Chapter 5: War Clouds
The members of Sector V (and Dib) are aboard the Moonbase, having just been debriefed on what happened on the island. Wally and Kuki had been picked up by another ship, so everyone was together again.
The six children had been hurried into a private meeting with Numbah 362 to decide what needs to be done.
"Thank you for coming Nigel." The Soopreme Leader speaks curtly. Numbah 1 replies with a salute. "What you've discovered confirms rumors Intelligence has been collecting for some time now: that Mandy's followers have regrouped under new leaders."
While Numbah 362 continued to talk, Kuki noticed a faint glow coming from her pack.
"Recently, my brother was injured on a mission to investigate the production of a mutagen by Science Nerds. We've obtained samples of the mutagen, and believe that it is being used on the Rainbow Monkeys. What it does to them, we're not sure yet, but it can't be good." Rachel explained. "Normally, invading the island would be a top priority, but the raid that rescued you guys indicates it's heavily defended, and we just don't have the resources to launch that kind of attack in the aftermath of the conflict with Mandy."
"What about the other kids who fought against Mandy?" Numbah 5 asked.
"We've already sent messages for help, and our awaiting their responses." 362 answered. "Currently, it would seem that our only option is to wait for them to take the offensive, and try to destroy their forces once they leave the fortified safety of the island."
"What about Zim? Do you have any reports on what happened to him?" Dib asked.
"No, but after consulting with Numbah 1, we've decided that you can investigate it yourself... as a KND operative." Numbah 362 replied warmly. "Welcome aboard... Numbah 11."
Dib was stunned. "Th...thank you. You really don't think I'm crazy?"
"With all the stuff we deal with, aliens are pretty normal." Numbah 362 replied. "Besides, Numbah 1 vouched for you, and any friend of his is okay with me."
"Bout time someone took my sister's Numbah." Numbah 5 said under her breath.
"Well, I guess that's it. Not much else we can do until the enemy makes a move." Numbah 362 concluded. "Unless anyone else has something to add."
Numbah 3 suddenly began waving her hand back and forth. "Oh, oh, OH! Me me me!"
"Yes Numbah 3?" The Soopreme Leader replied with a raised eyebrow. Everyone knew what an airhead Numbah 3 was, and Rachel was expecting her to say something inane.
Numbah 3 reaches into her backpack and pulls out the still glowing Rainbow Wand. Everyone falls silent as their eyes are drawn to the shining stick. It gets brighter and brighter as Numbah 3 gets up and walks to the Soopreme Leader.
Kuki taps it against Rachel's head, and a burst of light erupts. A wave of rainbow color washes over Rachel, and her clothing transforms into an outfit similar to what Kuki wore in the Rainbow Temple, only her skirt, gloves, and boots are orange and she lacks a tiara.
Then, in a flash of light, the Soopreme Leader returns to normal. This time, it is Numbah 1's mouth that is slightly agape. "...What just happened?" Rachel asks after a minute.
"Well, it all started in this spooky temple..."
(KND symbol)
Inside his bunker, buried beneath tons of Junkyard trash, Cartman looks over a table with a map with the Cul-Da-Sac in the center. He pushes around little figurines, representing his forces, while he thinks about his strategy. "Man, I have such a headache..."
Suddenly, Heinreich bursts into the room. "Herr Eric, you must come quick! Zhe kid Kevin is kicking our forces in zhe kabbush!" he yelled frantically.
In the center of the Cul-Da-Sac, a Cartmanbot, seen from behind, rolls forward to fight an enemy, but suddenly has a hole shot through its armor. It rolls to a stop when its systems fail. The shooter is the mechanically reconstructed Kevin. Clad in red battle armor, his right arm is covered by an over-sized red fist, while his left arm ends in an energy cannon. On his shoulder sits a rocket launcher, while his eyes are shielded by a jet black visor. The only part of him that remains similar to the old Kevin is his familiar red hat. It's still perched backwards on his head.
Several Cartmanbots power up their lasers and fire, but Kevin has jumped clear of them, then quickly dispatches them with several well placed laser blasts. Kevin sees one robot charge a particularly dangerous blast, so he leaps in the air, grabs a flag from atop a house, tears the cloth from the metal, and tosses it over the machine, taking out its sight. Unable to aim, the Cartmanbot hold its fire, allowing Kevin to destroy it with one shot. He then spins around and fires the shoulder mounted rocket, blowing another machine to pieces.
A small circle of robots stood ready to engage Kevin, but they suddenly back off. The crowd that had gathered became confused. Suddenly, massive, crashing footsteps could be heard. Then, they saw it. A massive yellow Bus Walker came marching up the street. It takes aim at Kevin and lets loose with a barrage of lasers. Ducking under the fire, Kevin readies his fist as he approaches the Walker's leg, but he is suddenly lifted into the by one of the machine's many clawed cords. Holding him upside down, the mechanical limb brought Kevin face to face with the Walker, holding him directly in front of the cockpit.
Two pilots sit at operating stations, with Cartman standing behind them, sneering at Kevin. Filled with rage at the sight of his hated enemy, Kevin breaks free of the claw and fires a laser blast at the cockpit as he falls to the ground. The blasts goes straight through the cockpit into the main body of the Walker, causing the entire thing to go up in flames.
The crowd lets out a cheer! They are free! But as the smoke clears, something is seen. Cartman is floating in the space once occupied by the Walker! His palms face downward, a stream of lightning blasting forth from each one. He slowly floats to the ground, then looks at his hands. "The V-chip?" he mutters to himself. "But how can that...?" Suddenly a devious grin crosses his face. After using it to defeat Saddam Hussain, the V-chip had shocked him whenever he swore had been deactivated. Eric didn't know why it was working now, but this meant he could wipe the floor with this tin can.
"Take this *BLEEP*-hole!" he exclaimed while holding his palms out and channeling a blast of lightning forward. Kevin was just as surprised at the fat kid's sudden super powers, and didn't dodge it. Kevin was thrown through the wall of a house. He climbs through the plaster, then leaps forward, fist forward, ready to pummel the fat monster. Cartman raises his fists over his head, then throws them down while opening his hands. He used the blast of lightning to fly over the attack, and continued blasting electricity to land safely.
"Die you *BLEEEEP*!" Eric shrieked while unleashing another round of electricity. Kevin, wracked with pain, fell to the ground. Cartman did not relent though, and continued to hit him with bolt after bolt of searing electricity. Finally, only when Kevin moved no more, did Cartman, now visibly tired, relent in his attacks. His mechanical monsters moved to protect him as the once hopeful crowd scattered, fearing the tyrant's wrath.
Eddy was the first of Cartman's human servants to join him. Upon seeing his hated enemy on the ground, Eddy couldn't help but laugh. "Looks like bike boy finally got what he had coming!" he commented.
"Eddy..." Cartman wheezed out.
"Yeah boss?"
"Inform... the troops. We *wheeze* attack *wheeze* tomorrow."
(KND symbol)
It's a warm, sunny day in Sector J, just like every other. Numbah 1-Love was relaxing on the beach, sipping a smoothie, when he noticed something on the horizon. Activating the zoom function within his sunglasses, he sits up in panic when he realized the black dots on the horizon are actually a flotilla of warships!
The Sector J commander reaches into the sand and pulls up a 2x4 radio. "Code red! Code red! Unidentified ships, incoming!"
Inside the Sector's radio tower, Numbah 10 fiddles with a radio. "Copy that Numbah 1-Love. I'm hailing them now." she replies. "Attention unidentified vessels! You are in KND waters! Turn back right now!" The radio went silent. On the beach, as whooshing sound was heard. Shortly after that, a shell hit the beach, knocking Numbah 1-Love from his chair. Speaking into his radio, he gives the famous command, "Kids Next Door, Battlestations!"
In an instant, defensive batteries rise from beneath the sand and take aim at the fleet. Although the ships are too far away for them to do any damage, it should keep them back long enough for an airstrike to be called up. The enemy, however, was thinking along similar lines. Warplanes filled the sky, raining lasers and bombs down upon the beach defenses and strafing the Tree House. The Battleships closed the distance and opened up with their big guns, battering the Tree House further.
Landing craft began hitting the shore, unloading hundreds of robotic soldiers onto the beach. Sector J knew they were out-gunned, and all manner of aircraft took to the sky in a desperate attempt to flee. Most were quickly shot down by the enemy Cruisers, but a few managed to flee.
Once the beach was deserted and the Tree House was on fire, a weapon laden Battle Yacht pulled up to the beach. Mandark, King Sandy, Mushi and Brainfreezer step off. "Alright, let's get to work right away." Mandark spoke. "Negative Numbah 4 wants those missile silos up by Thursday."
(KND symbol)
It's a lively night at Lime Ricky's soda bar. The cola is flowing, the music is blasting, and a psychotic rouge KND operative with half his face burnt off is robbing the place. "Alright, put all your cash and Yipper cards in the bag, now!" Harvey demands.
Once Numbah 363, now a mad, unpredictable robber after having half his face chemically scarred and suffering a mental breakdown. Calling himself Harvey "Two Face" Mckenzie, his decides what his crime will be based on the flip of the Cheese-E-Cheese coin he was holding at the time of his burn. A drop of acid had gotten onto it, damaging one side as badly as Harvey's face. When the scarred side comes up, he robs the KND or another kid organization. Un-scarred side and he steals from villains. With him are two henchmen. One of them is keeping watch at the door while the other loots the bar. Harvey is keeping the crowd under control with a pair G.U.M.Z.O.O.K.A.s.
The henchman in charge of looting suddenly notices a patron wearing a Ring Pop. "Jackpot!" he muttered while reaching for it, only to have his hand slapped away by Harvey.
"Jewelery wasn't part of the plan! We gotta flip for it." Harvey orders while pulling the burnt token from his pocket. He flips and it lands clean side up. "Heads, we leave it!"
"B...but boss!" the henchman argues, only to be grabbed by the collar.
"I call the shots, got it! When I say leave it, leave it!" he raged.
"Hey guys, we better hurry it up! KND coming this way!" the lookout yells. The trio quickly collect the loot and run out, piling into their getaway vehicle and fleeing the scene. The KND vehicle (a 2x4 paddy wagon) took up pursuit. Harvey leans out the back window and fires away with his G.U.M.Z.O.O.K.A.. The gumballs simply bounce of the armor, and the KND vehicle retaliates with a missile, which is narrowly avoided by Harvey's gang.
Making a tight turn around a corner while side-swiping a fruit stand, the gang spots a manure truck just ahead of them. The getaway driver moves their vehicle directly behind the truck, waiting until the very last second to pull away. The KND vehicle wasn't nearly as mobile, and the operatives inside could do nothing but cry "Cruuuuuuuuuuuuud!" before their vehicle fender-bendered the vehicle and caused the truckload of manure to bury the 2x4 vehicle up to its windows, allowing Harvey to escape.
(KND symbol)
Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location, the enigmatic Numbah Infinity stands before a square box with a round green screen with a white line across it. "You summoned me, sir?" the illusive boy asked.
"There has been a... disturbance in regard to your current investigation." A heavily distorted voice speaks from the box, with the white line moving in waves as it talks. "The Gallifrey cell has had a prediction. They believe the Time Lock may be compromised." Numbah Infinity's usually stoic face became visibly unnerved at this.
"If there is no other option, initiate Code Bravo Bravo Charlie." the voice stated gravely. "Above all else, maintain the Time Lock. No matter the cost."
A/N: Look at that, two in one day. How about that?
Who else is part of the Honor Guard? How far will the empires of Negative Numbah 4 and Cartman expand? What's this Time Lock, and why do the GKND find it so interesting? How did Cartman get his electrical powers back? (For those who are wondering, Cartman first had these powers at the end of the South Park movie, where he used them to throw Saddam Hussein back into hell.) Why did I choose to give Dib Numbah 11? Tune in net time to find out!
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