Chapter 2: The Academy

The chill of the Cadets Next Door Arctic Academy was both foreign and familiar, even only for the bite of cold that was chapping their skins. Up onstage, Numbuh 100 was giving a welcoming speech, explaining what would be happening here at the Academy, emphasizing the importance of the KND's cause and the duties that came with being one of the organization's operatives. It suddenly struck Nigel that Numbuh 100 would actually be their Soopreme Leaduh for the next couple of years – that it would be him, not Chad, that would be giving them missions and orders. Of all of his friends, only Abby had that experience, and even then, it wasn't for long; Numbuh 100 had been decommissioned only a week or so after Nigel had graduated from the Academy the first time around. He wondered what 100 would be like as a leader, if he would be like Chad or Rachel. It would certainly be interesting, if nothing else.

His team, having long-since mastered the art of multi-tasking during a speech, were looking around the large mass of recruits, searching for some recognizable faces. Nigel had already done his own scan before the speech; while many of this class were a part of his memory, most weren't. That wasn't unexpected, the Academy was extremely difficult, and a large percentage of recruits never made it through training, lacking the will and determination to continue the harsh regimen. The process was deeply selective, ensuring that only the best of the best made it through – with a few exceptions.

Nigel broke from his thoughts when the applause started, adding his own to the throng. Numbuh 100 gave a flourished wave, then waited for the sound to die down. As the last of the clapping finished, the current Soopreme Leaduh cleared his throat.

"Now, let's get this started. First, give another round of applause for your head instructor, the current Commander of Arctic Base and a former student of mine…Numbuh 274!"

Cheers rang out as the ever-memorable visage of Chad Dickson appeared. Nigel half-heartedly clapped alongside his friends, mind going elsewhere.

The complicated ball of feelings that was so firmly associated with Chad had reared its ugly head, and Nigel couldn't help but examine it. As a child, Chad had been one of his heroes, up there with Numbuh 0, as well as a friend and mentor that he had held dear to his heart. The memory of his betrayal was tinged with an unbearable pain, and even learning the truth had done nothing to quell that. While Chad wasn't a traitor, the way he had acted that day and a little after during their brief time together in the GKND had sobered Nigel to his former idol's negative qualities. It had been both a blessing and a curse, to remember that beneath the visage of the heroic Numbuh 274 had been the very human Chad Dickson.

After that whole mess in space, he and Chad had reached an understanding, but only just. Their friendship never recovered from the damage, and there had been tension between them every time they met for the rest of their lives. Bare civility was all anyone could hope for in the family, and thankfully, that was all they had ever asked for. The two of them were too proud to clear the air between them; a fact that Nigel had regretted in his later years and had been unable to remedy when Eva died, and Chad followed her soon after, broken by his grief.

Maybe things could be different, this time around.

Nigel watched as his one-time mentor made his speech, noting the phrasing was a little too advanced for some of the kids here. That was hardly surprising; Chad was an overachiever for practically all his life, in nearly everything he did. Even his height was towering at this age, standing a full head over even some of the oldest recruits, who, by his own calculations should be the same age as Chad was right now, if not older.

Numbuh 274 paused briefly in his speech to overlook the crowd. Nigel watched him turn his head slowly, and could've sworn, if only for a moment, that his gaze had lingered on them – and on him in particular. Finally, the speech drew to a close, and they were dismissed for lunch and to get their postings, which were in the cafeteria.

Nigel bid farewell to Abby and the rest as he and Kuki went to the southern half of the Cafeteria. The postings had been arranged by last name in alphabetical order, and since their names were in the second half of the alphabet, so were they. Kuki bounded her way to the list of 'S' names, while he headed to the 'U' list. He wondered who'd he get as a drill sergeant – most likely someone who had already been decommissioned in the original timeline, before his original entry into the Cadets Next Door.

So consumed was he in his thoughts, that hadn't realized he was walking into someone's way until it was already too late.

WHACK!

"Ow…" Nigel hissed in pain, rubbing his sore head. Thankfully, it hadn't been too hard a knock, so the pain subsided quickly. He quickly got up, dusting his pants, and went to help the person he had bumped into – only to freeze.

It was a girl. A painfully young girl, with short, dirty blonde hair and chocolate brown eyes. Her button nose, the unmistakable curl of her lips, the unshakable confidence that beheld her, even as she laid in the ground, soothing her brief headache, were all piercing Nigel's heart at an accelerated rate. Because, no matter how many years passed, they were the few features of hers that had never changed, even as they grew grey and old.

Rachel.

Nigel waited anxiously as Rachel finally made to get her head on straight. She looked up – and there was something there. She stiffened, just like Nigel had, eyes duly on him and him alone. For a long moment, they just stared at each other.

Finally, Nigel shoved his hand forward, and Rachel took it gratefully, moving into a standing position.

"Hi."

"Hi." Nigel smiled. "I'm Nigel."

"Rachel." Rachel smiled back.

"Uh, Hello!? Could you two please move it!?"

The two immediately broke out of their trance and looked around. A few cadets were watching them in either confusion or amusement, or in the case of the one cadet that had called them out, anger. Both cadets rubbed their arms sheepishly and moved, allowing the cadet to make it to the postings. Finally remembering what they were supposed to be doing, the two looked at each other with guilt.

"I better…"

"Yeah."

And then, even though it was the last thing he had ever wanted to do – in both lifetimes – Nigel walked away.


The first month of the three-month program passed by quickly. Nigel had found himself to be the only one of his friends in his particular class, and the age disparity meant he was quickly shunted aside by his fellow cadets. Not that had meant much in the end – the vast majority of his class had quit two weeks in, which was the norm for the program. The future Sector V, despite their young ages, had found themselves at the top of their respective classes, and already earmarked for specialized courses. Through some gossip and eavesdropping, Nigel had learned that the same was true for Rachel.

With both training and school and his friends all taking up his time, he had yet to find some time to just talk to her. The way she had looked at him that day – he didn't want to get his hopes up, but that reaction had been remarkably different from their first meeting in the previous timeline. It had been almost a mirror of his own, and considering why he had acted the way he did, well…

Another issue was that he didn't know how to approach her. He couldn't have just got up to her and asked her if she was his time-traveling wife – because if she wasn't, he would scare her off for good. Food was a no go either; it was a well-known fact that food at the Arctic Base was remarkably substandard compared to the rest of the Kids Next Door because of the attached prison, and since they were still cadets, there was no way they could go to the Moon Base for Meatball Sandwich Mondays.

The only option left was to wait. Classes regularly had cross-training, and his and Rachel's were due for an exercise together any day now. Once that happened, he could build a rapport with her, introduce himself, and see where it went. If she had truly gone back with him, then one of them would slip eventually and they could just continue on where they had left off, sans all the…indecent bits until they were the appropriate age. If she hadn't…well, his wife wouldn't be the first person he had to say goodbye to in his life, though she would undoubtedly hurt the most.

And so, Nigel waited. And sure enough, the day came.


The day he met Rachel again – truly met her – both their classes had been selected for crossover hand-to-hand combat training.

Nigel arrived at the arena with the rest of his class – all five of them. Another three had quit the previous week, making up excuses regarding their parents and the like. They hadn't been willing to admit that their prides had been stung at having their performances over-shadowed by a five-year-old's. The fact that their performances were substandard compared to the other recruits only aided in the fact and was why their drill sergeant hadn't made much of an effort to convince them to stay.

No matter. Nigel had already gotten sick of their attitudes, and the only reason he hadn't dealt with them himself was because he was an adult in temperament and they hadn't done anything to him besides throw dirty looks. As things were, unless they got mixed up in some villain's plan, he'd never see any of them ever again. The only real consequence of this was that their drill sergeant, Numbuh 10-Hut, was concentrating more of his attention on the rest of them. With his class downsized, there was more time for conditioning in preparation of the specialized courses during the second month of the program, and he wanted to make sure they were in tip-top shape to handle the strain.

The same had gone for all his friend's classes. Abby and Wally's class had shrunk to them, another girl, and another boy. Hoagie and Kuki's class was even smaller, as only them two and an older boy that looked passingly familiar were left. And, as Nigel watched them file in, the same applied to Rachel's class – seeing as it was her and one older girl and one older boy that were following her drill sergeant, Numbuh 579.

The eight of them were lined up together, the sergeants making a speech and demonstrating the various positions from which they could claim victory on the large sparring mat. After that, the matches began; Nigel had been selected first, and his opponent, the older boy from Rachel's class, selected second.

It was a hilariously one-sided affair. From what he saw of the child's skill, he had taken well to the forms and muscle memory needed to use them in a fight, but he lacked experience in fighting itself, his attacks jerky and forced, with no flow between them. Nigel was smaller and weaker, but his experience had come back with his body, half-remembered techniques finding new life in them. He had danced around his opponent, dodging and countering with ease and pinning his partner within five minutes. Afterwards, they shook hands, and Nigel was pleased to note that the cadet did not look disgruntled, but rather impressed. Very mature for someone his age.

Afterwards, Nigel fell back in line to watch the other matches. They were all much longer, and the disparity in skill and experience much narrower, if not nonexistent. The sole exception had been Rachel's bout, where she had trounced her opponent in just as short a time as Nigel had with his, if not shorter. She had done so with the sharp grace he had come to associate with her from the start of their friendship and into their courtship and eventual marriage. Nigel had been awed, even as his heart clenched at the sight.

The rest of the time had passed in a blur. Nigel fought two more times, and his matches ended just as quickly as the first one had. So had Rachel's. No one had thrown a fit at losing, which was a relief. Just as today's session was about to draw to a close, however, Numbuh 10-Hut and Numbuh 579 issued one last match together.

"Cadet Uno." Nigel stepped forward onto the mat, waiting. He had barely been winded and was raring to go.

Until Numbuh 579 spoke.

"Cadet McKenzie." Nigel tensed as Rachel gingerly stepped onto the mat, looking as anxious he did. The two stared at each other, and Nigel wanted to bang his head on the wall. He should've known this would happen – they were the two best students of their respective classes. What was the point of training if there was no challenge?

Numbuh 10-Hut held his hand up, and chopped it down, signaling the start of the match.

Neither of them made a move, too stunned to fight. Finally, after a moment of silence, Numbuh 579 cleared her throat forcefully, forcing them to act.

Rachel threw the first punch, Nigel countered, and after that, it was only them.

He fell into a rush, a rush he only felt when faced with a real opponent. None of the cadets at the Arctic Base had fallen into that category except his team, and even then, only Abby and Wally could truly push him to his limits. Hoagie and Kuki were decent opponents themselves and indulged him from time to time, but direct combat had never been their prerogatives. Alas, since all four were in different classes from him, they rarely had a chance to fight outside of cross-training and the rare day off. Nigel was left with half-trained, dawdling children who were hesitant to throw a punch even when their opponents were all but ordering them to.

Not here. Rachel matched him in everything but skill, and that only by a sliver below. She was just as fast, as strong, as smart, as passionate and ferocious and graceful and powerful. They moved in sync, attacking, blocking, dodging and countering in tandem, a dance that only they knew the tune to. The entire world fell away, and only the fight remained.

He didn't know how long they'd been fighting, but the end came quick. Nigel caught Rachel's elbow, before twisting her arm back and pinning her face first into the ground. She writhed, struggling to get out of the hold, before finally tapping onto the mat, submitting. His victory assured, he immediately released her, moving to help her up from her prone position.

Perhaps it was leftover adrenaline, an elation for such a good battle, but as he helped her up, he couldn't help but smile widely at her. She smiled back, just as wide and bright, and he felt a pang of longing at it, the wonder and familiarity of a sight that he had once seen every day, one that he had treasured until the day he died.

"Good match." He held out his hand.

She took it, tilting her head. "Right back at ya."

They looked to Numbuh 10-Hut, waiting for him to announce the winner, and blinked. He was gaping at them, jaw hanging in disbelief and eyes wide. Numbuh 579 had her thumb pressed on the stopwatch so hard that it looked as if the device would break under the strain; she was eyeing them as if she had never seen them before. The other cadets were simply in awe, whispering to each other excitedly and pointing at them.

Finally noticing their pointed looks, Numbuh 10-Hut cleared his throat awkwardly. "R-right. Winner: Cadet Uno!"


After cross-training was over, they had been sent into the locker rooms for a quick shower and a change of clothes before heading home. Nigel had been one of the first in and one of the first out – after the session was over, some of his classmates had cornered him, asking him how he learned to fight like that, only now realizing how above them they were in skill. He had given some non-committal answers to satisfy them but had hightailed it as soon as possible to avoid a repeat.

He was power-walking quietly down a hallway when Rachel appeared behind him, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned to her, and at a gesture of her head, followed her down one of the hallways to one of the abandoned chambers of the base, unused and thus untouched by the Arctic Base's surveillance team. Once the door was shut closed, quietly so it would not arouse suspicion, he looked at her, mouth opening to ask the question he so desperately wanted to hear.

"Is it…you, Rachel?"

Rachel shrugged. "You tell me, soldier."

It was all he needed to hear. He threw himself at her, hugging her close, never wanting to let go. She did the same, clutching her hands into the sides of his shirt.

If there were tears, well, there weren't any souls but them.


"So it's you, me, Abby, Hoagie, Wally, and Kuki?" Rachel counted off with her fingers. Her and Nigel were sitting against the wall of the chamber, leaning against each other's shoulders.

"That we know of." Nigel confirmed. He was thrumming his fingers onto his kneecaps, thinking.

"You're suspicious?"

"Not exactly, but you never know…"

Rachel sighed. "Well, is there anyone we know for certain that hasn't come back?"

Nigel stopped his thrumming, holding up his hand to count with his fingers. "Fanny and Herbie. Maurice as well. What about Patton and Harvey?"

Rachel shook her head. "Harvey is too young to tell right now. Patton is definitely a no-go, though."

"What about…Chad?" Rachel winced at the name. While she had a cordial relationship with her former superior in adulthood, her husband had not, and there had been too many near-confrontations for her and Eva to count.

"I haven't seen him long enough to tell."

"But you have seen him though, right?"

Rachel blinked. "Of course. He's made rounds with all the classes, watching a little of their training from afar and giving a small talk to any operatives that are struggling or standing out in private. Except…"

"…He hasn't done it with you?" At her nod, Nigel sighed. "Well he hasn't done it with me or the rest of the guys either. They've seen him watching their classes though. In fact, the only class he hasn't watched is mine."

"That's…" She didn't quite know what to call that. The closest word that could describe her feelings was, well, sad.

Chad had been the one to introduce her to Nigel; when he was Commander of the Arctic Base, he had taken several cadets who had made impressions on him under his wing. Rachel had been one, and they kept contact after her training was finished, forming a casual, comfortable friendship. Nigel had been his last student, undoubtedly his best, and one of the few operatives in the KND that could say they had been close to Chad Dickson, not just Numbuh 274. It was why he had taken Chad's supposed betrayal so badly, but as bad as that was, the unknowing competition he was having with Chad over the GKND promotion is what ultimately destroyed their relationship altogether. There was no reconciliation, no clearance of the air, only a mutual understanding of some mix of hostility and respect.

If Chad wasn't paying attention to Nigel this time around, or to her or the rest of the once-Sector V, even after seeing how good they all were, it could mean a lot of things. But if it meant that

"Yeah." Nigel said quietly, reading her thoughts as if they were his own.


The second month of the program began with an evaluation exam.

It was a two-part exam with both a written and practical portion. The written portion tested basic strategy, basic KND history, and general knowledge of KND regulations. The practical dealt with a timed obstacle course, and then a combat simulation against one of the KND's higher-tiered training robots. It was at this exam in the previous timeline that Nigel had met Chad for the first time, a meeting that would prove instrumental to changing his life.

The written portion went by relatively quickly. All six of them had been careful to use more basic vocabulary (advanced for five-year-olds but expected for cadets) for the free-response questions and were free to leave long before the allotted time was up. The timed obstacle course went just as well, with all of them, even Hoagie, finishing the course well under the necessary passing time; Nigel even heard whispers that he might've broken one of Chad's records for fastest time finished.

Even the combat simulation had been easy for them. Typically, for this part of the exam the drill sergeants, the simulations were of varying levels, tailored to sufficiently test the operative in question without completely overwhelming them. Not everyone in the Kids Next Door was a combat-oriented operative, after all, and while there was a minimum level of physical conditioning and fighting skill needed to graduate (if only so every operative was capable of defending themselves), as long as the operative exceled in one particular field (such as 2x4 technology, for the KND scientists at the Deep Sea Science Lab), they were usually guaranteed to pass – if barely.

The O.C.T.O.P.A.D.D.L.E.R. assigned to him in the first timeline had been the highest-leveled training bot that could be assigned to a cadet for the exam. That particular model was reserved to test only the top percent of the top percent of cadets, in not just physical attributes but mental as well. Of Sector V, only he and Abby had faced that machine for their exams. This time around, Hoagie, Wally, and Kuki had each faced the machine as well and done splendidly, defeating it quickly and efficiently while showcasing the various skills they possessed for extra points. Abby had faced it as well, and done extremely well, finishing it off in five minutes, just a bit over the record, as had Rachel.

Thus, when Nigel entered the arena for his turn, he had no reason to believe he would be facing anything other than a giant purple machine with a spider's body and eight hands sticking out of the junction that served as its neck.

In hindsight, he probably should've known better.


Nigel readied the M.U.S.K.E.T.s in his hands, flicking the safety off for both weapons and aiming it directly at the door where his automaton opponent would enter. He loosened his body, got rid of any leftover cricks, and waited for the double doors to open.

After a few more moments, the double doors unlocked, and released –

Nigel's eyes widened behind his glasses.


The current and future Sector V were hanging around one of the balconies of the training arena where the exams were taking place. These terraces had been built so Sectors and other divisions of the Kids Next Door (including Global Command) could watch cadets and see if there were any potential recruits they were interested in taking in if and when they graduated. The current Sector V had taken one all for themselves to watch the exams of their leader's little sister and her friends and had been gradually joined by each member of the future Sector V after they were finished. Rachel had also joined them after she was done, and Abby had introduced her as a friend they had met during training.

As a result of having so many young kids sequestered together in a small space, the balcony was usually loud and raucous with cheers of support for their chosen favorites.

Not now.

They were all staring directly at the chosen training robot for Nigel's combat simulation in stunned horror.

"Isn't that…"


" –a B.L.I.T.Z.-W.O.L.F.!? Why did they send out a B.L.I.T.Z.-W.O.L.F.!?" Numbuh 345, this year's test administrator, demanded from her own terrace, shouting at her various subordinates to figure out who had circumvented her orders for an O.C.T.O.P.A.D.D.L.E.R. to be sent out.

She had every right to be angry – and worried. The B.L.I.T.Z.-W.O.L.F. was the hardest combat simulation that could be administered by the system, and was never used for cadet training. Even full-trained operatives, some with years of experience, had difficulty with this level.

The B.L.I.T.Z.-W.O.L.F. was a titan-sized mechanical gray wolf with frightening agility, speed, and power. It could jump from one end of the arena to the next with a single leap, run across walls, and even shoot lasers from its eyes. It was, in short, dangerous, far too dangerous for a single cadet, no matter how good they reputedly were.

Numbuh 345 was about to order Cadet Uno to flee the arena immediately, but found her microphone wasn't working.

Before she could do anything about it, the young boy charged – and moved.


Nigel didn't bother to think about why a B.L.I.T.Z.-W.O.L.F. of all things was his combat simulation, figuring he could bother with that later. Instead, he acted immediately, charging forward, firing mustard shots directly at the mouth of the beast. When the wolf lunged for him, he ducked into a combat role, firing from beneath, aiming specifically the right foreleg's main joint.

He hit dead on, but aside from a few cracks the machine acted as if it hadn't been shot. It fired its lasers, and Nigel was forced move again, running across the side of the arena and dodging the deadly beams by a hair's width. The wolf, realizing that this tactic was ineffective as well, made for a smaller lunge, twisting its body so its back legs were facing its opponent. It kicked outwards, trying to slam Nigel into the wall with its large front paws. Nigel ducked under again, running to the right and aiming once again for the right foreleg.

And so it went. He would dodge, duck and weave around the mechanical beast, taking aim at that one joint whenever there was an opening. The beast in turn would lunge at him, shoot lasers at him, even sweep him away with one of its large paws or even its tail, only to fail every time, if only by the slightest of slivers. It was a dangerous game to play, but for Nigel, that was what this life was all about.

Finally, it was time to finish this. The badly abused joint that he had been aiming for the entire fight was sparking, weak and fragile, holding barely together. Nigel dived under another lunge, aiming straight and true. The mustard hit dead on, and the connection broke. The B.L.I.T.Z.-W.O.L.F. collapsed to its side, its other limbs flailing to get some equilibrium back.

Nigel ignored them, walking casually to the head of the machine. He aimed both of his M.U.S.K.E.T.s directly at its eyes, and fired continuous shots, not stopping until the metal began to spark, before the entire thing exploded into dark smoke and flames. With the battle finally over, Nigel took in a deep breath and collapsed to his knees, spent.

Then the cheers started.

The cadet looked up to see that he had attracted a crowd. Everywhere he could see, KND operatives from every major division were yelling and whooping about. It wasn't every day you saw a cadet defeat a B.L.I.T.Z.-W.O.L.F. after all. Sector V's terrace was the loudest – there he could see his friends chanting his name, with Numbuhs 8a and 8b joining them. Cree and Maurice had proud and approving smiles on their faces, while Rachel was positively beaming at him.

Sheepishly, he rubbed the back of his head and gave a small wave to his adoring public. As he looked around, something caught the corner of his eye from the command terrace: a flash of familiar blond hair. Nigel turned his head slowly, so he wouldn't arouse suspicion, but by the time he got a full look, the striking color was gone.


The second month of the cadet program was when cadets began to undergo specializations. Some were apprenticed to older operatives with specific jobs (such as ice cream delivery, in the case of Numbuh 48 Flavors), others took courses to broaden their skill sets. The latter was specifically set aside for operatives who planned to join a regional sector, or those who were aiming for a job with Global Command. Three days of the week were dedicated to specialized classes (two sessions per day), another three to the standard conditioning that had started in the first month, and the last day was a rest day for the cadets to get their bearings and be just regular kids again before they entered the grind permanently.

However, in order to enter a specialized course, a cadet needed to have the necessary grades from their corresponding courses in basic, their evaluation exam, and a recommendation from their drill sergeant. Of Sector V, Hoagie and Wally had suffered the most from this restriction in the previous timeline, even if they hadn't minded at the time. While Hoagie excelled at knowledge and weapons handling, he lacked the athleticism needed for many of the practical combat courses. Wally had the exact opposite problem; he was as tough and skilled as they came, but he wasn't one to use his head often and thus was barred from theoretical courses such as strategy, not that he had particularly cared.

When the exam results were posted later that week, Nigel was at the very top of the list, with record-breaking scores to match – even Rachel, the second-highest scorer, had a visible gap between her scores and his. He could basically enter any specialized class he desired, and his pick of sector when he finally graduated.

All of which was a moot point; thanks to his young age, it would be a while before he was officially allowed to be stationed anywhere on a semi-permanent basis, and even then, he already had his mind set. Having a pick of specialized courses, however, was a definite benefit. He had decided to take on advanced strategy, advanced hand-to-hand combat, History 102, diversionary tactics, and advanced piloting. All of his team were with him in advanced hand-to-hand and strategy, but he only shared piloting with Hoagie, who had also decided to take a 2x4 technology course and a cooking course. Abby and Rachel had decided to go into stealth and spy craft (which functioned as a double class due to the nature of the material taught) with each other, while Kuki went into hamster caretaking, diversionary tactics, and medicine. Wally joined her in medicine and diversionary tactics, but for himself, took diplomacy. At the questioning looks of his friends, he had admitted that it was partially atonement for how he had acted as a kid.

After that, life got busier than ever. The training, while interesting and even enjoyable, was also intense and exhausting, both mentally and physically. Often times they went home together, too tired to do anything but fall asleep at each other's houses. Since they were all still in kindergarten, school wasn't an issue, but that didn't make things any easier.

The incident with the B.L.I.T.Z.-W.O.L.F., however, had not been forgotten. It was written off as a minor accident, and no official investigation had been opened into what happened, partially because, in the end, Nigel hadn't gotten hurt – had even done better than anyone could have ever expected him to at this age, way better. But it was still fresh in the minds of everyone, from fellow cadets to operatives who had been drawn into spectating.

He had become a minor celebrity as a result, well-known name amongst the occupants of the Arctic Base. A figure worthy of admiration, liable to scorn, and everything in between. Already his reputation was spreading throughout the KND, rumors and wild speculations trailing him at every corner. And the comparisons, oh the comparisons. Numbuhs 0 and 100 were brought up frequently, but none more so 274 – after all, no one had such an early, dramatic rise to greatness as quick as Chad Dickson did. Not until him, at least.

Nigel didn't even want to think about what Chad thought about that.

It didn't help that the older boy seemed to be avoiding him. And Rachel. And the rest of the guys. And it was increasingly obvious as to why, though until Chad said it first, Nigel refused to confront him about it. Call him a coward, but that was a talk he'd like to avoid until it was absolutely necessary. And with the increased workload, he had a convenient excuse for it. One that wouldn't last, obviously, but he would take what he could get.

He had found that was always the best way to deal with things, when it came to Chad.


The start of the third month began with the annual KND Cadet Exhibition. It was a quarterly event used to showcase the latest graduating class of cadets, competing against the various operatives stationed at the Arctic Base. The cadets that wanted to participate were required to enter their name in a lottery; then, the Soopreme Leaduh and the Arctic Base command team would determine which cadets would participate in what event in order to best display their skills to prospective recruiters. Only the best ten cadets that had decided to enter would be allowed to participate: five for the team event, four for the free-for-all, and one for the exclusive match.

There were three major events in the exhibition: Capture the Flag, Hide and Seek, and a one-on-one randomized event with a top operative (usually a drill sergeant) and a cadet of their choice. The year Nigel was a part of the exhibition, he had been selected for the Capture the Flag game – so had Wally, Kuki and Hoagie at their respective exhibitions. Abby and Rachel were selected for the Hide and Seek game.

Contrary to what might at first, being selected for the one-on-one match was hardly an honor. The KND may be a paramilitary organization dedicated to protecting kids everywhere, but that didn't change the fact that kids ran it. Kids could be immature and selfish, and here was no different. Typically, the drill sergeant chose a cadet who had been particularly disrespectful and…discipline them. Occasionally there was a match that actually served the purpose of the exhibition and gave the cadet positive attention, but that was rare.

So, in true Sector V fashion, one of them was selected for the match. And absolutely no one was surprised when they heard who it would be against.


Nigel leaned back into his seat at the Arctic Base's recreation center. All around him, his cadet class was surrounding him, every eye fixated on the gigantic TV screen in front of them.

Onscreen was Numbuh 100, flanked by a number of KND officials, including Numbuh 274 and the cadet program's drill sergeants. He was currently standing onstage in the Moon Base's main auditorium, being broadcast to Kids Next Door operatives around the world. It was time to announce the participants of the exhibition.

Numbuh 100 cleared his throat, microphone in hand, and started his speech. He explained the history of the exhibition: former Soopreme Leaduh Numbuh Eleventy-Billion instituted it to further streamline the selection process for cadets for when they finally graduated and officially entered the Kids Next Door. The first one had been a crude event that Eleventy-Billion himself had participated in, it had since been refined over the years, until it became what it was today.

"Now, to announce the participants of each event! First, Capture the Flag!"

Numbuh 100 rolled down the names on the list given to him, each one announced with the bombastic tilt of his southern accent. First, he started with the cadets, and then went to the drill sergeants. Hoagie, Kuki, and Wally all traded high-fives when their names were called.

"I guess I'll be joining you and Abby in Hide and Seek." Nigel whispered to Rachel as the cadets burst into conversation when the drill sergeants were announced.

"Next, Hide and Seek!"

The cadets were once again announced first, and Nigel frowned when he realized his name hadn't been called. He wasn't the only one who noticed – every member of his team was looking at him, as were as a few others.

"You did enter your name, right?" Rachel whispered back to him.

"I did." Had he been selected for the exclusive match? Why? It would be embarrassing for a full-fledged operative to lose to a five-year-old, no matter how good they were.

After the cheer died down for the operatives, Numbuh 100 cleared his throat. "Finally, the main event. For this quarter's exhibition, we've got a special treat for all of you. Now, I was a bit surprised to hear when this operative volunteered himself for the exhibition – despite his stellar record, he was never quite one to boast about his many achievements or show-off to the crowd. But this class interested him, and he felt that this cadet in particular could only display the full scope of his abilities against him. So, drum roll please." The Soopreme Leaduh waited, and was obliged. "Boys, girls, and hamsters, please put your hands together for…"

The world breathed in.

"…Numbuh 274! Yes, the Base Commander himself is joining in on the fun this quarter!"

Raucous applause broke out from the onsite crowd at Moon Base. In deep contrast, the recreation room at the Arctic Base fell silent, every cadet within frozen in disbelief and fear. Several who had joined the lottery had yet to have their names called and had now realized that one of them would be facing off against the best Kids Next Door operative on the planet.

No one could take their eyes off the screen. No one.

"The event this quarter will be a full-contact sparring match. Weapons and armor will be provided, the terrain modified to mock a typical street where a battle might take place in an actual mission. There are two ways to determine a winner: surrender or incapacitation."

Even more terror filled the remaining cadets. They'd be actually fighting Numbuh 274? Squeaks and groans and gasps filled the room.

Through it all, Nigel remained silent, his gaze glued to the screen, eyes narrowed. His mind had been racing a mile a minute ever since Chad's codename had been announced.

"Now, for the lucky cadet…" An audible, collective scoff echoed throughout the crowd, which was summarily ignored.

"…this quarter's top-scorer, Nigel Uno!"

Gasps were heard, and people turned to him with pitying looks. Nigel leaned back into his chair and sighed, rubbing his head.

Crud.


Long chapter, I know, and lots of exposition. This was actually supposed to be out earlier, but my beta was busy this week since school is starting back up. Next chapter will be the exhibition, plus we get some insight into Chad and Nigel's relationship. The chapter after that should be the third month and then graduation from the Cadets Next Door. Then we get into the real fun. By the time we reach the canon timeline, there will be so many changes your head will spin.