Chapter 13

I twitched my fingers and stuck my tongue out with concentration. I could feel Bartie watching me. "Well?" He asked and I could tell he was getting a bit impatient.

"Damn." I said as I lowered my hands to my side. "I have no idea which button does what!"

"Well that's just great now isn't it?" Bartie said sarcastically.

"Oh shut up." I huffed. "There must be a manual somewhere…"

I leant down and scrambled around, looking for an instruction book of some sort. "Find one?" Bartie asked.

"Nope." I said getting back up and flicking my hair out of my eyes. "We're just gonna have to test…"

"Oh no…"

I pressed a small red bottle cap and out shot a laser. We both jumped and watched it hit a ride. "Well…" I chuckled sheepishly. "At least we know what button releases the lasers."

Bartie seemed unimpressed. "Oh shut up." I snapped. He let out a sigh and pressed another button. That started the machine. We both wobbled just as much as the machine. I grabbed the joystick which most obviously controlled the machine and I moved it from left to right before it became stable.

"Oh you guys are hopeless." The red head said as she climbed into the machine, the brunette following suit.

"Don't worry." The brunette, as I found out her Numbuh was 345, said. "We managed to heal the other TND operatives and they're piloting the other machines… with help of course."

I looked out the window and saw 4 other machines replicating ours. Through the window screens I could see Rachel and Patton, Kuki and Wally and Nigel and Abby. "Okay." The red head began. "This button releases the missiles. This button releases the lasers. This one releases a claw…"

"Hel-lo?" I yelled. "Kids Next Door operatives getting their butts kicked out there!"

"Numbuh 234!" Numbuh 345 called out. The red head turned towards her friend. "I just received news that 27 more operatives are down!"

And as if it couldn't get any worse, I looked through the window and saw Stickybeard's ship heading towards the fight scene. "Alright!" Numbuh 234 turned back to the buttons. She grabbed the communicator and punched in some numbers. "Calling fighting machine E, this is fighting machine C."

"Hello?" The innocent voice of Kuki said through the speaker. "This is Numbuh 3-T."

"We are about to launch laser Y. Contact fighting machine A, B and D and tell them these exact instructions. Remember, launching laser Y."

"Okie-dokie."

Numbuh 234 hung up the communicator. Numbuh 345 put her hand on her shoulder. "You sure about that? Laser Y…"

"I know… but I have no idea what else to do."

Me and Bartie just sat there staring at them. "Uh… what's so bad about laser Y?" Bartie asked.

"It's a very powerful laser." Numbuh 234 replied.

"Very powerful. It'll manage to destroy the bad guys but…"

"It could wipe out anything in its path."

We both gulped. Static was heard from the communicator and Numbuh 345 picked it up. "This is Numbuh 60-T." I could see 345's eyes light up and I got a bit suspicious. "We are awaiting your signal to activate laser Y."

"Right." 345 replied. 234 took the communicator from her and yelled into it,

"EVERYONE GET THE CRUD OUTTA THE WAY!"

Every KND operative fighting scattered to all directions, leaving Stickybeard's ship and Mr. Wink and Mr. Fibb out in the open.