Code: RESTRICTED [TIME]
OfficiallyWrong
Severed ties, lost friendships and stolen memories... After cutting ties with the Teens Next Door to complete her mission, Abby makes the final leg of her journey. The mysteries surrounding the Galactic Kids Next Door are still numerous. War is waging. Abby's team is at the end of their rope. Will things ever go back to the way they once were?
And is that still what she wants?
WARNING
Attention all Kids Next Door operatives. The information contained in this file has been labeled confidential. Viewing, tampering with, or sharing of this file is strictly prohibited. Any operative caught doing so will be subject to immediate decommissioning.
To younger operatives or operatives with
with weak constitutions; This classified information
foreshadows the horrors of Adulthood including drugs,
sex, swearing, and abuse.
You have been warned
Chapter Summary:
As Abby desperately tries to hold on to hope after losing everything she's worked for, a startling encounter causes her to second-guess her supposed failure. Meanwhile, Wally tries to take on more than he can chew after feeling insecure about their confrontation with the TND.
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Code: [RESTRICTED]
Operation: B.U.G.S.
Bother
Us
Get
Stomped
Written by OfficiallyWrong with properties owned by Tom Warburton
And Cartoon Network
Episode 18
Location: McClintock High, May 4th, 2012
It was an itchy suit. She didn't know why it would be so itchy. Behind her, she struggled to pull her underwear out of the crack of her butt cheek where it had decided to lodge itself. As she pulled, she itched. The material was old and matted like a terribly cared for shag carpet in some bachelor pad. The guy hadn't been laid for weeks and he was fucking her in the ass as punishment. The girl's butt wiggled. She turned to the left, then to the right, looking through the large eyes of a horse's head. It smelled like she was looking out its ass. She sighed, taking off the head of her new mascot costume, the new role she had been given now that she was off the cheer squad for good. It happened so fast, she couldn't even remember most of it. All she knew was that someone, or maybe all of them, wanted her gone. And it wasn't in her right mind to complain or argue or seek revenge. If they didn't want her, she didn't want them, right? It felt like a formality. It wasn't how she really felt. But it was the correct thing to think.
Fucked in the ass, she thought. That sounded like something he would say, not her. But since her relationship with him had been going on, the past 4 years now, his habits were becoming hers. She never used to swear. She had even wanted to wait until marriage to have sex. Oh, how times had changed. And now, they would change again. He was just having fun with her anyway. She wasn't the kind of girl people took seriously. She grimaced at her face in the mirror.
Especially not now.
She heard the door swing open, so far it hit the wall and bounced back. And in he walked, as she knew he would, wearing his track uniform, his hair a little messier than usual hanging in front of his face. He needed it cut. He had his knuckles clenched. There were bruises all over his body, but the knuckles were the only thing bleeding. She rushed to him.
"Wally! What happened?"
The boy didn't say anything.
"Did you get into a fight?"
But his lips pursed as he looked her directly in the eye. Those grey eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"
The girl shrank into herself. "I was going to." She bit her lip. "I was...but I..."
"I can' t bloody believe this."
She swallowed. "I didn't do it." She could barely get the words out. "You gotta believe me. I could never—"
"Course you didn't bloody do it!" he snarled. "I'm gonna find the person who did and I'm gonna kick their ass."
"Wally, please don't."
He looked her up and down. "The hell are you wearin', Kuki?"
Kuki looked down. "Oh. They said I could Mascot, since Ernie Holman broke his leg."
"You're not seriously goin' along with this?"
"I—"
"Kuki, they did this on purpose!" he exclaimed. "And you're just sittin' here takin' it?"
"If they don't want me then—"
"Then too fucking bad." Wally walked up to her. "You have just as much of a right to be there as them! Don't let them stomp all over you!"
Kuki sniffed, throwing down the large head she'd been carrying. "Oh, what's the point?" she cried. "I'm never gonna be a real TEEN. My mom is right, I have no motivation, no goals. I may as well just wear this stupid suit and humiliate myself in front of everyone like I always do!"
Wally's anger softened. "Kuki..."
"Look at you, Wally. What happened? What did you do?" She took his hands, turning them around.
The boy glared at her hands in his. "I quit the track team," he said.
Kuki stopped. "You what?"
"I quit, Kuki. I ain't never goin' back."
"But why?"
The boy's cheeks reddened, but of embarrassment or frustration she couldn't tell. "It ain't important why."
"...not because of me."
"I got my reasons."
"Wally, please don't quit because of this."
He broke away from her, going into another rage. "I quit cause the TEENZ are a bunch'a wanks who control everything around here! What we say, who we're friends with, who we date," he paused himself, swallowing the rest of that sentence before it got out. "They got shit to say about everything and I'm sick'a them breathin' down my neck! This, though? This takes the fucking cake!"
"Wa—"
"I'm done, Kuki! I'm done givin them the time. I'm done runnin' errands and feeding some agenda that ain't mine. Only reason I stuck it out this long was for you, cause I know how much you wanted it. But fuck, I can't do it anymore."
"But Wally, you love track."
"I don't care."
"I can't let you do this."
He thumbed through his hair. "Kuki, I socked the Captain in the jaw. I tackled the bastard to the ground. It's over. I'm off the team. I quit all the teams. All of them. Sports, clubs, student council, they're everywhere. All lookin' out for themselves."
"Your friends—"
"I don't have friends! Those guys ain't my friends and they never were. They let this happen to you! Fuck, Kuki. They wanted me to break up with you!"
The conversation broke in half.
"A friend wouldn't do that."
Kuki backed away from him, her hands wrung. "Unless..." she started. "It was for your own good."
"What are you saying?"
"Wally, avoiding the TEENZ, all the TEENZ, it's social suicide."
"So?"
"So, you'll never be prom king or...or be a part of a club or a sport. You won't even get a lunch table, you'd have to eat in the hallway or worse!" She clenched her fists. "You shouldn't be so reckless."
"Why? High school's a joke anyway!"
"Wally, you love track!"
"I love you!" he shouted into the echoing hall.
Kuki stood back, her face florid. Wally's face was even redder than hers. It wasn't what either of them expected. Despite being together for four years, those years were mostly them holding hands and doing what middle schoolers thought of as "dating." They hadn't been physically intimate until recently, but there was certainly no mention of the words Wally had just irrationally spilled all over the hallway floor.
"I..." he started again. "I mean...Kuki I..."
...
He had found her crying on the curb side of the road on his thirteenth birthday. He didn't like girls. Never did. He had no reason to go up to her. But something beyond his understanding pushed him in her direction. The girl was sobbing. When he asked her what was wrong, she couldn't tell him. She didn't know. Something had happened, but she had no memory of what it was. She knew nothing, only that she was heartbroken. He didn't say much to her. Just sat on the curb by her side. The next thing he knew, he had invited the girl over to his house for his birthday dinner, which was usually just the family. Wally had acquaintances, but not friends. The two ate ice cream and cake and didn't say much of anything to each other. But that was the beginning of it.
And now...this was a new beginning.
...
"I love you."
Her eyes widened, shining with fresh tears.
"So fuck'm."
Location: Unknown
Present Day: 2015
Status: Sooper Fucked
Kuki wiggled her toes into the hard, metallic floor. She couldn't remember the last time she did something as simple as look at her toes. Pulling them apart, pressing them together, feeling her skin on cold steel. The paint on her nails was a chipped bright pink, little black hairs were forming on her legs. Her daily routine had changed so much since starting this mission. Back home, she would have been so embarrassed if anyone saw her nails chipped or forgot to shave for a day. They had been floating for seventy-eight hours now, no planets or ships could be seen. Nothing but big floating rocks. The only evidence of life was the shining stars that seemed unreachable from where they were.
Wally sauntered in, plopping down on a padded bench beside her. He was always disheveled, Kuki thought. However, even he was beginning to look more unkept than usual.
"Any luck?" she asked.
He simply narrowed his eyes on his boots. "Says he wants to be alone."
Kuki held her knees, pressing her cheek into them. She let out an audible sigh but didn't say anything.
"And Abby?" he returned.
"Haven't heard a word."
Wally huffed, slamming his boots together to dust them off. Finally, he sat up. "Okay, here's the plan. Wait an hour, then switch. You talk to Gilligan and I'll try Abby."
Kuki wiggled her feet. "I dunno, Wally. Maybe we should just leave them be."
Her boyfriend rubbed his eyes, standing to his feet. "Normally, I would agree with you, Kuki. A billion percent. But we can't just keep floatin' here! We need a plan. And to do that, we need the person who makes the plans to make the plan!"
Kuki sighed. "And the people who can do the plan, to do the plan."
He snarled. "What does that mean?"
"Well," she said. "It's no secret, Wally, that we aren't exactly the Sector V we used to be. I think our run-in with the TND proved that. We're out of our element here. If we have any chance of surviving—"
"Surviving? What about Earth? What about Joey and Mushi? Did you forget why we're here?"
Kuki flushed. "Of course not!"
He stuck his nose up. "Abby'll come through. Sometimes people need a little push in the right direction." His fists closed passionately. "She just needs someone to snap her outta this funk. Those TN-Doofuses don't know who the fuck they're messin' with."
"I'm more worried about us," Kuki admitted. "Nigel Uno aside, we have no idea what to expect when we get there. How do we even go about fighting children, let alone immortal children?"
"I dunno," he said. "But we ain't got much choice."
Suddenly, a door beside them slipped open as Abby passed them by without a glance. Wally and Kuki looked at each other before going after her.
"Hey, Abby," Kuki asked. "So, what exactly is our plan?"
Abby appeared in a trance. "Ain't figured that out yet."
She kept walking until she reached the flight deck, the two following her. "We must be getting close, right?" Kuki asked. "Should we, you know, do some training?"
"Training?" Abby looked confused.
"Yeah, you know. Training. For the big mission." She kicked and punched the air, showing off her imaginary skills.
Abby turned back to the window, dazed. "Oh."
"Don't you think?"
"And shouldn't we get movin' a bit faster?"
Abby shook her head. "This is an asteroid belt. We gotta float through it."
Kuki approached Abby, touching her arm. "Abby?"
She turned her head but didn't seem to snap out of her daze. "Hm?"
"Is everything okay?"
She smiled with her lips, but her eyes remained dull. "Sure. Just tired is all."
Wally and Kuki looked at each other again.
"We're sorry you lost your job."
"Priorities change," she said.
"Well, whatever you need, Sector V is here to help!" Kuki tried to cheer her up, but Abby's mind was clearly somewhere else. "Abby?"
Their leader swallowed. "I'm sorry. I wanna be alone right now."
But Wally scowled. "You've been alone for like a million hours. We've given you space, but we need a plan." he said. "We need you."
Abby's voice was cold and quiet, as though she were only talking to herself. "Need me."
"We know things turned out a lot worse than you expected," Kuki tried again. "But—"
"I just have a lot to think about," she said before turning to exit the room.
Wally backed off, but Kuki was determined to give it one more go. Both of them could feel what was happening, the seeds of doubt that were planted in their leader's mind. It wouldn't be easy to get her back into good spirits. Wally didn't respond well when people shut down. He was such an expressive communicator that it deeply troubled him when people weren't honest and upfront with him. Kuki could tell that he was getting agitated by Abby's behavior. And Hoagie wasn't coming out of his room any time soon. It was up to her.
"Abby—"
"IT'S A SHIP!" Wally's voice called, interrupting the moment and pointing at the front. It could be heard all throughout the main deck.
So much for that.
They turned to catch a glimpse of what caused him to scream.
Floating there in amongst the asteroids was a large vessel, completely smashed into by debris. It wasn't like any ship they had seen before, most likely belonging to an alien species none of them were familiar with. The three went to the window in an attempt to get a closer look.
"It's small," Abby commented.
"A kid's ship?" Kuki asked.
"Most likely."
"How'd it get all the way out here?"
Abby shrugged. "It was probably on its way to headquarters and got knocked by an asteroid."
They drifted closer to the wreckage, Abby now having manual control over the ship. She turned the lights on, scanning the area for signs of life. There didn't seem to be any. The ship appeared to be abandoned, though its metal was rusted.
"There's oxygen out there," Abby commented. "Maybe we should check for survivors."
"Abby."
"What?"
He rotated her slightly to the right. Before them were ships, hundreds of them, all in similar conditions to the ones they found. They hovered there, all styles and sizes. Clusters of gaseous clouds, green and purplish grey appeared around the area, sometimes covering the path to the stars in a haunting fog.
"Please don't tell me a space monster did this..." Kuki trembled.
"Let's take her in slow," Abby said as she moved gingerly though the space. The search lights were still on, moving around each area.
The ship slowed to a stop as she stared up at the massive vessel before them.
"What is it?"
Her voice cracked as she spoke. "It's one'a ours."
"The TND?" Wally asked.
Abby shook her head. "The Kids Next Door. Earth."
"Do you recognize it?"
"I dunno. It's too dark to see," she said. She turned off the search lights, noticing a blue glow coming from inside. "Looks like somebody left a light on." Hopping off the captain's chair, she headed for the door. "I'm gonna check it out."
"Abby, wait!"
"What?" She turned around but kept walking backwards. "We're already late for the party. May as well be fashionable."
She pounded on the door, kicked it, screamed at it, but still there was no answer. Now that brought back memories.
"Hoagie?" She tried again. "Hoagie! Dammit..."
"Try Buttfucker maybe that'll work," Wally teased.
"One of us has gotta stay with him," she said. "We can't just leave him here alone."
"Oooh! Oooh! I got it!" Wally jumped excitedly. "Kuki and I'll go and you stay here with the nerd."
Kuki looked disturbed. "Go without Abby?"
"Yeah! Why not? We gotta be able'ta fend for ourselves against the G:KND anyway. May as well get some target practice in."
But Abby's tone was firm. "No."
"No?" Wally puffed up his chest.
"That's what I said." She rotated her hat, so the brim faced the front. "I'll go. You and Kuki stay here."
"Are you fucking serious?" He took a step forward. "After all this—"
"Especially after all this."
"Abby..." Kuki tried to intervene, but Wally and Abby were already in a shootout.
"No way. I ain't stayin' behind. I earned my right to be here." Wally shouted.
"You're here because I dragged yo' asses out here," Abby said. "You'll do as I say."
"You ain't the boss of us."
"You wanted to come. You gotta play by the rules or you don't get to play. That was the deal."
"The deal was my baby brother!" Wally snapped. "Cause some power-hungry asshole took him and you said you could get him back! Well where is he, Lincoln? Where's my fucking baby brother?"
"Wally stop. This isn't Abby's fault—"
"Oh, it's not?" he groaned. "She's draggin' her feet cause she's scared of a bunch of children."
"We are movin' as fast as we can."
"What did those TND guys say to you? Hmm? Cause we were doin' just fine before they got back into your head! We'd be there by now if you had just trusted us!" he growled. "But no! You gotta do it all on your own! We gotta float through asteroids so you can avoid your past!"
"I took care of myself before you, I can sure as hell do it now," Abby said sharply, which made Wally seethe. "You. Stay."
"What if I say no?"
"Wally." Kuki's attempts to intervene weren't working.
"I'll turn this ship around," her eyes didn't waver. "And I'll end the mission."
"You wouldn't do that."
"Watch me."
Kuki stepped forward. "Okay, I know we've had a rough couple of days. And I know—"
"No, you don't," Abby said. "You don't know. None of you know. You don't follow orders, you don't listen to reason, you're just..." She grabbed her hat. "I need to think."
"I thought we were finally on the same page here," Wally said quietly. "But every time we get close you push us away again and I'm sick of it. You think you and the Nutty Professor in there can save the world yourselves, then be my guest. We don't have to take this shit. C'mon Kuki." He grabbed his girlfriend's arm and walked out of the room. Kuki looked back and forth between Abby and Wally, unsure which side to take, but eventually went with him.
"Shields up," she stated.
Wally blew her a raspberry.
There was an eerie glow about the life somehow sustaining itself out in the middle of nowhere, a dark transformation to survive near-impossible conditions. They were winding like vines, but not toxic like the Khlorophill mines. It was a sinister sort of light, a light you couldn't trust even though you are desperate for salvation. In amongst the vines were wires that braided up into the ceilings. Each ship she passed was constricted the way ivy hugs a tree, that with a malicious beauty suck the life from its loving embrace. Abby held her S.C.A.A.M.P. close to her. She knew it was unwise to go on the journey alone but being around her friends was choking her like these wires suffocated the ships.
Abby hiked upwards as the ships made a bridge across the asteroids, a tunnel with seemingly no end and no true light to guide her. Only deceptive energies of purple and blue luring its victims deeper into the lost. It worried her, these vines. It meant something could survive out here, and there was no guarantee that something was friendly. She thought about going back, but the thought of being cramped back into her issues, her absolute undeniable failure, was too much right now.
That's when she saw it, the small pebbles that pulsed a dull radioactive glimmer, stuck all over the walls of this abandoned shipyard.
Eggs.
She looked above, breaking off a piece of vine for a light. It retained its glow even when separated from the stalk. The second the light touched a wing illuminating it like a Christmas display. At first, just a wing, then a leg. Mesmerized she stared at it as its face locked eyes with her. Incandescent, iridescent, the creature twitched.
She backed away slowly...knowing she had no choice but to turn back. Wherever this was, she was an intruder.
As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a skitter from behind grabbed her attention. She held her gun out but saw nothing. She backed away from the growing nest, knowing better than to intrude. Another skitter. Then a light, another, another. Static from what looked to be screens all around. She was in a control room of some kind...but she hadn't tripped the wire. It was something else. She continued back slowly, hearing the messages pour out. Aliens of all shapes and sizes clamoring at the same time. Abby couldn't hear everything they were saying, but she knew they were all in a panic. The videos cut in and out, the audio choppy.
"If you are listening to this please send help..."
"We need backup now!"
"Emergency! Emergency! We're being att—"
The skitter turned into a run. A creature charging toward her. She didn't know whether to run or fight. She decided to wait. It lifted a long sharp object into the air and with a battle cry, leapt over Abby throwing the spear at the Alien creature above. The being flapped its wings, injured but not dead. Abby could see the full thing now, a large moth-like creature but with the delicacy and transparency of a dragonfly. It screamed in agony, flapping its wings. The creature who brought it down, climbed the vines to retrieve its weapon, swinging so quickly Abby couldn't get a good look at them. They shooed the being away. As it dropped down, it swooped down below Abby causing her to fall to the ground in shock. It soared into the air. The creature then landed directly over her.
Abby's chest was rising and falling at a rate she couldn't keep up with. It got closer to her, its brown human-like eyes scanning her up and down. She didn't quite know what to say. It had two arms, two legs, and the body structure of a human. A human woman. Blonde hair tightly fixed into a ponytail. Finally, the creature's eyes widened. It spoke. And it spoke through what looked to be a cloth over its mouth.
"Abigail Lincoln?"
Abby couldn't process her own name.
The creature pulled down her mask and popped up. "Ha! I knew you'd make it out here eventually! Looks like I just won twenty crystals! Take that Taglor!"
"Wh-who?"
"Wow you look great. The virus was kind to you, huh?"
"I, um, thanks?"
"Oh my god. I have like...so many questions. Duh. You probably don't even recognize me, do you?" She grinned holding out her hand. "Here, let me—"
Abby finally realized. It was the eyes that gave it away, brown with an intensity that was familiar but rare. A face that had been lost to her many years ago. She replied with dream-like hesitancy. "Numbuh 362..."
The smile got brighter. "Been a while, hasn't it?"
Abby took her hand. "I...how...you were..."
"Missing?" She crossed her arms. "It's a long story." From behind she pulled out a gun strapped to her back. "Hang on, I gotta take care of this real quick."
She grabbed something off the wall and growled into it.
"Which one of you numb-nuts left the door to my control room open?" she seethed.
There was a squabbling on the other end.
Numbuh 362 groaned pushing her hand to her face. "Well, the Mother got in." She waited for the other end to stop squabbling. "Do you know what would have happened if we lost those...yeah I know...you've got a brain, Tag, use it. Also, you better be winning big today cause Mama's comin' to collect, baby." And with that she hung up. "It's always friggin' Tag." She cocked the gun, smiling at Abby. "This'll only take a second." She lifted the large weapon and blasted it over the eggs Abby found, leaving them frozen. Unable to withstand it, they shriveled and disintegrated.
"Don't do that!" Abby cried out.
Numbuh 362 finished her task and then stopped. "That giant creature out there is the Mother. She laid all these puppies. You need to set firm boundaries with her, or else she'll populate the whole area. She'll feed us all to her children if she doesn't see us as a threat." She threw the gun over her shoulder cockily. "Good thing I'm definitely a threat."
"Numbuh—"
"Here." She tossed Abby her spear. "That thing'll eat you alive if you use a lazar. Best to spear it if it gets too close. You still know how to use one, don't you? They aren't keeping you too cushy in the TND."
"I can use it."
"That's what I thought." She grinned. "Wow. Abigail Lincoln."
"Numbuh 362."
"Come on, seriously? Rachel."
"...Rachel."
"Wow." She looked her up and down. "You're later than I expected. I thought for sure you would've made the trip years ago. Well, you're here now! Come on and meet the crew! Bet you wanna wash that slime off."
"There are more of you?"
"Yeah, come on!" She gestured toward the tunnel. "Unless you've got something better to do," she joked.
"Uh..." Abby looked back at where she came from, but eventually looked back at Rachel. "Lead the way."
"After my ship crashed I rebuilt it like three times, but each time I ended up here again. That's when I first realized there was something going on out here. So instead of going home, I decided to stay and investigate," she said. "I tried contacting the KND multiple times, but something has been blocking my signal," Rachel explained, climbing over scattered vines as she had done it a million times. "I didn't have any definitive evidence to bring back anyway."
Abby was in shock. "You...you mean the S.L.I.N.G.S.H.O.T. sent you here?"
"It sent all of us here," Rachel explained. "Isn't that what happened to you?"
There was silence.
Rachel stopped walking. "Wait. You flew into the asteroid belt? You just..." Suddenly, it clicked. "You have a working ship."
"Y-yeah I d—"
Rachel ran up and covered her mouth. "Do not tell anyone, okay? They're all desperate to get out of here. They will rip you apart."
Abby nodded.
"Look out!" She rammed her spear through a pill-like bug, scrapping it off with her foot. "Man, you know what I miss? Soccer. I keep trying to teach the others to play but they're total losers. Won't even give it a chance. That's most organic lifeforms for ya." she skipped ahead. "You finally had enough of Earth? Come to kick it out here with the rebels?"
"Actually," Abby explained, hiking over a vine she didn't see at first. "I'm tryn'a save Earth."
"Haven't given up on those nerds, huh?" Rachel winked. "Same old Numbuh 5."
"We're in trouble, Rachel. Serious trouble. Father's made a comeback and—" Abby gripped the spear realizing there was something flying over her. She threw it, shooting it down.
Rachel just stared at it. "It took me two months to learn to do that."
Abby pulled out the spear. "I got a reputation to uphold." They kept walking. "I'm here to find Nigel."
"Well, duh. 'Course you are."
They came to a large dome, closed off by a sliding metal door. Rachel cracked her knuckles, typing a code to get in. It opened, revealing a cloth curtain which hung tattered over the door. Rachel pushed through it, telling Abby to come through. What was revealed looked like something of a refugee camp, Aliens parking themselves both below in makeshift huts and above like nests. Everyone peeked over at least for a moment, though some lingered longer as Rachel entered. She was clearly a major influence on them, possibly even a leader. Abby wouldn't be surprised by that in the slightest.
"Check it out, Losers!" she shouted, pulling Abby in by the neck, her arm around her. "Abigail Lincoln in the flesh!"
One particularly large Alien angrily flipped over his table, causing the game they were playing to crash all over the ground. Must be Taglor, Abby thought. A few other Aliens audibly groaned.
"That's right. Pay up. Keep it comin'." Rachel announced walking through the ship, holding out a bag. "It's really her. Would I lie to you?" The aliens proceeded to drop crystals in the bag. "Thank you."
It was clear that Taglor wasn't the only one she was making bets with.
"Great. Another human," one of the smaller Aliens griped.
But Rachel marched forward.
Abby looked around at all the Aliens, tattered and malnurished. "All of these ships crashed here? How come they never left?"
"They've tried," Rachel explained. "But most of the ships can't navigate through the asteroid belt. It's almost all Adults, some Teens. It's rare you get a Kid, but they show up now and again. All of them tried to cross into the G:KND territory or got flung out by the security system. It not only kicks them out, it sends them here. It's rare a ship survives the crash, even rarer that the pilot's good enough to avoid the belt." She grinned, whispering. "But you did. Not surprised."
"So they're all enemies of the G:KND then..." Abby thought aloud.
"Not all." Rachel's voice lowered to a serious tone. "Some of them were tricked. Some of them learned about project Fuz and were sent here to be silenced."
"What's project Fuz?"
Rachel laughed. "Oh, sorry. That's just what I call it. You know, the Khlorophill project."
Abby stared at her blankly.
"Isn't...that why you're here?" she asked. "I thought...since Earth..."
Abby's voice hardened. "Earth what?"
Rachel sighed. "You look like you could use a bath. Come on. We'll be alone there."
Abby couldn't deny a bath.
Wally paced up and down the long corridors of the ship, bitching and moaning about one thing or another. Kuki watched him, waiting for him to calm down. He was a passionate person, but even still he wasn't the type to let things get to him for long unless he was really upset.
"I think we all just need a break from each other," Kuki tried. "We've been on this mission for a long time. In really close quarters. Under pretty weird circumstances."
"We don't need a break. We need to do what we actually need to bloody do." He grumbled. "But no. We're waitin' in the ship. Shut out. Again."
"Abby's just worried. And maybe..." Kuki thought back to what Wally said back in the club. "Maybe you are too?"
"Worried about what? You'd think that now that she had nothin' to lose we'd be cookin' but we are sluggin' along..."
"Wally—"
"And you know what? I bet there ain't even anything out there. Just a bunch of old rickety space ships. She's just bidin her fucking time."
"Honestly, I think you're right about that last part. I wish we had gotten more training in," Kuki said. "I know we're going to remember everything soon, at least I hope so, but it would make me feel a lot better."
That's when Wally got an idea. "You know what, Kuki? You're right. We should be trained! And if Abby ain't gonna do it, we're gonna do it ourselves!" He marched over to the front of the ship, approaching the lever that was holding up the shields.
"Uh...Wally..." Kuki followed.
"There ain't nothin' out there anyway. We'll just get some target practice in. Abby doesn't have to know."
"We can't leave the ship!" Kuki protested. "What about Hoagie?"
Wally was short. "He can take care of himself."
"Wally, I don't know about—"
But he slammed his fingers on the button. The shields fell. He picked up one of Kuki's paintball guns and strapped it over his body. "You comin' or not?"
Hot steam poured out of the deep pools of water, the minerals relaxing every ounce of Abby's body. Even as she listened to what Rachel had to say, she couldn't quite focus on it due to her immense need to de-stress. Bright yellow and green lights flashed beneath her pool, making her appear to radiate. She was even tempted to take out her band but decided against it.
"Project Fuz. I know, it doesn't stand for anything. I haven't had the time to think of a proper mission name. I'm sure it's called something, but for now let's just say it's the G:KND's latest secret project." Rachel explained this sinking into the steaming hot water. She leaned over the side, tracing the water with her finger. "Ships full of Khlorophill have been documented passing through the headquarters' security disguised as ice cream ships. It's illegal for the Adults to have Khlorophill mines outside of their territory, of course, but they do anyway. Question is, why would Kids be messing with vegetables?"
Abby shrugged. "And you're sure Earth is involved. How do you know?"
"I pick up transmissions from all over. We can't send them out, but it doesn't mean we don't get them," she said. "The Adults think Nigel's election to the G:KND has something to do with the project and I'm inclined to agree."
"The aging virus," Abby thought aloud. "Nigel quarantined Earth...cause he thinks there's an aging virus spreading."
"That's what they always said but..." Rachel sank further into her muscular arms. "After being sent here, I don't think the G:KND have anything good planned for Earth. If anything, they're afraid of us. And I'd be surprised if they haven't roped Nigel into their scheme somehow."
"Hoagie says it ain't so much a virus, though, as it is a genetic disposition? Which makes sense. What don't make sense is the quarantine. They already know that's how it works, and it ain't contagious. So they lied to everyone." She lifted her toe above the water. "They wanna control us. But why? We ain't no threat to the G:KND. They're way more advanced than we are. We got Teens runnin' with their tails between their legs they're so scared."
"I'm sorry." Rachel beamed. "Who says what?"
Fuck.
"You sly bitch."
"Sly? Nah. Predictable?" She shrugged. "Maybe."
"Uh, sure yeah. Okay." She flipped over, leaning back on her elbows. "So. How many of you made it?"
"Just me," Abby said. "Nigel, obviously but...he...y'know..."
"They're here, aren't they? Sector V. You brought them."
"I had to!" Abby got defensive again. "I couldn't leave'm on Earth with everything goin' on! I know they ain't my responsibility but what was I supposed to do—"
"Whoa, whoa, Abby. Chill," Rachel appeased. "Since when are you so tense?"
"Since when are you not tense? Yo' pretty chill for a girl who spent the last seven years fightin' for her life."
"You learn a lot about yourself when you're stranded in the middle of space. Little things like...I love soccer. I would do it for a living if I could. Knowing that gives me peace, you know? I always thought you'd found yours and that's why you were so...cool. But I get it. Life changes you. You think you got it figured out and then someone tells you it's actually called football and you feel like it's all been a lie."
"...We talkin' about soccer or life here?"
"Is there a difference?"
Abby blew bubbles in the water.
"You don't have to justify your choices to me, girl. I can't imagine a world where you're without them." Rachel spoke with wisdom and honesty. "Why didn't you tell me? I miss those weirdos."
Abby groaned.
"Abigail Lincoln never ever says what she's thinkin'," Rachel teased in a sing-song voice.
"I needed a break."
"Ah."
"Which is...horrible."
"Is it?"
She finally got her face out of the water. "All I wanted was to be together again and now that we're together I just wanna be alone. Not forever but..." She thumbed her fingers through her hair. "I thought I knew what I wanted but now I don't even know where to take one step forward." Abby inhaled. "I am afraid of the past," she admitted. "And I am draggin' my feet. But that's all I can do right now. That's all I have the strength for." Her eyes clenched shut. "If I run too fast and fall, I might never get up. And they'll all come crumblin' with me."
"Maybe." Rachel shrugged. "Or maybe they'll take the ball and sprint ahead."
Abby laughed. "God. I'm a shit leader, huh?"
"I know a lot of shittier ones," she admitted. "Ones that would've given up a long time ago. Can I ask you something?"
Abby nodded.
"You really think nostalgia brought you all the way here?" She leaned on the rock, arms folded under her chin. "Do you think it's that powerful?"
Abby didn't know what to say.
"I have a lot of memories of childhood, you know? Working for the KND, playing soccer with my friends, watching cartoons every afternoon and every morning. I think about it all the time. But..." she thought some more. "I don't know if any of that would push me the way you're pushing yourself. I've learned a lot out here. From all walks of life, beings from far away galaxies, technologies unlike anything I've ever seen. Maybe I've changed too much to be a kid anymore. Being stranded in a place makes you learn pretty quick how to fend for yourself. At first, I felt guilty. My entire life was upended, and I started to see Childhood less as a way of life and more as a dream. It went against everything I believed in but...there was something inside that said it was time to move on. You think nostalgia brought you here? But I don't think that's true. I think it's more than that."
"I don't think it's got anything to do with them," she said. "I just wanted to find myself again. And I got them tangled up in my bullshit."
"If that's true, then just leave them here."
"I could."
"Yeah. Why not?" Abby didn't say anything. "You know why not."
"Cause I can' t let go."
"No." Rachel thumbed her fingers through her blonde hair. "Because you can't give up. It's not in your blood." She thought a moment. "It'd be different if they weren't your people, Abby. If they weren't your people, you would find a way to live without them. Like you did the first time Sector V. dispersed."
"I can't believe you remember all that."
"What can I say? You inspire me," Rachel admitted. "I tried so hard not to be jealous. Especially when it came to Nigel. You guys were so close. I'll admit, it took a lot of effort not to fall under the same traps some girls do. But your team is your team, and you know that better than anyone. And even though it made me insecure, I wanted you on mine." She looked into the water. "They're your team, Abby. You chose them and choose them over and over again. Don't let anyone make you feel like it's anything more complicated than that."
Abby leaned back, crossing her legs, her body feeling the heated water. "Oh. That's sexy."
Rachel laughed and splashed her face.
"Okay so spill. I need all the details!" Rachel nearly jumped. "If Wally and Kuki aren't still together I'm going to jump off this ship into a black hole."
Abby laughed. "They're together. It's hell on Earth tryn'a get'm apart for two seconds."
"Even after decommissioning. That's true love right there."
"Sure is."
"And how's our next Einstein? He still an awkward turtle?"
"Hoagie's...different. They're all different, right? In certain ways. The same in others. But he's real different. And I guess I wasn't expectin' things to be...different." Her feet kicked in the water. "I didn't realize that could happen to us. You always see it happen to other people, but you never think it's gonna happen with you. And when it does...you just..." She looked at her toes, flexing them. "I missed so much. Even though I tried not to. And Nigel. He missed everything."
"I guess I did too."
Abby stopped. "N-no. I said Nigel. I didn't mean you."
"I left too, Abby." She smiled at the opening in the roof, where they could peek out at the stars. "I left my family and friends, my life, soccer...I thought I was in love. Maybe I was. Guess we'll never know now. But I knew if I didn't go, I would always wonder what would happen if I did. And you know the weirdest part? I don't even regret it. Even though it landed me here. Is that crazy?"
"I don't think so," Abby said. "I think it's one'a those things you gotta find out for yourself."
"Do you regret staying?"
"It was the right choice for me," Abby admitted. "If I chased him like you did...Numbuh 5 might find herself runnin' backwards. Headed somewhere but lookin' the other way." She inhaled the thick steam. "I just miss it, you know? The adventure, the possibilities, sleepovers, snow days. I know, probably now more than ever, that wasn't the whole picture. Just the part I colored in. But I still miss it."
"I wanted it too," Rachel agreed. "To stay young forever. But I didn't really understand what that meant. I did what he did. I used him to run away."
"I could keep him a dream if I didn't get too close," Abby said.
"And now?"
"I'm awake." She inhaled, pulling herself out of the water, the cool air shocking her skin. "Alright. Let's go get Numbuh 4 outta trouble."
"How do you know he's in trouble?"
"He's due."
Wally and Kuki scrambled through the vines, running from the ground-shattering screeches of the creature before them. They had multiplied now, coming from every direction. Large, luminescent bug creatures at every angle. Above them, a giant moth-thing. They finally found an alcove to hide in as Wally kept shooting them, which apparently only made things worse.
And Kuki had just about had it.
"Great!" she scraped the slime off of her arms. "This is just great, Wally!"
"Me? You shot at it first!"
She rolled her eyes. "You just had to prove that you were a big man, didn't you?" she exclaimed. "We should've contacted Abby before things got out of hand! But no."
"I have everything under control."
"Under control? Does this," she held up her broken paint gun, "Look under control to you?"
"Relax, Kuki."
"You always do this. What is it with you men and needing to be the hero all the time!"
"Well, I'm sorry I'm not Abigail Lincoln the second coming of bloody Christ," he grumbled.
"Wallabee, knock it off."
"I know what you all think. You think I ain't tough enough to survive out here."
"Wally, it's not about that," Kuki explained. "We have to work together. You can't just run off and go shooting at enemies without backup! Especially not creepy alien bug things! We don't have our memories or the experience to—"
"Yes! I know! You've only told me a bumillion times, Kuki!"
His girlfriend scoffed. "What is your problem?"
"I ain't some limp noodle she dragged along for sentimental value, okay?" he snapped. "I can fight my own battles, Kuki. I can defend myself against some stupid bugs and I can take a fucking punch!"
As she listened to the last part, things finally fell into place. She stopped completely, allowing herself to calm. There wasn't much silence with the screeching, but Wally's labored breathing was almost as loud to her.
"Oh Wally..." she took his hand. "No. You can't-"
"Oh, don't start." He yanked it out. "Nobody thinks I'm tough enough to fight on my own. That I ain't smart enough to be of any help. I've been just fine since we got out here and I want some damn credit."
"You know that's not why he did it."
"They shut me out, Kuki! They think I'm gonna screw everything up. It happens every fucking time! Look at the punk takin' up space. Look at the loser who can't get into college. I know how they see me! I ain't that stupid!"
"Wally...you don't..."
"It's not fair!" the boy kicked the ground. "He's not supposed to be the tough one. That was supposed to be me! My contribution to this team is friendship and he gets to be the tough guy? Are you fucking kidding me!"
"Wallabee!" Kuki's voice raised over him. "Stop. Talking." She stepped away from him, her whole body tensed. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"You're my girlfriend," he spoke simmering. "You're supposed to be on my side."
"I am on your side, Wally," she told him, relaxing. "I am always on your side."
He sniffled. "Then how come—" Annoyed, he turned his back to her. "This is bullshit."
She took his hand again, turning him around. "I know you wanna be strong, And you are strong." She sighed, stroking it. "But whatever it is you think he has that you don't, you don't want it. Trust me."
His breathing regulated as he calmed himself.
"You are a valuable member to this team. And you don't have to go charging after some alien monster to prove yourself. You've already done that, Wally. Just by being here."
He huffed. "Just by being here? You know how lame that sounds?"
"There's a lot that you don't know," she finally told him. "And it isn't my place to say, but it has nothing to do with you I promise."
"So, you're keepin' secrets now too."
"Stop acting like a child."
"I thought we were supposed to act like children. That's the whole bloody point," he griped.
"You're doing it in a bad way!" she snapped. "Abby is good at this because she trained for years. She's given up everything for us. Everything. And Hoagie is...Hoagie is..." she tried to find the words. "Impulsive. And way too busy judging himself to ever judge you. So just stop." She sighed. "This shit isn't helping them. And it isn't helping you either. Be the bigger man."
"If I ain't the tough one," he said with a lump in his throat. "Who'm I supposed to be? If I ain't got my memories and I ain't able to fight, then why am I even fucking here?"
"Wally, real life isn't like the movies. You don't have to have one thing that makes you valuable. You have so many things! And so do I...and so do they."
He squeezed her hand, his bangs falling over his face.
"I'm scared..." he trembled. "If I ain't tough...it means I'm weak. If I'm weak and the team's relyin' on me and I screw up...we could all...we almost...what if someone dies 'cause'a me?"
Kuki smiled. "All we can do is our best."
The loudest screech.
"But running into danger...probably not the best way to stay alive."
Rachel and Abby ran out to where the ship was, stopping at the bridge.
"Numbuh 4..." Abby groaned as she noticed the ship's shields were, in fact, down. Just as she had predicted.
"Abby," Rachel said, pointing up at a massive shadow in the back. "It's the Mother."
"Well, this could be the last time you ever see this place," Abby said. "Before we escape, you don't wanna, I dunno, say goodby—"
But Rachel ignored her and began charging toward the ship. It was dark, but they had just enough light to see from the vines. Abby followed her. The giant creature flapped their wings, releasing a sparkling dust into the air. Abby ran beneath the Mother, allowing Rachel to climb up and try to secure it from the top. She could see Wally and Kuki now, huddled in the corner pathetically trying to swat away the Mother with their weapons. They hadn't gone ten feet from the ship, yet still managed to find themselves in peril. Rachel jumped onto the Mother, causing it to hiss and writhe. It took off flying into the distance, Rachel still latched on from a wound she punctured, electric blue slop falling from the being. The pain cause the Mother to veer off course, which gave Abby her shot.
She waited for Rachel to steer the Mother back in her direction. She had one chance to get this right. The Mother flew low to the ground, lower than she anticipated. She dropped, getting a lower angle for her clear shot and javelined the spear through its chest as it passed over her. The monster fell to the ground, even more wounded but not dead. Abby got up, and as though walking out of a business meeting, brushed herself off and walked up to Wally and Kuki. The other bugs rushed to their queen, ignoring the others entirely.
"First lesson of combat," Abby stated, scraping the bug guts off her spear. "Environment is everything."
Kuki and Wally wilted and came down to her level.
"Aha! Nice one! That should give us enough time to peace outta here," Rachel said, giving Abby a side-five. "I'd call that a haul."
Then, Kuki noticed the girl beside Abby. "...is that a hot space blonde?" she asked flatly.
"That is Numbuh 362 former Soopreme Leader of the Kids Next Door," Abby corrected. "She's joining the mission."
"Just how many hot space blondes do you know?!" She gasped.
Abby tossed Wally her spear. "Lazars aggravate'm. Paint don't work. You gonna be a weapon's expert, you gotta learn to do more than just shoot and punch."
She walked up to Kuki. "And you? What kind of form is that? You gotta be able to old your position like this..." she instructed, holding Kuki's arm up.
"Like this?" she tried.
"More level."
She adjusted.
"Honestly, who trained you people?" she laughed. "Abby's gonna have to kick their butt."
"3...4..." Rachel looked around. "I thought all of you were out here?"
"Wally...Kuki..."
Wally shrank, remembering. "Ah, crud."
They ran in, Abby knocking the door down. The room was a mess, with scattered pieces of metal all over the floor. No one charged inside. There was no sign of an invasion, no slime or bug eggs. Just an eighteen-year-old boy with his friend's headphones on, dancing around to the beats of Huey Lewis' "Back in Time", singing the words as he worked. The others tried not to laugh, staring and watching for a while before Hoagie noticed them and screamed, nearly tripping over the scrap in the room.
Abby zipped up her smile. "Meeting. Bridge. Ten minutes."
Hoagie hid his blush before noticing Rachel, taking a double-take. "Is that another hot blonde?"
"I know! They're falling out of the sky now!" Kuki exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air.
Rachel paced back and forth, the four others watching and waiting for her response. At last, she opened her mouth to speak.
"So, let me see if I have this right. Nigel decommissioned the planet using the code module which the Galactic Kids Next Door stole from Moon Base, allowing Father to gain complete control over all of humanity and make childhood illegal. The TND and Adult spies are basically the only ones who remember but they're outnumbered against both Father's army and the G:KND who essentially run the entire Universe. So your plan is to find Nigel and get him to reverse the decommissioning and enlist the help of the G:KND to save the planet from Father. Is that it?"
Wally whispered to Kuki. "Is that it?"
She shrugged.
Rachel finally stopped pacing. "If you're expecting to barter with the G:KND, it won't work. They did all of this for a reason. They must have some kind of plan."
"They claim the aging virus is spreading and that the decommissioning was part of their quarantine of the planet. Nigel had a hand in that decision, or at least that's what it looks like from the outside," Abby explained.
"The aging virus has always existed," Rachel explained. "If it exists at all. That might be the story they're telling, but it doesn't track."
Hoagie's nose scrunched. "What do you mean?"
"I mean aging isn't isolated to one planet. It's rare out here, but not unheard of. And not all of those planets are in quarantine. You've proven that." She put a finger to her chin to think. "Something else is going on."
"Called it!" Wally exclaimed. Everyone looked at him. "What? I did, didn't I?"
She pulled up the screen, showing hundreds of little screens with talking heads. "I've been hopping from vessel to vessel intercepting transmissions while on lookout for survivors. I've read logs from thousands of planets. All the ships in this graveyard are invaders or unwelcome guests come to talk with the G:KND. Without an invitation you're not getting in. I've tried multiple times but have never been able to get past the security system." She placed her fist in her hand. "They give orders going out, but no one gets in, not even through the S.L.I.N.G.S.H.O.T. If Nigel is in there, and he's aged, odds are they're not letting him out either."
"He's a prisoner!" Kuki exclaimed.
"Maybe," Hoagie added. "Maybe he stays by choice."
"Our highest-ranking officer is dirt compared to their authority in the Universe. No one is talking their way in there. If you want to talk to Nigel, you're going to have to hack your way in."
"Hack?" Wally sat up. "I can do that. Gimmie a great axe. I'll go demon souls on that thing! Whammo!"
"I think she means like a computer," Hoagie explained.
Wally sunk down. "Pffft. I knew that."
"Even with him on your side, there's only a small chance they'll listen. They say they're Kids, but be sure there is nothing innocent about them," Rachel warned. "They have no sense of consequence and are as old as the Universe itself. According to the logs I've decoded, they've leveled entire Adult civilizations with the push of a button. And I have no doubt they're planning to do the same to Earth, which is why they refuse to let me contact Nigel. If he learns too much, their plan could be compromised."
"Then why bring him to begin with?" Abby asked. "Why not keep their presence on Earth a secret?"
The smile Rachel gave Abby both thrilled and terrified her. "I'm so glad you asked that, Abby! Because I have been trying to figure it out myself!" The pacing began again. "Why Nigel? Was he really the best operative? Well, I mean he was, but maybe there was more than that! And then I got to thinking..." She began to pull up more saved files, ones that she had clearly been putting together for a long time. "The splinter cell was the cover-up, the test to see if Nigel was worthy of being in the G:KND. But what if it wasn't actually a test! What if Nigel was actually onto the G:KND's presence on Earth from the beginning!"
"Okay, wait. What splinter cell?" Hoagie asked.
"Ooh! I know this one!" Wally announced. "Abby told me that before the Galactic Kids Next door recruited Nigel, they tested him by making him believe there was a splinter cell in the Kids Next Door. Like...kids who wanted to destroy Adults for good or somethin'."
Hoagie grunted at Abby. "You told him this?"
"Gasp!" Kuki said, consonants and all.
"But it wasn't real," Abby said. "It was just a test."
"He got close to something," Rachel continued. "Something big! So the G:KND had no choice but to recruit him. To make their presence known so that the cover-up would remain a secret!"
"Project Fuz."
Rachel nodded."Khlorophill."
"Chloroform?" Kuki asked, confused. "Why would kids need that?" She gasped again. "They're gonna kidnap Santa Claus!"
"No-not. What?"
Kuki stood. "It all makes sense! They don't have Christmas, so they kidnapped Santa and forced him to make them all presents! Of course, Santa told them they would be on the naughty list, so they learned to share and create a Christmas of their own! Like in that Halloween-Christmas movie." Her hands went to her mouth. "Nigel Uno is Santa Claus!"
The rest of the group sat in silence. "I got no idea how you got any of that."
"Kholro-phill, Kuki." Hoagie interrupted. "The green toxin we found on the Moon Base."
"Green like Christmas!"
"We're not saving Christmas!" Wally shouted.
Humph. "Not with that attitude."
"Kuki," Abby put a hand on her friend's back. "I've met Santa Claus. He's got a whole super team to protect him. No one is kidnapping him any time soon."
"Is it weird that now all I can think about is how Father making children illegal probably put the whole Santa industry out of business?" Hoagie remarked. He turned to Abby with a smirk. "Also, you did not meet Santa."
Abby put her hand out. "Five bucks."
"Focus!" Rachel snapped. "Khlorophill is the most dangerous substance in the known Universe and right now the G:KND are harvesting it for who knows what purpose!"
"Wait...The Galactic Kids Next Door are mining vegetables?" Wally interrupted. "I thought it was the Adults."
"From what I understand, they both are." Rachel nodded. "Last I heard there was a cease-fire ordered and I have a feeling it's because neither of them wants to risk an all-out biochemical attack."
"Mutually Assured Destruction," Hoagie figured. "They're in a gridlock."
"The G:KND attacked the Moon Base with Khlorophill," Abby realized. "They blamed it on the TEENZ but there was no way they could've came and gone that quickly. That's how they got the code module."
Rachel took a step forward. "Now that we have a case, we can take this information back to the TND and—"
"No!" Abby shot up. "I...we can't."
"What do you mean?"
Abby moved forward. "We...I mean...I sorta...quit."
Rachel's expression was blank. "You quit the TND."
"Mmmmhmm." Sweat poured down Abby's neck.
She gasped. "Oh my god. You guys are fugitives."
"Hey!" Kuki protested. "We prefer revolutionaries. Thank you."
"That is sticky," Rachel remarked. "You must have everyone in the Universe on your tail."
Abby rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."
"You're gonna need a lot more training before you're ready to get through that security. Abby's a quick pilot, but not that quick. Not to mention the targeting machines shooting at anyone trying to hack their way in. You'd need a top of the line marksman to get through there. And then there's the matter of security once you do get in the base. It'll be swarmed with Kids. Dammit." She sighed. "Sorry. Habit from living with Adults and Teens for the last six and a half years."
"Oh, you're in good company," Abby said.
"So, we've got no choice then," Hoagie stepped forward. "We've gotta use the Cinnamon. It's the only way."
"Cinnamon?" Rachel's ears perked.
"Are we even close?" Abby asked.
"There are a few kinks, but I definitely think it'll work."
"What will work?" Rachel looked around.
"And the module?"
"Purring like a kitten, thanks to the new and improved nostronarium conductor," Hoagie flashed a grin. "I just need to figure out the best way to integrate the Spice"
"Hey!" Rachel shouted. "What module!"
"The...recommissioning module?" Hoagie said sheepishly noticing her. "Abby, you didn't tell her about the—"
Rachel's jaw fell. "A recommissioning module..." she whispered. "You have a recommissioning module?!"
"Well, uh, technically, we stole it from Father," Abby admitted. "Numbuh 2's tryn'a fix it and we don't know exactly how it's gonna work. Did I not...mention that?"
"Way to sell us short, Abby," Wally teased.
"I forgot."
"You forgot? That's all we've been bloody talkin' about for days!"
They started squabble.
"Hey, you guys..." Rachel tried to break them up, but they were not paying attention. "Guys!" Still nothing. "Hey!" They quieted. "You have a recommissioning module."
"Uh, duh," Kuki said. "We said that."
But Rachel's mind was turning. "Abby, if you have a recommissioning module, you don't need Nigel to save Earth," she said. "You just need to steal back the code module."
"Wait...we don't need Uno to save the planet?" Wally asked.
"Of course," Hoagie realized. "If we steal the code module, we'll have all the DNA of everyone on Earth who was in the KND. It's not everything we wanted, but it's a start. Ugh we're so stupid!"
Abby stopped cold. "...we don't...need Nigel?" the words seemed foreign to her.
"Hey," Hoagie picked up on her surprise, touching her gently on the arm. "We're still gonna get him back."
"Yeah!" Kuki grinned. "Don't you worry, Abby! We're gonna get your team back together!"
"It's not Sector V without him, right?" Hoagie said.
"We still gotta kick that guy's ass!" Wally added.
Abby cleared her throat. "Okay, but, our priority is the code module. If we play our cards right, we can use the module as leverage with the TND. It'll prove that we can still fight against Father and against the G:KND. That they can't push us around no more."
"And then you can get your job back!" Kuki exclaimed.
"Kuki, if this goes well," Abby had a smile brighter than they'd ever seen. "We might all get our jobs back."
Hoagie blinked. "You mean..."
"We can recommission everyone. Permanently."
END TRANSMISSION
NOTES: Huey Lewis and the News "Back in Time": watch?v=ur57IunS9To