Thank you everyone for all the wonderful reviews! And now to answer a few questions..
I really not very fond of the whole Nigel/Abby thing, but there will be a few fluffs later on in the story, especially Wally/Kuki. I have also been meaning read the other KND fics out there, but simply haven't had the time. I look forward to sitting down one afternoon and reading all your terrific stories!
Also, I will be on vacation August 20th - August 27th, but will update as soon as I can upon return. I figured I'd at least let the gang arrive at the bas before I left, though. Thanks again and I'll see you soon!
Codename: Kids Next Door and all Characters © Cartoon Network
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Chapter 4 - Touch Down
The following morning felt like nothing but a blur to Nigel. He couldn't remember that he had already taken a shower, gotten dressed, and ate breakfast. He couldn't even recall what he had eaten for breakfast, but he knew it had been something round… maybe pancakes or waffles. He had rushed through his morning routine so quickly, that it was only 7:20 when he had finished. So, with some extra time to kill, he pulled out his pamphlet and read over it again.
7:50 eventually rolled around as he dragged his suitcase down the steps. His parents were already at the front door, waiting to say their good-byes. Mrs. Uno sobbed into her handkerchief as she muttered something about 'her little boy growing up so fast.' Nigel's father ran up to give him one last hug, followed by his mother who smothered him in tears and kisses.
"Now don't forget to write! We want to hear all about your little adventures at camp!" Mr. Uno shouted as Nigel made his way down the sidewalk and towards the bus stop. He rolled his eyes and waved back at them with a smile.
"Don't worry! I will!" He replied, trudging down the walk. He didn't realize that he had packed so many things into his suitcase. It had to weigh at least as much as he did…
Up ahead, the bright yellow bus-stop sign was coming into view. It looked like a few other people had gotten there before him, too. He quickly recognized them as Abby, Kuki, and Hoagie.
"Hey! Nigel, you made it!" Hoagie said happily as Nigel reached the street corner. He was sitting on top of his suitcase, which was much larger than his own.
"Hey guys! Have you been waiting here long?" Nigel asked, tossing his bag next to Hoagie's.
"Naw, only a few minutes." Abby replied, leaning against the yellow sign.
"Ohh, I'm so excited!" Kuki said, squirming with anticipation. "I brought my Travel-Fun Rainbow Monkey suitcase, and my Glow-in-the-dark Rainbow Monkey sleeping bag! My First Rainbow Monkey is ready to go, too!" She held out a rather raggy, dirty looking Rainbow Monkey doll out for him to see. One of the eyes dangled by a long thread. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, he forced a smile and patted it softly on the head.
"Here comes Wally!" Hoagie said, pointing towards a small orange dot about a block away. Sure enough, it was Wally. He was carrying a gigantic bag on his back, nearly twice as large as he was. It looked as if he would collapse under the pressure at any second.
"H-h-hey guys…" The small boy said through staggered breaths. He flopped down onto the pavement, gasping for breath. "I-I thought I m-might have missed th-the bus…"
"Actually, it should be here soon." Hoagie said, looking at his digital watch. The glowing numbers turned to 8:00. The five friends looked up and down the street to see if anything was coming. However, the streets were empty.
Another minute passed by.
Then another.
And another.
And another.
After a while, Hoagie decided to look at his watch again. 8:11. No one had come for them yet. Nigel sat on the pavement, his head held in his hands. He looked up to see Hoagie tapping his watch irritably. Abby was still leaning against the sign, her hat tipped low over her eyes, and Kuki was sitting next to Wally on the curb, babbling on about Rainbow Monkeys. He didn't seem to be interested with his arms crossed across his chest.
Another minute.
Another.
Nothing.
"That's IT!" Wally shouted. They all watched as he marched angrily over to his bag and tossed it back onto his shoulders. "I've waited long enough! I'm going back home!"
"No!" Nigel pleaded. "Just a few more minutes! I-I'm sure it will come!"
"Don't you get it?" He shouted at him. "You've been tricked! This is all just one big joke! There is no organization! There is no Kids Next Door! And there IS NO BUS!"
"Look!" Abigail said, pointing down the street. Sure enough, just as Wally had uttered those words, a small, shaky yellow bus came rattling down the street. As it pulled to a stop at the corner, they saw KND painted in large, drippy black letter on the side. Wally's mouth fell open.
The bus driver opened the door and looked at the group blankly. The driver couldn't have been more than two older then them. "Are you the new operatives?" He asked in an odd, drawn out voice.
"Yes, that's us!" Abigail replied as she dragged her bag up the steps of the bus, the others following behind her. The inside of the bus looked just like any other old school bus – large brown seats and single strap seatbelts. Nigel was surprised to see that the bus was empty. Maybe they were the only kids who decided to attend this summer…
All five of them found seats, wedging their bags between the brown benches and the floor. Wally sat in the smaller seat across the aisle from Hoagie and Nigel, while Abby and Kuki plopped down in the row behind them.
'All ready then?" The driver asked as he turned the keys to the ignition. The engine rumbled noisily.
"Um, Driver? Just how long is it going to take us to drive to the training base?" Nigel asked, peering up over his seat.
"Drive?" He replied, laughing loudly. "Who said anything about driving?"
Suddenly, the engine's rumbling grew louder and violenter. It sounded as if it were about to explode. Then the bus itself started to shake. The windows and benches vibrated violently as Nigel gripped the edge of his seat to keep from falling off.
"W-wh-what-t's g-g-goin-ng o-o-n-n-n-n?" He shouted shakily over the noise.
"I-I d-do-don'-t-t kn-kn-n-o-o-o-w-w!" Hoagie replied, holding on as best he could. He was shaking so much that his goggles had fallen off his eyes and dangled around his neck.
Nigel looked out his window to see what was going on. What looked like a long, yellow airplane wing was unfolding itself from the side of the vehicle.
The driver reached up to the black walkie-talkie and pushed the button. "Permission to take off, Numbuh 59…"
"You're all clear, 78." A voice crackled over the receiver. Reaching over to the dashboard, the driver pushed a large red button with his fist. There was a loud POP, and all five children found themselves pinned against the back of their seats as the bus shot straight up into the air at mach speed.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Wally screamed, eyes wide with terror.
"Weeeeeee!" Kuki held her hands were above her head with a large smile spread across her face.
A few seconds later, the bus began to fly straight and the loud noises subdued. They all gave out a sigh of relief, glad that it was over.
"Woo-wee, baby! Would ya look at that!" Abby said as she and Kuki looked out of their window.
"Wow! This is awesome!" Hoagie said, readjusting his goggles and leaning over Nigel to look down at the ground. They were soaring a few thousand feet above the ground, making the cars and houses below look like pebbles. "I wonder how fast we're going…"
"About eighty miles per hour!" the driver replied, looking back at them through the mirror that hung over his head. "We should reach the base in about an hour."
"This is amazing!" Nigel exclaimed as they continued to look out the window. "Isn't this great, Wally? …Wally?" Wally, however, had still not let go of the edge of his seat since they had taken off. He sat shivering with eyes as big as diner plates, staring straight ahead.
"Must be afraid of flying," Hoagie said, looking at him pitifully. "Or heights."
"Aw, are you scared, Wally?" Kuki asked. "Here! You can have My First Rainbow Monkey to keep you company!" She set the old, raggy doll on his lap as Abigail rolled her eyes. Wallabee didn't even blink.
The hour passed by slowly for the five of them. Abby listened quietly to her music on a large set of headphones, while Kuki flipped through her magazine and hummed happily to herself. Hoagie had brought along his favorite comic book, The High-Flying Adventures of the Blue Baron, and had tried to explain the concept to Nigel. However, he found it quite boring and eventually gave up trying. Even Wally eased up after a while and playing a few rounds of Rock, Paper, Scissors with the others.
Nigel, however, was still looking out the window as his thoughts raced around and around in his head. He was on a flying bus, on his way to the coldest part of Antarctica to be trained by an organization that he learned about only a month ago. He was going on a great new adventure that he had hoped for since he was little. And the best part was that he was sharing the experience with his best friend, Hoagie, and his three new friends, Kuki, Wallabee, and Abigail.
He watched as the warm green landscape below began to fade into a snowy white permafrost. The windows fogged up from the warmth of the bus, a few scattered snowflakes falling onto the windshield.
"Hey, look at that!" Nigel said, pointing out at the ground. They all leaned over to have a look at a flat, white field of snow. The land was vacant, except for about thirty other yellow school busses that were parked in neat lines.
"Well, here we are!" The driver said cheerfully. They descended onto the ground at the end of the last row of vehicles. The cold wind howled outside, warning the children to bundle up. After they had all put on their coats and gloves, they grabbed their suitcases, eager to go.
"I will be escorting you to the Training Base's entrance." The driver said as he stood up and zippered up his heavy jacket. "Once there, you must make your way to the main floor for your orientation. All right then? Let's move out!" He opened up the bus door and stomped out into the ankle-deep snow. The five friends followed, dragging their bags behind them. The icy wind hit against their bare faces, burning their cheeks and turning their noses red.
As he led them past the other rows of busses, Nigel noticed they were all empty. The other kids must already be inside, he thought reassuringly.
Up ahead, a tall, ordinary pine tree stood in the middle of a vacant field. The driver stepped up to it and looked back at them cheerfully.
"Ok!" He said with a smile, who's first?"