Chapter 5 KND Tag

July 22, 20?, KND Moonbase, 10:00 am GMT

There is now a massive gathering of agents, both from the KND and the TND branch of the KND. It will be the first time in the KND history where the Soopreme Leader decided to hold the upcoming leadership change in the KND to be shown in the eyes of the general public, as it aims to increase transparency and trust between the KND and the government after the events that happened during the KND second rebellion.

After the Misaki City Incident, most of the KND members linked to the GKND are currently detained in the KND Arctic base for interrogation, especially since they all made several series of treasons that where all to the detriment of the entire earth. When the KND held a trial (also in the public eyes) a month earlier, the testimony of the PODMD members, including that of the Wand Trio, snapped Infinity to call their race 'adult-infested G-class planet that should've been eradicated a long time ago', made their sentence much heavier than it should've been. Unfortunately, the sentence included the legendary Numbuh 1 and the TND head Chad Dickson.

This created a rift between Numbuh 362 and the loyalist to the GKND cause (which is now labeled as the Splinter Cell), but thanks to the help of the recomissioned Numbuh 0, the crown fairies, the Wand Trio, and people from the Pokemon world, the threat of the Splinter Cell is currently quelled and suppressed, but not completely. Rumored has it that it is still alive, but is currently hiding among the KND/TND ranks.

These factors, alongside the planning leading to the Battle of the Ural Mountains and the Battle of Misaki City, lead Numbuh 362 to decide to change leadership as she knows she has a responsibility for agreeing on parts of it. She will also be the first Soopreme Leader to be willfully decommissioned without reaching the age of 13.

But since the entire world knows who are publicly part of the KND thanks to Second Children's Rebellion (which occurred between the Battle of the Ural Mountains and the Battle of Misaki City), the KND and the UN decided to form a transparency treaty. According to the treaty, all of current members of the KND and TND are to be listed and be saved in a common database that the UN, the KND, and the Flame Hazes will jointly manage, and all those records will be accessed like any ordinary record of an individual. Due to this, the usual KND decommissioning ceremony cannot happen as it used to.

Also, instead of the usual decommissioning age of 13, (then subsequent promotion to the TND if the member excelled), all members will be decommissioned at the age of 20 with their memories intact (although the KND do have plans to reinstate the practice exactly 20 years from now, as part of the same transparency agreement with the UN, and new KND recruits post-Misaki City Incident cannot be forced to reveal their identity unless they breached a law or are subject to child abuse).

Most of those who are on Numbuh 362's side cheered on the idea of an extension of the decommissioning, but not everyone liked the transparency part. They have no choice but to comply because some of them have slaughter teenagers and adults during the Second Children's Rebellion, and have been ridden of guilt ever since they learned that their victims returned from the dead. Those who joined with Numbuh 362 during her exile to Fairy World accepted the transparancy act much easier, as it must happen in order to create stability in the long run, and they are already briefed before everything has happened.

The announcement of 362's departure, however, created an opportunity that might swing the direction of the KND to the Splinter Cell, or to cause the vision of Numbuh 362's coexistence with the adults to prematurely stop, as the KND leadership is determined by a game of tag. Before, members would be unwilling to take the leadership role because of how exhausting it will be. However, fears of a Splinter Cell takeover have prompted rumors that they would willingly take the position just to prevent it from happening. However, knowing the paperwork and labor involved, it will still take an iron heart to go on and take the position.

After hours of waiting, Numbuh 362 appeared in the conference room and began to start her address.

"Hello, my fellow KND and TND agents from around the globe. I know that all of you were notified about my decision to leave my post and be decommissioned as the KND/TND Soopreme Leader, as I acknowledge my role as one of the planners that lead to the KND Operation S.A.L.V.A.T.I.O.N., that ultimately lead to disaster and ruin to the name of the KND. Even if I already knew of how bad the outcome will be, I decided to go on exile instead of facing the Splinter Cell. During those times, I've decided that once everything is fixed and everything is dealt with, I would decommission myself as part of the protocols."

Part of the audience are about to cry, but Numbuh 362 then continued her speech.

"However, due to the technicality involved in the transparency treaty, I would be decommissioned without going through the usual decommissioning process, so whoever will be the next KND leader after me can ask me for advice on how to run the KND, as you all know that being the leader is a huge job. However, before I step down, I would like to give the next leader one task before you become you take over. We have this deliberated by all parties, and it was unanimously agreed, that before I step down, the next Soopreme Leader will be a part of an expedition of going into the dimension with the PODMD designation PD1MU1."

There are several murmurs around the room, as everyone knew that the Pokemon World is still a top-secret area and cannot be disclose yet to the public. At least the codename is present and it is labeled as an unexplored world that became this dimension's allies.

"You would be given 2 weeks to explore the area and give a report about it, and you are allowed to only bring 4 members with you, as only 12 members from this dimension are allowed to take a risk, and it was agreed by the KND, the UN, the Flame Hazes, and the members of the other dimension to be that way."

Another murmur was heard, and then the Soopreme Leader continued and said "As always, these are the protocols: No TND agent will be tagged, no adults can be tagged, as we do not want to have another Father as the leader, and whoever fails to pass the tag within 24 hours, OR have failed to pass the tag before July 24, 12:00am London time, will be declared the Soopreme leader. The tag game starts…"

Numbuh 362 chooses to tag Numbuh 726, Chester of Sector CL1, but Chester immediately passed it to Numbuh 834, Phineas Flynn, who then passed it to another person from Sector M. The tag game of leadership begins…

July 23, 20?, KND Moonbase, 8:00pm GMT

Numbuh 362 is shivering because the person who was last tagged was Numbuh 5, a sectormate of Numbuh 1 from Sector V. That, and 24 hours have past, and the entire Sector is now going in to report to her for the confirmation of the game.

She prepared everything and assumed the worse, but still went relatively calm, as I she still believes everything is under control.

Sector V entered her office and the entire Sector saluted. Numbuh 362 stood up and saluted back, and exclaimed "Is this your final decision, Numbuh 5?"

"Yes." She replied. "I know it is odd to see a close friend of Numbuh 1 to be standing here, but I hope you trust me when I say this: I realized that your vision of the relationship between children and adults are more in-line to the original purpose of the KND than anything the GKND wanted us to think, especially after the PODMD revealed the entire truth."

"How do you say so?" Numbuh 362 asks her, to which Abigail just replied "Ever since the time we attempted to stop the Snake of Festival from escaping the portal and how Nigel's existence corrupted Arthur Kirkland, I learned of what truly happens to kids joining the Galactic Kids Next Door. Let's just say the GKND brainwashes kids joining them."

"Nigel is our friend, and still is" Numbuh 2 said. "But he continued his part until the end, probably believing he is in the right, and it cost us so many lives."

"Besides, we talked to him, and…" Numbuh 5 just paused, then continued "… his mind is still relatively close."

"Yeah…" Numbuh 4 replied. "After Misaki City, he is no longer the Nigel we know."

Numbuh 362 could feel them, and Numbuh 5 then spoke up, and said "And thus, it is my decision to take on and be the leader of the KND, to prove the GKND wrong on the entire concept of adulthood. Adulthood is not the corruption of innocence of childhood, because it happens even in our age. The root of evil is within us, not the adults around us, and we, ourselves, are capable of inflicting the same pain to others, and I am willing to change that, mam. I was there to witness the murder of a yet-to-be born infant, driven by Numbuh 1's… I mean, a child's desires to win no matter what. That is what I want to change. I would also like to prove the KND can coexist with the adults, help when help is needed, but opposing each other if something wrong happens. That is how human decency starts. That is how I wanted the KND to be, on how the 8th age will be run."

Suddenly, Numbuh 362 hugs her, to which Numbuh 4 yelled "Well, that's new.", with Numbuh 3 saying "Well, people change after war breaks out, right, sweetie?"

The two broke their hug, and Numbuh 362 just said "Well, our visions are somehow near, only a bit different on some aspect. I'll be announcing you to be the new Soopreme Leader-in-training soon, alongside your partners in your expedition."

"Yes Mam." She saluted.

"Alight then. Sector V, you are now dismissed."

After that, Numbuh 362 just stares out at the window, and toward earth, wearing a great smile. She then remarked "Once again, Your Majesty, you are right. I could finally find rest knowing the EKND will be in the right hands."