(sigh) Well I finally managed to fulfill my promise that I never forgot this fic and I actually was working on it (in addition to scrambling with other things like school, exams, and other stories). . Well this chapter is now done so that's a relief! (And just in time for the Christmas season so I'm keeping up with other vow of at least chocking out an update during either Christmas or New Years). For those of you who have been awaiting an update and have been patient with me throughout this, thank you so much!
Disclaimer: I don't own Codename: Kids Next Door, but I do own all of the OCs in this fic. Well, I hope you all enjoyed my last complicated chapters because this one is all about the mission to rescue the Moonbase. This chapter is pretty long to make up for the horrendous wait-time.
Continuing Transmission…
Now downloading Kids Next Door Mission…
Real
Evil
Situations
Cause
Unhappy
Experiences
Log 9—As Strong As We Are UnitedTime: 12:00 AM
Location: KND Headquarters (Sector V)
Don't give up…you can't give up now…the time has come…we have to do what's right.
The thoughts plagued Zen's head as he struggled to keep his lean body upright; a process hard to do within the quarters of Hoagie's room. Papers and parts of 2x4 technology were littered everywhere. It seemed like the only places safe from the debris were Hoagie's bed (up in the plane) and Zen's makeshift bed. Up in Hoagie's plane, the pilot snored softly while he continued to work down below.
I have to find something that can get us inside…something…every computer can be hacked. Every security wall has a password. Every base can be broken into. The question is…where is the flaw?
Questions. Questions.
That's all I'm ever good for isn't it? Research. Information. I'm no fighter so physical strength is out of the question. I've never been the best at stealth what with my glasses and clumsiness. I can assist in weapon-making, but I never find myself comfortable enough to use one when everyone else can use it just fine. And of course…leadership has never been my favored suit.
Zen pushed his glasses back on the bridge of his nose, thinking. It won't be long anyway…it won't be long before I forget about this. My memories aren't mine to keep.
Ever since Cree had called, he'd been thinking about decommissioning more and more. It was always there with him, whether he was surrounded by his teammates or not. The inevitable fact, the harsh truth of reality. No matter what he did at the end of the day of his birth…nothing would matter.
Yes it would; to my friends. I owe it to them to let them live.
With that thought in mind, the Genius hunched over his book once more, putting his brilliant mind to use. Hacking into the KND Moonbase…he'd take all night if he had to.
Next Day
Time: 7:00 AM
Location: Kids Next Door International Headquarters, Moon BaseCree Lincoln wandered through the halls, passing through sliding doors as if it were all second nature. She noticed Chad standing guard as per usual in the room where the KND operatives were held, but there was something peculiar in his eyes. Shaking her head, she approached him. "Shift's been over Chad. I'll stand guard for the next hour or so."
The blond boy glanced at her sort of reluctantly and nodded. "Okay Cree." He walked through the sliding doors, shifting his eyes towards a certain cell as he passed.
Cree cocked her eyebrow at him and then looked at the cells. Oookay, I don't understand what's with him. She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall. It's gonna be a looooong day.
Time: 8:00 AM
Location: KND Headquarters (Sector V)
Hoagie P. Gilligan yawned and stretched his arms over his head. He secured his pilot goggles over his eyes. Man, I'm still tired. He peered over the edge of his makeshift jet and was astonished to see Zen hard at work with his computer.
"G'morning Numbuh 11," he called down to him.
The older boy nodded wearily, pushing his glasses back on his nose. "Good morning." His fingers danced over the keys as if nothing had interrupted him.
Confused, Hoagie climbed down his ladder and landed next to Zen. He gave him a long look. "What are you doing?"
With a sigh, Zen glanced up at him. It was now without the book that Hoagie noticed the tired wrinkles forming at the edges of the other boy's eyes behind the spectacles. His thin shoulders sagged beneath the white collared shirt he wore and his uncombed hair hung limply over his forehead.
"I've been trying to hack into the Kids Next Door Moonbase for some time now. It's pretty difficult."
Hoagie frowned. "And just how long have you been up doing this?"
"I…I don't know. I don't think I've been asleep at all actually. There was this one time in the night…no wait, I think I must've been thinking I was sleeping."
That made no sense but Hoagie decided not to ask further about it. Besides, he was too shocked at Zen's dedication to care. "You didn't get any sleep last night?"
"Sometimes I only get a few hours a day actually so I'm used to this Numbuh 2," the Genius replied calmly. "I've never met up with something I couldn't hack and I'm not planning on making this base the first thing."
He doesn't sleep much and he's still pretty tall. "Have you hacked into it before?"
"Sure—a couple of times. In fact, that's why they change the password and codes so often." Zen gave Hoagie a tired grin. "But this is the teenager's base now and they've conjured up some new programs. I barely got through two firewalls last night."
Hoagie yawned and nodded. He was actually very impressed with Zen's efforts of the night before now that he thought about it. Most people would have given up after only two hours but Zen had stayed with it until the next day. This wasn't something that could have come with his genius status either.
"Well I hope you find a way to override the programs the teenagers made." Hoagie began walking towards the door. "I'm gonna grab some breakfast. You need anything Numbuh 11?"
"Nope."
"Okay."
Zen didn't hear his friend leave the room. He hunched over the keyboard again when suddenly an idea popped into his brain. Wait a minute…override?The wheels and wires in his brilliant brain began to spin and flicker. Override…program…virus would work…but that would shut down everything and be a job to remove when the whole process is done…but override…override…codes! Codes would work…override…
A weary smile split across Zen's thin face. Numbuh 2…you're a genius! Well…not exactly because I'm a genius…but you're still brilliant!
Well this is the best I can come up with on such short notice. Zen glanced around the living room of the treehouse nervously. Now where are Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 10?
Entering the living room, he found Naomi and Kuki sitting on the couch and playing with their Rainbow Monkeys. The TV was blaring but neither girl was paying attention to the program. Kayla flipped through channel after channel, not even noticing him. "Um…hello girls. Can I ask you something?"
Both stared at him. "He…he has a face!" Kuki shrieked.
"Of course he does Numbuh 3. He just doesn't show it often," said Naomi calmly. She grinned cheerfully at the Genius. "What do you want Numbuh 11?"
"Have either of you seen Numbuh 5 or Numbuh 10 anywhere?"
Naomi shrugged. "Numbuh 3 and I have been in here most of the morning."
"Oh."
"You could ask the boys in the kitchen," said Kuki brightly. "Or do you wanna stay here and play with us?"
Zen gave an involuntary shudder. No…way… "Um…not right now. Maybe later." Much. With a faint nod, he proceeded into the next room where the boys were finishing breakfast.
The reaction he received was similar to the one the girls had given him. Wally and Hoagie stared at him from behind their cereal bowls. Eric's spoon halted in its descent to his mouth and Nigel's hand paused on its way to his cup. Matt cleared his throat and spoke to his teammate. "Do you need something Numbuh 11?"
"Actually yes. I'm looking for Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 10."
"They finished breakfast a little while ago," said Nigel. "I'm not exactly sure where they went but you could try Numbuh 5's room."
Nodding in thanks, Zen left the kitchen and walked down the same hallway to Numbuh 5's room. He hesitated for a minute. I hope this works.
Knock, knock.
"Who is it?"
"It's me…Numbuh 11."
A pause.
"You can come in."
Zen walked through the door and found Abby on the end of her couch, her face buried in one of her magazines and headphones on. Busy as she looked, he knew he had to corner her if he hoped to accomplish anything. "Hi Numbuh 5."
Abby raised her eyebrow at him and took her headphones off. Setting aside her magazine, she asked, "Do ya need somethin'?"
"Two things actually," the bespectacled boy replied. "One, do you know where Numbuh 10 is? And two, may you please come with me to find her?"
"Numbuh 10's out on the ship deck but why?"
"I'll explain once we find her."
Abby was puzzled but she got up from the couch and followed Zen through the hallway of the treehouse. Climbing a few stairs, they found the blonde girl off to the side of the open ship deck, fixing one of Hoagie's machine parts. A pair of safety goggles was placed over her eyes.
"Yo Numbuh 10!"
Siri looked up from her work. "What do you guys want?"
"Numbuh 11 needs yo' help an' mine wit' somethin'," the dark girl replied. She gestured to the tall boy beside her. "Ya wanna come ovuh heah where we can talk?"
A shrug. "Okay." She got up from her spot and walked over to them, removing her safety goggles. "What's this about?" she asked quizzically.
"Okay…before I tell you…you have to promise me that you're not going to tell the others. This includes Numbuhs 1 and 9. Understood?"
The girls blinked.What could be so important that he can't tell the others? Siri wondered.
Is this thang he's about ta tell us dangerous? Abby thought to herself darkly.
"Understood?"
They nodded once.
"All right." Zen laid his book on the ground and began to type in it, talking as he did. "I figured out that it would take days for me to penetrate the barriers the teenagers put up around the Moonbase and regain control. So the best thing to do is shut everything down and reboot manually from inside the base. Problem is we can't even get in unless we take down the firewalls and other shields the teenagers put up. The codes are hard; I can't even get through a single wall without having to break down at least five different codes."
The girls waited in silence as he continued to work the book/computer. "But Numbuh 2 gave me an idea. There's only one way that I can override any code anytime, anywhere that's related to KND. That code…is the Quadruple Bypass Code." Ignoring their gasps, he said, "I don't know the code myself because it's only given to selected second-in-commands or the Moonbase elite. But you two know the code and that's where I need your help. In order to override the barriers the teens have erected in front of the Moonbase, I need to enter the Quadruple Bypass Code into the main computer system."
Silence.
"Are you CRAZY?" Abby's voice rose above the call of the birds nestled in the treehouse's leaves. "Numbuh 11, we can get in serious trouble! Do ya know how much our leaduhs would freak if they figured out dat?"
"It's really risky," Siri agreed. "No one is allowed to use that code because it's so important. Heck, it might not even work."
Zen pushed up the rims of his glasses. "Oh I have every shred of confidence it'll work. It's just getting you two to administer it that I'm not so confident about. I know it's pretty much illegal in our organization but the Quadruple Bypass Code might be the only chance we have of bringing down the barriers without wasting too much time."
The girls exchanged a worried look. Numbuh 11 was a genius, they knew that, but were his deductions worth breaking one of the most important rules in the Kids Next Door?
"Say yo' right an' duh code works," Abby finally commented. "What then?"
"I'll be able to freely hack into any of the teenager's new barriers and override them. I will make sure to rewrite them according to temporary KND standards until the Moonbase is back in the hands of Global Command. Of course restoring the power to Global Command and our standards will have to occur within the base itself." He tilted his head at them. "So how about it girls?"
Siri and Abby gulped and glanced behind them. Luckily, no one like the curious Numbuh 3 or 14 decided to check out what was going on.
We bettuh get dis ovuh wit'. Abby crossed her arms. "Okay Numbuh 11, we'll type in duh code but I'm warnin' you…if you so much as blab about what we had ta do, yo' gettin' Numbuh 5's foot aimin' fo' yo' magnificent brain. An' I'll be sure ta say you were duh one who suggested it all."
"I'll second that," said Siri firmly. "And I'll be sure to use your body for target practice."
Zen laughed but not out of nervousness from the threats the girls were giving him. After all, he was pretty confident in his ability to keep silent; he wassilent majority of the time anyway. "That's fine." He held the book-computer out to them.
Abby sighed and took it.
"Initiating Kid Scan…"
A green light zoomed out of the book and traveled over Abby and Siri's bodies twice. The book clicked.
"Kid Scan Approved…State Codename and Kids Next Door Status…"
"Kids Next Door Operative Numbuh 5; Second-in-Command o' Sector V," said Abby.
Siri followed her. "Kids Next Door Operative Numbuh 10; Second-in-Command of Sector F."
"Standby to input Access Codes…"
Abby took a deep breath and steeled herself to type in the dreaded Quadruple Bypass Code. She wasn't altogether sure about it doing anything but Zen couldn't be trusted for his theories then there really was no reason to trust him at all. Heah we go. With shaking fingers, she typed in the Quadruple Bypass Code and pressed ENTER.
"Code accepted…standbye to confirm code…"
"All yo's Numbuh 10."
The blonde girl took Abby's place at the contraption and quickly typed in the code as if to get it over with. She backed away, wincing as if she were already in trouble with the heads of KND.
"Code accepted…"
Zen allowed a small smile to grace his tired features. "There we go. The firewalls will be down in seconds. Thanks for your help you two. And don't worry." He gave a secretive nod. "The secret's safe with me."
They nodded back apprehensively. So long as no one finds out about it.
Time: 10:00 AM
Kids Next Door C.O.O.L.B.U.S.
Carries
Operatives
Overhead
Luxoriously-
Boasts
Unbeatable
Speed
"Okay team, let's perform one last maintenance check before heading up to the moonbase," said Nigel as he walked up and down the aisle of the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. "Weapons?"
"Functionin' fine Numbuh 1," said Wally over by the weapon controls. "An' Numbuh 10's modifyin' our defenses."
The blonde girl looked up from her work. "Everything's checked out over here. Shields are on at one-hundred percent."
"Excellent." Nigel nodded over at Abby and Kuki. "Radar and computer's functional?"
Abby typed away and smiled. "Rarin' ta go Numbuh 1." Kuki nodded excitedly.
Hoagie waved over at his place in front of the driver's seat. "Everything's all set to go. Fuel's up to maximum power so we can take off anytime."
"In that case…" Nigel cleared his throat and gazed around at the members of Sectors V and F with determination in his clear blue eyes. "As you know, this mission is solely based on rescuing Global Command, and getting the Moonbase back under control and away from the teenagers. Thanks to Numbuh 11, we've been able to override most of the barriers the teenagers have erected so there's no problem about getting inside. Also, thanks to Numbuh 10's efforts, we've managed to put up a temporary cloaking shield over the C.O.O.L. B.U.S. until we make it inside the base."
Matt nodded. "Once inside, there are a few things we need to do and it'll be a lot easier if we split up. A few of us will need to take out the teenagers crawling over the place at the same time as others get to the prison compound and release Numbuh 362 and the others. Whoever goes with Numbuh 11 will need to go directly to the main power source, probably the Really Big Computermabob, and rewrite everything back into KND control. And still more need to go after the Code Module. The clones back here on Earth will have to wait."
"This isn't meant to be an easy mission guys," Nigel picked up from where Matt left off. "But as every normal Kids Next Door operative knows, nothing is every easy." He lifted his head and looked upon the determined eyes of both teams. Silent expectation and fierceness reflected back at him from those orbs. "So if you're ready for this challenge…" He and Matt both took a deep breath and shouted, "Kids Next Door…BATTLE STATIONS!"
"Fourteen!" Naomi stroked the top of Mr. Snuffles' head.
"Thirteen!" Kayla slung her coil of rope over her shoulder.
"Twelve!" Eric pumped his fist into the air, moving to sit beside his teammate.
"Eleven!" Zen pushed up the rim of his glasses and took his place behind his trusty book.
"Ten!" Siri's eyes sparkled as she released the catch on the S.N.I.P.E.R. and focused on her cloaking scanner.
"Nine!" Matt grinned and took his place beside Nigel near the front of the vehicle.
"Five!" Abby tilted her hat back on her head, one hand on the keyboard.
"Four!" Wally positioned himself in front of the communicator.
"Three!" Kuki plopped down next to Naomi, her violet eyes shining.
"Two!" Hoagie took hold of the steering wheel, ready for takeoff.
"One!" Nigel raised his shielded eyes. "All right Numbuh 2. Let's go up there and kick some teenage butt!"
Hoagie grinned and stepped on the gas. The motor within the yellow bus rumbled to life. "Roger that."
Location: Kids Next Door International Headquarters, Moon Base
That…is…IT! We have ta find a way out of here or I'm goin' ta go CRAZY! Fanny bemoaned to herself as she peered outside the glass of her cell. All she could see was the view of the other operatives in their prisons when looking through the front. Behind her was a picture-perfect display of outer space.
Groaning, the Irish operative slumped against the wall. Not that it was all that horrible being stuck inside the cell but she was bored! There was practically nothing to do but watch the teenagers come and go or gossip, or play with her hair. Not even Numbuh 362 was doing anything all that interesting. If Fanny was given an opinion, she would have said that the Supreme Commander had given up any hope.
Then again…Fanny snuck a look at the Supreme Commander. She'd been acting funny since she'd spent that time with Chad. Whot is going with her?
Rachel, herself, was about as bored as her fellow operative. Yet she could see the little signs of her anxiety like that small tick on her wrist or her restless body. What are the clones doing back down there on Earth? What if…what if everything's finished? What if we're the only living KND operatives?
Those negative thoughts were immediately squashed. No, no! Sectors V and F are still safe down there! They'll save the day!
Confident with those retaliations, Rachel's thoughts unconsciously drifted to Chad and what had happened between them in the bathroom. She'd ended up bawling like a baby and he had actually attempted to comfort her. Not to mention…Rachel's face flushed. Let's not think about that stupid thing now.
It was just an honest mistake.
Inside the C.O.O.L. B.U.S., Zen checked his book for any shields he'd overlooked. He nodded approvingly. "Looks like everything is going smoothly guys."
"The cloaking is working fine too," Siri commented as she checked the scanner. "No one's glanced our way or hit us with anything."
Nigel nodded at them, smiling. "How are we in terms of landing Numbuh 2?"
"Well, we have two options." Hoagie narrowed his eyes behind the pilot goggles. "I could try to land smoothly in the docking bay or get caught in the tractor beam to take us in…and then I could just crash. Kidding! Kidding!" he added quickly, correctly interpreting the glares given to him by Nigel, Abby, Matt, and Wally.
Naomi and Kuki stared out the windows of the C.O.O.L. B.U.S. in awe. Well, Kuki stared out the windows in awe. Naomi could only look at outer space and shiver. After all they weren't out here for space travel and sight-seeing.
"I…I'm scared Numbuh 3."
Kuki turned away from the sights and draped an arm around the younger operative. "It's okay Numbuh 14. I'm kinda scared myself. But I'll make sure you and I get in the same team so we can stick together!"
The girl's mouth quivered up into a smile. "Th-thanks Numbuh 3."
"That's what friends do silly."
Hoagie's voice rose over the others. "We're coming in for landing guys! Hang on to your underwear!"
The interior of the Moonbase had been somewhat altered but not completely. The docking bay where the old 2x4 ships had been was now filled with bikes (that could transform into the teenagers' ships). Zen managed to point out that his book scanner showed no hidden cameras or bugs. The two sectors stared around apprehensively.
"So who's goin' where?" asked Kayla.
"It all depends on you," said Nigel. "I'm leaving it up to Numbuh 9's way of going about things. He told me he prefers you choosing where you want to go instead of me ordering you around."
Matt laughed and rubbed the back of his head. He still wasn't used to Numbuh 1's way of doing things. "Well…Numbuh 1's idea is faster but…if you guys want to…"
"I think it sounds like a good plan," said Siri brightly. "How about Numbuh 5 and I team up for this one? We can go after the Code Module."
"Sounds good ta me," said the other girl. "You two leaduhs should go wit' each other as well. I don't know why but it might be bettuh if yo' togethuh."
Nigel nodded. "Fine then. Numbuh 9 and I will get to the prison compound and free the Moonbase operatives. Numbuh 2, you ought to go with Numbuh 11 to shut down the power source and resume Kids Next Door control. You're the best we have when it comes to machinery."
"Roger that."
"Everybody else will take out the teenagers and any other obstacles we have to deal with," Matt continued, eyes narrowed. "Numbuh 13 and 14, you'll be with Numbuh 3 on one side of the base. Numbuh 12, I want you to get to the weapons bed with Numbuh 4. We'll all meet up where the Code Module is located. Clear?"
Everybody nodded.
"All right everyone. Good luck and stay together!" Nigel and Matt turned around and raced down one of the corridors in the docking bay. Siri watched them leave with mixed feelings.
Be careful.
"You heard 'em guys!" Abby said firmly. "Let's go!"
Stay on your guard Matt. Teenagers can be lurking anywhere down these halls, Matt told himself as he followed close behind Nigel. The corridor they'd chosen to go down was dimmer than the normal brightly-lit hallways of before.
"You okay back there Numbuh 9?"
"Just fine Numbuh 1." Matt took a deep breath, eyes flitting around to scan for possible sources of danger. "You don't think they've installed hidden cameras in here do ya?"
Nigel shook his head. "I checked this area before we entered in. Unless they're using invisible cameras, they can't see us down here."
Matt nodded slowly and readjusted the gun in his hand. The flashlight attached to the top of the gun was adjusted to dim so that it wouldn't alert anyone. "I hope they didn't put the prison compound somewhere else. We'd have a job trying to find Numbuh 362 and the others."
Yeah, Nigel agreed silently. They'd reached the end of the hallway. He peered around the corner. "So far, so good. No sign of anybody."
"HEY! WHO'S DOWN THERE?"
Shouldn't have spoken up too soon. Nigel sighed and rolled his eyes. "C'mon Numbuh 9."
"Party time?"
"Looks like it."
"I knew they weren't gonna make dis easy!"
Siri eyed Abby warily. "What do ya mean Numbuh 5?" She flung a hand out at the long cold hallway in front of them. "It's just an empty hallway."
"I dunno girl." Abby rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm…" After a minute, she reached into her pocket and pulled out her own E.C.C.E.N.T.R.I.C. card. "How many more o' these do ya got Numbuh 10?"
"About three with me," replied the blonde girl. Her golden hazel eyes were confused. "Why do you ask?"
Abby's own brown eyes narrowed and she tossed the card like a Frisbee toward the empty hallway. Z-ZING! Shining lasers rained down and focused on the card, slicing through it.
Siri's eyes went wide. "Holy…you weren't kidding." She stared at the charred remains of the card. "Uh…so I take it we shouldn't use this route…and I better get you another E.C.C.E.N.T.R.I.C."
A nervous chuckle escaped from the Quiet One's lips as she shook her head. "There's gotta be a safer route ta duh Code Module around heah." She shifted one foot to the other. "Unfortunately, duh base has changed its structure sooooo…we're jus' gonna have ta wing it until Numbuh 11 an' Numbuh 2 find a way ta shut this place down."
Unlike the minor problems with the leaders and second-in-commands, the largest team had a full-scale ambush on their hands.
"INCOMING!" Naomi, Kuki, and Kayla all dove for the corners of the hallway as teenagers rushed forward, all dressed in B.R.A. (Battle Ready Armor) and ready to fight.
Kayla spun her lasso and hurled it, successfully snagging two of the teenager's weapons. "Any ideas?" She yanked the weapons out of the teens' hands, breaking them against the steely walls.
"Well…" Kuki glanced around frantically, occasionally firing shots from the gumball weapon in her hands. The weaponless teens dodged around her shots while the others blocked them with their staffs. She looked up at the ceiling. "Up there!"
Quickly, Naomi pressed one of the buttons on Mr. Snuffles' body. The rainbow on top whirled like a propeller. "Cover me!"
The older operatives nodded and began firing (or in Kayla's case, snatching) at the teenagers coming their way. Naomi and Mr. Snuffles flew up to the ceiling where a grating was; large enough for her to slip through.
Okay. Naomi pressed Mr. Snuffles's naval with her small finger. Ka-shink. The propeller sharpened into a miniature razor that was able to slice through the metal grating. Keeping one hand on Mr. Snuffles, Naomi shoved the grating out of the way and flew up into the ventilation draft.
I'll get the others up here too. But first…
"Cover your ears!" she warned her teammates as she pressed a certain red button on the Rainbow Monkey and hurled it at the teenagers.
"RAINBOW MONKEYS! RAINBOW MONKEYS! OH SO VERY ROUND AND SUPER CHUNKY!"
"AAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!" The teens dropped their weapons, pressing their hands to their ears with a grimace. Their metal helmets seemed to intensify the sound to their eardrums.
Kayla winced. You are not serious. Ah well, it's keepin' 'em all busy. Quickly, she threw her lasso up and Naomi managed to catch it from above.
"Climb!" the little girl ordered her two teammates. "We can use this ventilation draft to avoid any of the teenagers."
"Sounds like a plan," Kuki commented. "Are you good at finding any exits just in case we get trapped?"
A smile appeared on Naomi's face. "It's why I'm on the team."
"Uh….Numbuh 4, can I ask you a question?"
"Whot's that?" Wally was peering around corners, marveling at what the teenagers had done to the Moonbase. Looks loike it's gonna need to go throughanother renovation.
"Do you know where the weapons bed is?"
Wally blinked. "Eh?" He motioned for Eric to follow him down the steel hallway that led to a sleek elevator. We have an actual elevator now?
Eric stayed close by the shorter boy. "I mean…since we changed the Moonbase after that whole incident with Grandfather and the Book of KND…and now the teens have control of the place…I have no idea where the weapons bed would be now." He shuddered. "We might get lost wandering into every room we come to."
Huh…Numbuh 12's got a point.
The elevator opened silently and the two boys hurried inside (after making sure that there were no teen ninjas aboard). Wally pressed a few random buttons and the elevator shuttered to life, rising up.
"So whot's wrong with that? We'll just kick some teenage butt!"
Don't you think about anything other than fighting? Eric closed his eyes. "I don't know if I'm up to that yet Numbuh 4."
Wally glanced over his shoulder at the lanky blond. "Well there's no time loike the present is there? You'll get used to it." The elevator shuddered to a stop and he hoisted his mustard gun upward. "C'mon."
"Are we almost there Numbuh 11?"
Zen held up one hand. "Hold it." He opened his book and used the scanner to check for any teenagers. "We're still quite a distance off but not as far as we'd be if we took the others' routes." He looked up from the book. "No teenagers. This corridor is clear."
Hoagie nodded and adjusted the B.O.T.T.L.E.C.A.P. (Big Old Totally Tremendous Launcher Emits Cola And Pop) over one of his shoulders. "Okay." He peered around at the steel walls. "I never really noticed how much of a maze this place can be."
"It wasn't always like this. I told you, the teenagers remodified and restructured everything. That includes the interior of the base." Zen frowned at the map that was slowly materializing on his screen. "I can't even get a decent picture of this place."
Not good. Hoagie winced. Not good at all.
"Oh relax Numbuh 2. The fuzzy picture is good enough." The Genius fiddled with the dials in the book. "All right. You and I are right here." He pointed at a small beeping dot. "And we're headed in this direction." He traced his finger down the long twisty hallway. "As long as we follow my book, we'll be fine. The Computerabob is huge and easy to spot from the graduation room."
"Gotcha." If the graduation auditorium still exists.
Zen prodded Hoagie with his finger. "The coast is clear. Let's go!" He scampered off down the hall, his book held out in front of him. Hoagie was about to follow when he suddenly found his feet knocked out from under him.
"Ow!"
The older operative turned around. "Numbuh 2, are you okay?"
"Eh I'm fine but…" he glanced down at the floor. It was moving forward. "Hey! This beats walking."
Zen also looked down at the moving floor. Well…it would be easier but how do we know this will take us to the auditorium? For all we know, this could be a trap set by the teenagers for us. He narrowed his eyes. I have a suspicion they know about us by now.
"We'll stay on this thing for now, but if you recognize any area that looks like it leads to the auditorium, then get off immediately. That sound fine to you?"
Hoagie nodded. "Sounds fine."
Matt and Nigel flung themselves into the nearest sliding door, tackling two teenagers in the process. As the door slid closed behind them, they could see green laser blasts zooming past in the hallway.
"Where are we Numbuh 1?" Matt asked, glancing around the room. Wires and knobs were all over the place of course, but the entire room resembled a high-tech beauty parlor.
Nigel shrugged. "I don't know what this place used to be, but it looks like the teenagers have transformed it into their own spa or something." Footsteps could be heard in the corridor. "Hide!"
The two boys ducked behind one of the changing room doors before Matt decided to run out and drag one of the unconscious teenagers in with them. Good, it's a girl. "Help me with her Numbuh 1."
Ssssshhhhkkk. The sliding doors moved to the side and four teenagers, the same four who had been chasing them, wandered into the room. Matt mentally cleared his throat and shouted (in a very good imitation of a girly voice), "Like, do you mind? I'm trying to change before my facial!"
The male teenagers blushed nervously but the single female in the group called out, "We just wanna know if you've seen any kids around here."
"Like, I haven't seen anyone except for her." Matt and Nigel lifted the teen's hand to point at the unconscious girl they'd left on the floor. "Sleeping on the job as usual. I'll tell you if anyone comes in though once I'm out and able to look around. So like, get out!"
"'Kay. Sorry to bother you."
The teens turned around and left, most of them shaking their heads at the unconscious person who apparently had been "sleeping on the job."
"You were brilliant Numbuh 9," Nigel whispered once they'd gone. "Where did you learn to control your voice like that?"
Matt shrugged and dropped the teenager. "School play." He stuck his head out, noticed the still unconscious teen they'd knocked out, and nodded. "Okay Numbuh 1. The coast is clear."
"Good. Let's hurry!"
Elsewhere in the newly formed Moonbase, Abby and Siri had finally found another passageway that would hopefully lead them to the Code Module. Unfortunately, it was much further away than the previous one and there were more traps.
"Geez, why do we get stuck with the traps?" Siri grumbled as she dodged several lasers, causing the guns to shoot at each other.
"Jus' lucky I suppose," Abby replied dryly. She ducked beneath two lasers and leaped over a few more. One barely missed her long braid. "Come on! We're almost there!"
She grabbed onto Siri's hand and tugged her along, zipping around the bright red beams of light. Being a spy, she was much more adept at dodging around danger than the other operative.
Their feet hit the ground as Abby managed to disable the last of the lasers by shooting them with her S.C.A.M.P.P. (Soup Can And Magnified Photon Phaser). Breathing heavily, the girls collapsed against the wall.
"It's so much more of a hazard now," Siri moaned. Her blonde hair stuck to her neck and back. She snorted and snagged a hair tie from her shorts and tied her hair back (braids and all). "How much further do you think we have to go Numbuh 5?" The Code Module could be thousands of feet away for all we know.
"Right now, I'm jus' guessin' mah way through heah girl," Abby replied. She peered down another corridor with sliding doors on either side. "We might have to be quiet down heah. There's no tellin' if there are teenagers in those rooms."
Siri nodded jerkily, keeping a firm hand on one of her E.C.C.E.N.T.R.I.C.s. As they passed one of the doors, loud rock music could be heard blaring from within. "Sheesh, aren't they afraid of getting deaf?"
"Who knows?" Abby gestured up ahead a pair of sliding double doors. "We might need ta go through there. Keep yo' guard up."
"No problem," the other girl replied confidently. "I'm okay with that."
Both girls pressed against the wall on either side of the sliding doors, waiting for it to open. They didn't have to wait long as two teenagers passed through (without even noticing them due to some random conversation about boys).
Quickly, the operatives slid in after them and ducked behind an over-large pipe. They could see that the slides and chutes in this room had been replaced with sliding poles and escalators in order to descend to the bottom floors. Other obscure equipment was scattered around the room, including what looked like a floor-to-ceiling sound system.
But Abby and Siri were more focused on the teenagers scattered around like the equipment.There's…so many of them. How are we gonna get through?
"How many o' those cards do ya have again?"
"Just three." Siri glanced at the teenagers. "Um…not nearly enough for thisgroup."
"I wuz afraid you'd say dat." Abby adjusted her hold on the S.C.A.M.P.P. "Well, there's only one thang we can do." She sighed. "I can't believe I'm goin' wit' Numbuh 4's usual standby."
The blonde operative eyed her curiously. She reached for her S.N.I.P.E.R. "Which is?"
"We beat duh crud outta them."
"All right!" Hoagie pointed up ahead excitedly as the moving floor came near two possible exits. "I remember this walkway…err…maybe. I think the Computermabob should be in that room!" He waved toward the left exit with enormous sliding doors.
Sounds okay. Zen nodded and stepped off the moving floor, Hoagie following. "Let's be cautious Numbuh 2. If we get ambushed, you're on your own. I'm not very handy with weaponry other than my book."
"Sounds like you only rely on your brains," Hoagie joked—and then his laughter died when he realized Zen was completely serious. "Oh, um, great."
The Chinese boy nodded again and scanned the interior of the room using one of the functions in his book-computer. He smiled. "You guessed correctly Numbuh 2. The Computermabob is definitely in here." He typed in a few words and brought the computer scanner to the door lock. "This should get us inside."
"You managed to unlock their password?"
"It only took a few tries. These teenagers are not as original as you think," replied Zen calmly. There was a faint click before the double doors slid to the sides. "Come on." He and Hoagie slipped into the room.
Unlike most of the Moonbase, the teenagers had not touched this room for whatever reasons they had. The Computermabob, a bizarre, enormous contraption created from several salvaged cars, pipes, and other random pieces of machinery. It was still located in the center of the giant KND Moonbase auditorium, which bore a resemblance to musical theatres. The two ships that were meant to serve as balconies were still positioned on either side of the room.
"It's empty," Zen said disbelievingly. Shouldn't they have people guarding this place? Perhaps the teenagers were older, but that did not make them any less stupid.
Hoagie blinked curiously. "So how do you plan to rewire that thing?" He nodded at the Computermabob.
"I already have that part figured out." This was the reason that he had needed the Quadruple Bypase Code from Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 10. But he couldn't tell Numbuh 2 that. "In the meantime, can you find where some of the manual controls are? We'll have to reboot the system manually so when I'm done, I'll give you the signal."
Hoagie nodded. "Okay." He walked around to one side of the raised platform, easily locating the cogwheels and knobs needed to manually restore control to the Moonbase.
Quickly, Zen inputted the forbidden code into the giant computer and watched the wires and lights shudder to life and snake up the giant machine. I sure hope this works.
It was not long before the room was plunged into complete darkness. Zen's fingers flew over the keyboard, having memorized where the letters and numbers were long ago.
"Um…Numbuh 11?" Hoagie's voice sounded uncertain.
"You can manually activate the Computermabob now Numbuh 2."
"Oh okay."
A pause.
"Um…Numbuh 11?"
"What is it?"
"I…I can't see where it is anymore."
Zen sighed.
"What the heck?!" The teenagers guarding the weapons bed glanced around as all of the lights on the floor switched off. "What's going on?"
Across the corridor, Wally and Eric watched them. "Power's out," Eric whispered. "Looks like Numbuhs 2 and 11 did their job." He squinted. "Can you see anything Numbuh 4?"
"A little." Wally nudged his arm. "Let's wait a bit for our eyes ta adjust ta the loight."
"Gotcha."
The two teens glanced around but the lights still did not turn back on. Weird.
"Somebody's messing around with the main light switch or something," one of the pair muttered. "Why don't you go check it out and I'll wait here."
"Me? I can barely see anything! And why can't you check it out?"
"I'm the one with the glasses! You check it out! What are you chicken?"
"No! You're the chicken!"
Wally and Eric simultaneously rolled their eyes. Man teenagers are dumb. If that's what happens to me, I never wanna grow up!
While the teenagers continued to argue about who was going to venture in the dark to find the source of the problem, Wally gestured for Eric to follow him. The two snuck up on either side of the occupied teens.
WHACK!
Wally swiftly knocked out one of the teens with a sharp blow to the back of his head. Eric did the same, only he used one of his weapons as opposed to his fists.
"Now what Numbuh 4?"
"Steal the cards or keys they used ta get into the weapons bed," replied the other boy. "We'll have ta get in after everythin's back in our control. The rest is up ta Numbuh 2 and 11 ta switch on the loights."
Eric nodded. "Which is when?"
"…Ah dunno."
"And here you were starting to sound smart."
Wally nodded. "Yeah Ah guess Ah—wait. HEY!"
Something's going on. Rachel lifted her head, frowning. I don't know why I feel like that but something is going on out there. The teenagers that used to be here have all left. She glanced through the shielding. Except for Chad. He's back in here now.
There was a loud bang in the corridor and she could hear the teenagers running. And to make matters worse, the lights had turned off.
Great, now I'm blind in addition to being incarcerated.
"Numbuh 362 sir!" One of the operatives in Fanny's cell spoke up. "What's going on?"
"I have no idea," she called back. "Give me a minute for my eyes to adjust." She waited for a few minutes before whispering, "Chad…are you still here?"
There was a pause.
"I'm here."
"I know you're our enemy and everything, but…can you at least tell me what's going on? I thought you teenagers had this place under control." Her last sentence was biting.
Chad shook his head. He could barely make out Rachel's outline in the darkness. Then he remembered she couldn't see the motion. "I actually don't know what's going on right now. But I have suspicions that somebody's broken into the base."
A flutter stirred in the Supreme Commander's heart. It's…it's gotta be Sector V and Sector F. She smiled, glad that Chad couldn't see it in the darkness. They got here safely.
The noises outside the room got even louder and now they could hear shouting in addition to the running.
"Shouldn't ye go an' see whot is goin' on?" Fanny demanded pointedly.
You'd like for me to get beaten up like my friends outside wouldn't you? Chad thought darkly. Out loud, he said, "The emergency lights in here should be switching on about…now."
Sure enough, the light fixtures above their heads turned on and the room was flooded with light. Rachel and the other operatives closed their eyes, adjusting to the sudden luminosity.
The sounds got even louder and then—BANG!—something the sliding door. Chad cautiously put a hand on his trident weapon. Hmmm…
BANG!
Outside, Rachel could barely make out the words, "One more time!" before another BANG echoed. The door burst open and two kids raced into the room, weapons out.
"DON'T MOVE TEENAGER!" Matt yelled, aiming his mustard gun at Chad. "Or I'll shoot. You won't believe it but this brand takes weeks to get out of your clothes."
"We're SAVED!" crowed the operatives in Fanny's cell. She blinked rapidly, not exactly getting into the spirit of things.
Nigel ran over to Rachel's cell. "Numbuh 362! Are you all right?"
The blonde girl grinned and nodded once. "I'm fine Numbuh 1. Glad you could make it. How's your team?"
"They're all around the base at the moment—and fine. We're here to get you and the others out of here and restore order to this place." Nigel glanced over at Chad warily. "Unfortunately, I believe your guard knows the combination on the locks."
Chad remained silent.
Matt narrowed his eyes at the older boy. "Chad right?" He tightened the grip on his mustard gun with one hand. The other hand reached into his pocket and pulled out one of Siri's E.C.C.E.N.T.R.I.C. cards. "I don't think you've ever seen one of these now have you?"
The teen shook his head. His eyes were suspicious.
"Numbuh 9 wait a minute!" said Rachel. She glanced at Chad meaningfully. "Chad…" She stared at him, her brown eyes wide and anxious. "You don't have to do this anymore. You don't want to right?"
Nigel glanced back and forth between the pair. "Numbuh 362, what's going on?" he asked slowly.
She ignored him. "Chad…" Her eyes were boring into his. "You were always the best there was. You can change this…and save so many kids. Please. It would be…"
"…the right thing to do," he finished slowly. He turned away for a minute, eyeing the bolted fixtures of the base. They seemed so firmly rooted into place like the adults fixated on their war against kid-kind. Never-changing.
"You don't have to do this anymore."
"Chad…please…"
Nigel and Matt's eyes widened. They had never believed their Supreme Commander could be reduced to begging for help from the enemy. Behind them in the cage, Fanny and the other operatives were gawking.
The older former operative looked back at them—and sighed. "Fine."
It took about five minutes for Zen and Hoagie to locate the spot where the manual controls for the Computermabob were kept. Once found, Hoagie wasted little time in pushing buttons and turning knobs. He then pulled out his L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S. (Largely Undercover Nuclear Computer Handles Bologna Or Complicated Komputer Stuff) to uplink to Zen's own book-computer so they could monitor each others' progress. He also pulled out a cheese sandwich he'd remembered packing into the thing the day before.
What can I say? I get hungry on the job.
Zen remained at the other spot, fingers practically flying across his keyboard. The blue glare from various encryption keys flared in front of his glasses.
BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BLOOP! WHRRRRRRRRRRRRRR…!
Hoagie grinned up into the darkness. "All right! Systems are back online!" he called to the other operative. He closed the L.U.N.C.H.B.O.C.K.S., its purpose fulfilled.
"Excellent," said Zen. "Then everything should be done rebooting right about…NOW!"
As soon as the words left his lips, the lights flickered and switched back on overhead. Blinking colors emitted from giant Computermabob, along with the words Kids Next Door…Function: Normal. Resuming prior instructions…
The bespectacled pre-teen smiled. The Moonbase is ours…for now.
"Yes!" Hoagie cheered. "We did it!"
Click.
Zen felt the sharp head of a pronged weapon pressing against his back. He took a deep breath and turned his head to see who it was.
A teen ninja stood behind him with a tri-pronged staff in his hand. He grinned evilly beneath the metal helmet. "Oh you did it all right." He jabbed Zen again with the staff.
Zen stared back coolly. I don't see anybody behind him so that means…only one teenager. But still…one is enough to send for backup. One of his fingers strayed toward a key in his book-computer. Hmmm…I believe this'll be enough to keep him incapacitated for now.
THUNK!
The teenager's eyes bulged before falling closed. His body sagged forward and sprawled limply onto the floor right beside Zen, revealing Hoagie holding up his B.O.T.T.L.E.C.A.P. Apparently he'd snuck up behind the unsuspecting teen and thwacked his helmet-covered head with it.
"I think he's knocked out cold!" he joked.
The Genius blinked several times.
Uh…I guess that works too.
Kayla peered out of the grating of the ventilation shaft the girls had been traveling through. She could see metal walls and several sliding doors outside. "Where the heck d'ya suppose we are?"
"No idea and we don't have a map to show us the right way," said Naomi. I'm starting to think my ventilation idea wasn't such a good one.
"Maps? We don't need a map," said Kuki brightly. She pointed through the grating at two teen ninjas walking down the hall. "They're probably going somewhere important so let's follow them!"
Naomi agreed enthusiastically but Kayla hung back. Ah don't know. Don't most teenagers tend to do somethin' stupid?
"C'mon Numbuh 13!" Kuki was already halfway out of the grating. Naomi had hit the floor ahead of her and was creeping behind the teenagers.
Kayla gulped. "C-comin'." She followed Kuki and hopped out of the open grating and onto the floor. Unfortunately, her landing wasn't as graceful as the other girl's. CRASH!
The teen ninjas halted in their tracks. "Dude, what was that?" They spun around just in time for Kuki to hit them in the face with her S.P.L.A.N.K.E.R.WHACK! WHACK!
"Uh…sorry," Kayla muttered sheepishly, her eyes cast down at the ground. Ah nearly got us all caught with mah clumsiness.
She felt the brush of a green sleeve on her shoulder. "Awww, it's okay," Kuki chirped. "These guys were easy. Now people like Cree…they might take a little more than just one smack." She winced and helped the redhead to her feet.
Naomi peered around the corner of the hallway. Her brown eyes zeroed in on a large group of teenagers, some in armor and some not, walking toward them. Quick! Gotta find an exit! She scanned the corridor that she and the other girls were in. So many doors…but I don't know what's behind any of them. Should I just pick one?
"NUMBUH 14, WATCH OUT!"
"Huh?" Naomi looked up to see the doors sliding open and teen ninjas walking out. She tightened her grip on Mr. Snuffles's pudgy belly and darted down the corridor with the teenagers, knocking them down like a pile of ten pins in a bowling alley. "RUUUUUUUUUUUUUN!!"
The other girls wasted no time in following her example. Kuki leaped into the air and bounced across a few of the teenagers' helmet-covered heads. Bonk! Bonk! Bonk! "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!" She landed on the ground and continued to hop and skip, dodging the lasers aimed at her from their weapons.
Kayla glanced at her breathlessly. "How can ya (pant) be so excited at a (pant) time lak this Numbuh 3?" She ducked underneath one of the teenagers and tripped another.
"It's easy!" the other KND agent replied promptly. THWACK! Her foot just planted itself onto a teen ninja's face. "Kicking teenage butt is lots of fun! I think I'll add it to my list of hobbies!" She landed on the ground and punched her covered fist against a button on the wall. A pair of sliding elevator doors (camouflaged into the wall) opened and she threw herself into the room behind them. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"
Kayla slid into the room, her lasso wrapped around Naomi's waist. The redhead yanked her into the room just as the doors were starting to close.
Kayla slumped against the wall. Her cowboy hat fell off her head as she reached over to untie Naomi. The little girl was shaking.
"That was scary Numbuh 13."
"Tell me about it," muttered Kayla darkly. She glanced at Kuki, the most energetic of the trio. "How'd ya know this here elevator wuz gonna be here Numbuh 3?"
Kuki fiddled with the buttons on the panel before pressing one that would hopefully take them to the floor where the Code Module was kept. She smiled. "Eh…I guessed."
The redhead nodded slowly. "But…uh…how are the elevators workin'? Ah thought Numbuh 11 an' Numbuh 2 shut the power off earlier."
Naomi tapped the side of the elevator wall. "Maybe this elevator still belongs to the KND's working system. If that's the case, then it runs on hamster power instead of actual electricity."
"Makes sense."
Kuki smiled and reached into the pockets of her oversized green sweater, pulling out her P.I.P.E.R. "Hello!"
"Numbuh 3? Whot's goin' on?"
"Oh HI Numbuh 4!" Kuki giggled. "We're on an elevator that's taking us to great mystery!"
"…whot?"
Naomi leaned into the pipe-shaped walkie-talkie. "She means, she doesn't know where we're going."
"WHOT?! Then why are ya even on the elevator?!"
Kuki scoffed into the P.I.P.E.R."Well gee, we had to get away from the teenagers somewhere!" The elevator hissed to a stop, the doors opening with a faint ting. "Oh we're stopping now. Gotta go Wally!"
"Wait! Numbuh 3! That place might be danger—"
Click.
The last of the unconscious teenagers were placed off to the side via Siri pushing them. Abby tried the buttons panel beside the door at the end of the room but it did nothing. She glanced around the room. I'm not chancing duh escalators in case some othuh teens are up there. An' we need ta go up so duh poles are outta duh question. She frowned at the door again. What am I missin'? If duh teenagers are too lazy to bother with complicated buttons, then they must have…wait a minute.
"Hey Numbuh 10!"
"Yeah?"
"Can you drag one o' those guys over heah?"
Siri looked puzzled but did as her friend asked. With some difficulty, she managed to drag a heavily-armored teenager forward. "What do you want him for?"
In response, Abby picked up the boy's hand and slapped it against the panel; pressing all of the buttons at once.
Beep! Beep! You may Proceed…
The door slid open.
Siri's eye twitched erratically. "That…was it?"
"Yeah." Abby shook her head. "They really are predictable aren't they?" She stuck her head out the door and peered around the corners. "Nobody's heah. Let's move!"
"Okay."
The two girls silently moved down the hallway with their weapons upraised in case an enemy lurked behind hidden doors or platforms. Abby pressed the P.I.P.E.R. to her ear. "Hey Numbuh 1. How is everythang goin' on yo' end?"
"Just fine,"his voice replied from the speaker. "We've managed to get a hold of Numbuh 362 and the other Moonbase officials. Have you reached the Code Module yet?"
"Not yet boss. We're tryin' ta find it right now and—" Abby saw a group of teen ninjas running toward them and she flung herself against the wall, catching Siri with her. "Hold that thought. I'll call ya back." She turned off the P.I.P.E.R. "How many o' them do ya see Numbuh 10?"
Siri fingered her E.C.C.E.N.T.R.I.C. cards. "About…five I think. We can take 'em ooooor…" She tossed three cards in the direction of the teenagers. FLASH! Light and electricity emitted from the cards as they struck three of the five teens. The two remaining unharmed ones shrieked as their paralyzed teammates collapsed onto them. "There we go."
Abby grinned at her, impressed. "Not bad."
"It's nothing. I'd just as soon avoid fighting if we could," replied the blonde operative. She hurriedly followed Abby down the hallway and turned a sharp corner. Another escalator was traveling up to the second floor and they decided to forgo the danger of being seen on it. They raced up the escalator (two at a time) and emerged onto a darkened floor with strobe lights casting circles everywhere. "Where are we Numbuh 5?"
"…no idea." The other girl's gaze flickered over the strobe lights and streamers lining the ceiling. Empty cans of soda and magazines littered the floor. "Maybe we jus' interrupted a party or somethin'."
Maneuvering around the debris, Siri pointed toward a large door with lights beaming down on it. It practically screamed "important!"
I think that might be where they're keeping the Code Module. But…shouldn't there be traps around it? She nudged the spy with her shoulder. "Can you see any traps?"
Abby shouldered her S.C.A.M.P.P. and peered at the door suspiciously. The strobe lights were making it very difficult to see. "I don't…think so." She glared at it as if it were suddenly going to stand up and walk away. "Be on yo' guard jus' in case."
The girls silently crept up on either side of the door. Abby checked around the door's corners for possible hidden cameras. Finding none, she shot the door handle with the S.C.A.M.P.P. and pushed the door open. Siri followed her cautiously but did not fully enter the room.
The next room consisted of a circular floor and walkway suspended by metal beams. Below the beams stretched a long chasm presumably leading to a lower floor. Above them, the ceiling was clear glass with the star-scattered black sky of space visible through it. On the floor was a large table where a monitor was set up with tapes. Beside the table was a suspended platform on top of which the Code Module lay, bathed in greenish light.
Okay. Lak dat doesn't look totally obvious, Abby thought sarcastically. She looked around the room for more security cameras. Dis is too weird. Why can't I see anythang? An' I can't tell if dis place is bugged either.
Siri seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her friend because she stayed where she was. She motioned throwing something at the large space separating them from the Code Module.
"I don't think you should waste another E.C.C.E.N.T.R.I.C. girl," Abby mouthed to her.
The blonde raised her arms helplessly. Then what do you suggest we do?
Abby stuck her tongue between two teeth, biting down on it. She felt along one end of the wall for hidden panels. Finding none, she slid her hands along the end of the other wall in the way. Nothin' heah either. Her golden-brown eyes drifted over to the glowing Code Module. An' I don't see anything there.
She turned around, gesturing with her fingers for the blonde operative to follow her across the catwalk to the Code Module. Once they reached the other side, they sat down; all the while keeping an eye out for suspicious movement and cameras.
"I guess duh best thang ta do fo' now is wait fo' duh othuhs ta get heah."
Siri nodded, propping her elbows on her knees. "Guess you're right." She gazed at the Code Module. "Do you think the reason why nothing is happening is because Numbuh 11 and Numbuh 2 rebooted the computer mainframe?"
"Probably," replied Abby. "The othuhs should be able ta get in heah no problem the—wait." She frowned at the Code Module. It can't be but… How was it that she was able to see the door through the Code Module? Unless…she leaped to her feet. "Numbuh 10, get up!"
"Huh?" Siri struggled to a standing position. "What is it Numbuh 5?"
"It's a—"
BAM!
"—trap."
A heavy metal door slammed down onto the only opening leading out of the room. At the same time, the Code Module hologram sparked and then fizzled out.
Both operatives reached for their weapons, standing back to back. Abby raised her S.C.A.M.P.P., pointing it at the chasm in case something flew out. Siri aimed her weapon at the door.
"Put those away before you hurt yourselves."
Abby narrowed her eyes as a figure flew up out of the chasm on jets. She fired off the S.C.A.M.P.P. but the teen dodged around the green laser blasts.
"See what I mean?" The figure landed on the ground, the helmet sinking back into the rest of her costume. It was Cree. "If you can't even aim at the enemy right, you shouldn't be holding that thing."
Siri glared at her. "You're making a mistake in underestimating us Cree. Together, Numbuh 5 and I outnumber you in quantity and in skill."
Cree smirked. "We'll just see about that."
"No wait!" Abby reached behind her and shoved Siri aside. "Stay outta this Numbuh 10," she hissed. "This one…is personal."
The other operative blinked rapidly. I guess I wouldn't understand. After all, I've never had siblings…especially ones who ran to the other team. Siri nodded. Numbuh 5 has the right to refuse assistance.
"Good luck then." She turned around and ran to the metal door. I guess I'll see if I can get this door open. The others will be arriving any minute and the sooner they get in here, the sooner we can reclaim all control of the Moonbase!
Cree's smirk widened as Abby refused to throw aside her weapon. She positioned herself in a stance, circling around the younger girl. Abby moved along with her. "Y'know, holding a weapon against a weaponless opponent is considered cheating."
"No it's not," said Abby fiercely. "It means yo' bein' creative." She fired the jets of the green light again at her sister.
Cree leaped around them, one hand reaching behind her for her tri-pronged staff. Her eyes met Abby's.
"Then this….should prove interesting."
Next Chapter…Log 10—Feuds and Feelings: The Kids Next Door are almost in the clear as they assume control of their Moonbase once more. A few more obstacles still stand in their way and they'll all have to band together in order to prevent their enemies from staying steps ahead of them. But when the clones begin to make a move, even their enemies will realize just how grave the mistake in making them was. Next time on Codename: Kids Next Door: Operation: R.E.S.C.U.E.!
"Remember the bad guys? On those shows you used to watch on Saturday mornings? Well, these guys aren't like those guys. They won't exercise restraint just because you're children. They will kill you if they get the chance. Do not give them that chance,"—Helen Parr, The Incredibles
"This is going to be…delightful,"—Female Sector Z Operative, Operation Z.E.R.O.
Well true readers I decided to be especially gracious to you all (as well as an attempt to apologize for the long wait) by offering a sneak preview of the very dark sequel to Operation R.E.S.C.U.E. Merry Christmas everyone!
Activating "KND Kid Scan"...
Kid Scan Commencing...
Access Approved
Accessing mission archive
Mission archive loaded…
Accessing file on "Status of Former Operatives of Kids Next Door"
File loading…loading…loading…
Now downloading preview of Codename: Kids Next Door: Resurrection…
"Status report."
"The predator has captured its prey sir."
"Casualties?"
"Among our number: none. Among theirs: seven. Lucky number."
"Very good. Now…do you have the information?"
"Yes sir. If all goes according to plan, it won't be long before the next prey is eradicated."
"Excellent. No failures understood?"
"Understood sir."
It had been five years since they were once part of that infamous organization…
"Seems lak only yesterday we wuz ten years old. Wonder where the time has gone?"
"We all knew we had to grow up eventually."
They had moved on…seeking fortune and life outside of the constant child battles they used to pursue…
We haven't seen each other since…forever. Okay…maybe since Christmas. But all that'll change.
She placed the picture down and stared off into space, for a moment lost in the memories of the childhood she would never gain back but would never forget.
They thought the battles were over…they thought things could be normal…but what they never realized…
At once, the others pulled out machetes, switchblades, and combat knives. The man that had spoken earlier switched on a hand-held saw.WHHHHRRRRRRRR…
"Let's get to work."
…was that in one instant…
"Whoever did that to him…whoever is responsible will pay."
...they could be wrong…
"And what will you do?! You don't know who did this. You don't even know if this was some insane ploy or a real murder! What's the point Matt? What's the point of revenge?"
A few years later...
Fools. I hope you had a nice time children…because it's not over. I won't stop until every last one of you is wiped out. She watched them walk down the sidewalk before disappearing into the distance. The pieces are all laid out…let the games begin.
Those who once brightened the world with their smiles and childish antics…now walk along that same world in darkness and despair…
"H-How could you just leave me all alone to deal with this? How do you e-expect me to m-move on? Can't you see…I can't live without you?"
Those who once fought to protect others now find themselves in a deep rut for losing one of those they sought to protect…
There are just some scars that will never heal properly. They'll open up one day or another; it's only a matter of time.
But the terror is just beginning…
It was like a dance; a dance of death.
Burning…spinning…melting…silver and red…gas and liquid…
Oh God…oh God…
She wanted to scream but no sound came out. She couldn't even pry her jaws apart.
Enemies are beginning to materialize…
"We've never done anything except protect kid-kind. Besides, that's all in the past."
"The past doesn't die Nigel Uno. No matter what you do, you can never run away from what you once were, what you have been for most of your young life. The mind can easily forget but the heart never does."
"But we've never done anything to them."
"Everyone has a motive behind their actions. Revenge, pleasure, money, fun…it doesn't matter what the motive is. These assassins want you dead because you are the only people in this world who can stand a chance of stopping them."
Deadly revelations will come to the forefront…
Maybe in another time…another place…there would be room for happiness and sanity. But…it could never be now.
She turned her wrist over and gazed at the ancient scars slashed into her pale flesh. They were meant to be fatal.
I should never have come back. I should never have come back.
And now...those who retained their memories must recall their past skills in order to protect themselves and those they love...
"I feel so tired…burdened with all of this. I've never felt this helpless before, not even in the past."
"Oh yes you have—plenty o' times. But no matter what happened, you always looked out fo' everybody. You may no longer be our leader now, but yo' still our leader in mind, body, an' spirit."
Naomi…
"I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm giving you guys a chance."
Kayla…
"Sorry that ya'll had ta go through so much trouble without us around. But here we are now; ready ta give 'em a run fer their money."
Eric…
"It's about time we stopped sitting in the sidelines."
Zen…
"It's true there were some members chosen to protect the organization after the decommissioning, but those memories either faded away in time or those same people are now dead. We're different because we never volunteered to protect the KND after our time was up. We wanted normal lives but our memories included. Unlike the others, we remember all of our skills and our exploits and we're alive. They know that; that's why they want to annihilate us."
Siri…
"When you learn the truth…when you all learn the truth…I hope you understand. Everything I've done…everything I'm going to do…it's what's meant to be. So please for your sake…you have to let me go."
Matt…
"You said you're not strong enough by yourself…but are you strong enough when you're with us?"
Abby…
"We've got everythang ta gain an' everythang ta lose. Times lak this….really gotta suck bein' us."
Wally…
"Ah hafta do whot's roight…for all o' us…"
Kuki…
"None of us is useless. We're all good for something."
Hoagie…
"You're the sole thing that's kept me living for so long."
Nigel…
"If there's one mistake no one should make with me, it's making me angry. Nobody messes with my friends and gets away with it. Nobody."
This is not a tale of imagination and false fantasy. This is a tale of true bravery and true friendship. This is a tale of loyalty and love, of fatality and survival, of hope and redemption.
"It doesn't matter who my victims are. I may be committing a sin but you brought it upon yourselves. We all sin…and we all have to die of something. Just be grateful that I was the one who brought about your death and not your own stupidity."
Codename: Kids Next Door: Resurrection…coming soon!