Codename: Kids Next Door

operation:

g.a.l.a.c.t.i.c.

FIVE

Numbuh 1 was eyeing his intended target, A.K.A. Numbuh 274. "You're coming with me."

"Numbuh 1! You've got to listen to-"

Before Chad could get another word out, a loud boom occurred outside. Nigel, Chad, and the teens went over to the front window. Outside, KND vehicles and ships were parked out front. Many operatives and teens were embroiled in battle. Rays of 2x4 weapons shot into the air. One teen set off a stink bomb that nearly caused Sector Q to pass out. Suddenly, another 2x4 ship landed. Numbuh 1 recognized it as a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. He thought for a moment that it looked like it belonged to Sector V, but he quickly wiped the thought from his mind once Chad tried to run away from him. Before he exited out the front door, Nigel stepped in front of him.

"What are you doing man? Look you've got to listen to me!"

"You...traitor. You betrayed us so I'm taking you in!"

"Guys, I hate to interrupt but like, look out!" A teen said.

At the exact moment, mustard skunk bombs were thrown through the window. Nigel, Chad, and the teens began gasping for air; all except Maurice who for someone reason was wearing a S.M.E.L.L.M.E.T. Then, four operatives entered the warehouse. They also wore S.M.E.L.L.M.E.T.(s) and looked like they had a job to do. Numbuh 1 couldn't make out the operatives because the fog of the bombs had made it hard for him to see.

"Maurice!" Numbuh 5 called out.

Maurice appeared out of the fog with a journal in his hand.

"Here's everything I've gathered Abby," he said with a whisper. He would have winked at her but of course, with the mask, that was kind of hard to do.

Coughing, Numbuh 1 rubbed his eyes. Chad did the same.

"Nigel, you've got to listen," Chad tried to say. However, 1 knocked him out and placed handcuffs on him.

Once the fog slowly began to clear, Numbuh 1 realized that he was in the presence of old acquaintances. Once they took off their helmets, Numbuhs 2 through 5 gasped in shock. It was the first time they had laid their eyes on their former leader. He too was surprised at seeing them there. They all looked the same but a bit different.

"Numbuh 1," the Sector V operatives said in unison.

Nigel turned around and saw his teammates staring wide-eyed at him. Wise-cracking Hoagie, sweet-natured Kuki, short-tempered Wally, and laid-back Abigail. How he had missed them. All of them looked as though they were trying to hold back tears. Even Numbuh 1 felt the restraint to not burst into tears.

"Guys?"

Suddenly, the four operatives ran up to their former leader. Just like old times, they hugged him and all began talking at once. Despite the tearful reunion, Nigel's focus shifted. Under the GKND orders, he wasn't supposed to talk to them. However, explaining the orders he was given couldn't hurt.

"What are you doing here Numbuh 1," Abby asked.

"Yeah, was that your super cool ship that landed here," Hoagie asked.

Maurice and the other teens escaped the warehouse and headed outside. The teens and KND members were still embroiled in what seemed like an endless conflict. For the past 10 minutes, there had been nothing but Indian burns and wedgies galore. Maurice and his "friends" were trying to make their way through the chaos. However, they were stopped by the endless amount of youth traffic.

"Look, it's wonderful to see you guys and everything, but I'm on a mission here and I can't-"

"Ooo! A mission here on Earth!" Kuki interrupted.

"If that's the case, we can help you," Hoagie said excitedly.

"Yeah Numbuh 1! We can help!" Wally said.

Desperately, Nigel tried and tried to get a word in, but his teammates continued to talk over him. Growing angry, Nigel raised his right shirt sleeve so that he could push a button on a strange looking watch that he wore on his right wrist. Suddenly, a high-pitched sound occurred from the watch. It was so loud that it caused his former team members to fall to the ground covering their ears. After a few seconds, he pressed the strange watch again and the noise ceased.

"Hey! What was that for!" Wally said angrily.

"I'M BUSY! So, I don't have time to talk to you guys! Right now, I've got to get this traitor out of here!" Nigel said pointing to Chad.

"Traitor? To the GKND? But what has he done," Abby asked.

"Uh...I don't know, but..." Nigel groaned. "Forget it. Just stay out of this Numbuh 5! It was the KND who was harboring him! Now, if you don't mind I've got to go!"

And with that last rude response, Nigel clicked his heels together and his rocket boots appeared. He grabbed Chad and blasted through the warehouse roof leaving Sector V calling out to him. It had been a surreal moment for them. Not only had they finally seen their former leader, but they had just seen him downright ignore them.

"We finally get to see him, and he wants nothing to do with us!" Wally said breaking the awkward silence.

"Why does he think we would be harboring a fugitive?" Hoagie wondered.

"Maybe he's just cranky," Kuki said adding to the conversation.

Abby put a hand under her chin. There are two things Nigel Uno would never do. One, he would never ignore his friends. Two, he would never condemn someone without the support of evidence. Something smelled rotten in Denmark, and she knew that they had to get to the bottom of this confusing, mysterious organization. I mean, how much did they really know about the Galactic Kids Next Door?

"He's more than cranky. He's out of his mind! Come on! We've got to follow Numbuh 1!" Abby said waving to the team.

The battle between teens and children had ceased for the moment. Sector V ran out of the warehouse where they saw Numbuh 1 placing Chad in his ship.

"There he is!" Numbuh 3 yelled.

Before the team could get to him, he had already blasted off. As the team watched the ship fly up into the sky, they knew that there was no way they could track him. After all, the Galactic Kids Next Door was so secretive that no one really knew where their headquarters were located. Just then, Maurice came running up to Abby.

"You guys should have seen Chad. He was talking crazy!"

"What," she responded.

"Um...I didn't gather all the information. Just something about an organization trying to wipe out all adults."

The team looked at one another in shock. Whatever had just happened and whatever situation Nigel was in, Abby knew that it wasn't good. Taking one of his own teammates, ignoring his friends, and blindly following orders. Something that he didn't even do in the KND.

"Nigel Uno...what have you done," she said still staring up into the sky at the jet trail that his rocket had left.