone wicked is influencing my brother's actions. That is why he has become so cruel. Remember that."
"Dad!" Nigel stands up and reaches out to his father, who smiles kindly to his son before disappearing into the darkness. "…how am I supposed to do this by myself…" Nigel falls to his knees again while grasping the book but he can feel it's power beginning to seep into him, as if it's previous keepers were pushing him to keep going.
"On your feet." Nigel hears another voice talk to him sternly. "Are you deaf? I said on your feet. Your mission isn't over yet!" The voice shouts, prompting Nigel to stand up.
"Who…who are you?!"
"You know exactly who I am." Then, Nigel recognizes the voice and it's none other than his own voice, albeit slightly older. "If you give up here, it's all over. So, you must keep moving forward." Out of the darkness, a hand reaches out to him. It's fingers and palm are black, but the back of the hand is covered by a bronze gauntlet with a nozzle protruding through it.
"Yeah, you know we've got your back." A second voice speaks out as a silver, armored hand reaches out to Nigel as well.
"We'll always be with you, Nigel." a female voice says as a slender, green hand made of fluttering energy appears next to the other hands.
"So, pull yourself together, mate. You guys got a planet to save." a cyan and orange hand with five sharp claws offers itself to Nigel, who recognizes the other voices.
"Sector V ain't the same without ya, Boss." another female voice says as a fifth hand, covered in chitin-like armor points at Nigel, whose eyes are filled with tears.
"…Guys…"
"You've still got a long way to go, so don't falter now." the hands then merge into a single, white hand, causing Nigel to grab it and when he does, he can hear four beating hearts through it.
"That's right. Our journey isn't over yet and nothing…is going to stop us!" Nigel shouts as the hand begins emitting a blinding, white light before it disappears but then, Nigel realizes his own right hand has turned white with an orange outline. "This…this it!" Nigel closes his fist as everything turns white.
In the throne room, Father continues to laugh victoriously as the muffled screams inside the cocoon's start dying down. "I'd say their minds are broken enough. Now it'll be easy to Delightfulize them and turn Sector V into perfect pawns." But then, faint cracks begin appearing in the middle cocoon. "Hmm? What the…?" Father's eyes widen as white light begins seeping through the cracks, growing stronger by the second. "No…this…this is…" Father recognizes the light and tries to cover the cocoon with more tentacles, but the light disintegrates them and the, it destroys the other cocoons completely, freeing Kuki, Abby, Hoagie and Wally, who all fall to the floor. Then, the middle cocoon shatters and out of it, Nigel appears, wearing an orange outlined, white Silhouette Suit, with his eyes and mouth visible. "NOOO!"" Father roars and fires heat rays at Nigel, who swipes them aside with his left hand and then lands near his friends.
"Guys…" Seeing his friends lying unconscious on the floor angers Nigel immensely, but instead of simply charging at Father, he puts his hand Abby's and Wally's shoulder and sends an orange aura through them, which then passes on to Kuki and Hoagie.
"How…how did you get that?!" Father shouts and tries to attack Nigel with more fire while he tends to his team, but Nigel nullifies them by creating a wall of white fire that splits the destroyed throne room in two, protecting him and his friends.
"Keep your hands off my team!" Nigel shouts back as his friends slowly regain their conscience.
"Ow…wha…what was that…I thought I was in a nightmare…" Hoagie groans as he stands up.
"Father musta been tryin' to mess with our heads…oh he's gonna get it now…huh?" Abby notices Nigel standing before them just as Kuki pulls Wally on his feet.
"That cruddy bastard…" Wally swears but then, everyone's attention is turned towards Nigel.
"Wha…what the heck happened to ya?"
"It's the Silhouette Suit's true form." Nigel replies as relieved smile appears on his face. "I heard your heartbeats and voices through that torture and that's how I was able unlock this power. Thank you for staying with me." Nigel gratitude takes his friends by surprise as they have no idea what he's talking about.
"Ye…yeah, we said we'd have your back, right guys?" Abby says to the others, who nod.
"We're a team after all."
"That's right! Now are gonna kick Father's butt or what?"
"Well said, Numbuh 4. Yes, we'll end it now." Nigel says and turns to face the wall of fire he created, and they can hear Father's furious roaring from the other side as he tries to break through it.
"Uhm, but didn't WE just get OUR butts kicked by him."
"And we can't leave everything to Numbuh 1 either…" Kuki laments but Nigel gives his friends a confident smile.
"We'll do this together. Come closer and take my hand." Nigel gestures to his friends who, despite having doubts about their chances, comply and grab his hand. Then, he sends an orange aura through his hand to his friends.
"Woah, what the heck is this?"
"Don't ask Numbuh 5, but it feels great!"
"Yeah, feels like a warm fire's burning inside me."
"I'm passing some of my power into you, so you can damage Father's powered Silhouette Suit. But it's temporary, so we need to make every hit count."
"Heh, sounds good to me!" Wally smirks, brimming with confidence and it spreads to his friends as well.
"Oh man, this is just like in the movies!" Hoagie says excitedly as he activates his damaged, but still functioning Exo-Suit while Abby draws her sword.
"Yeah, except this is real, Numbuh 2." she nudges Hoagie while Wally turns on his shield-knuckles.
"Time to give that monster some well-earned payback!"
"This is for everyone he's hurt." Kuki summons a group of ghost hamsters around her as he eyes glow pink.
"Before we go, there's something you need to know: I'm sensing something within Father, something that's controlling him and that's why he's like this. Remember, we're not here to kill him."
"Don't worry, we know the drill." Abby replies to Nigel, who nods and has his teammates come to his side as they stand in-front of the wall of fire.
"Ready?"
"Born ready!"
"Ready when you are, baby."
"Let's do this!"
"Bring it on!"
"Good. KIDS NEXT DOOR, BATTLESTATIONS!"
End of Transmission 62
Note: The name Margaret refers to Nigel's mother and the credit for the name goes to fallen-gabrielle on tumblr