Been a little while since my last update eh?
I've been pretty busy lately and have tried to squeeze in writing this story to whatever available time I have. First couple weeks of the semester are a little hectic, but it's slowing down thankfully. Don't worry the story is not discontinued nor on hiatus.
Also I'd like to thank those of you who have reviewed, put the story on fav., etc, as well as those of you who are currently reading my story.
Anyway here's the next chapter! I thought long and hard which direction I wanted to take the story for I had multiple ideas in mind.
The plot is getting very deep now, so make sure you pay close attention.
Enjoy Chapter 9, will keep you updated!
Chapter 9: Thinking of the Past
...Connection Re-Established...
Serena was lying in bed in the Moon Base's infirmary. Ever since she'd encountered Aiden at the Arctic base, she couldn't stop thinking about everything that happened on that fateful day, as well as the memories she had with him.
It had been a year since the events that molded her into the person she is today occurred. Even though a year in the grand scheme of things is a relatively short amount of time, it felt like a millennium to her. Every day was difficult for her to deal with, especially with the thought of the boy she cared so much for basically vanishing right before her own eyes; his true self now locked away in the deep chambers of his mind. She missed him, knowing that she'd probably never be able to see the dignified boy she once knew ever again, knowing that he'd never grow up to fulfill his dreams, and the most painful of all, knowing that she'd never get to confess the true feelings she felt towards him.
In the middle of her thoughts, she heard movement coming from the corner of her room. Serena was given a resting quarters where she would be able to relax and possibly get some sleep in. After all, attempting to fall asleep in the main section of the infirmary while doctors and nurses were running around trying to save wounded operatives who were bleeding out everywhere wouldn't be exactly the most calming environment.
"Hey who's there?" she projected her voice towards the location of the sound.
No one replied back, and Serena discounted the event.
"Probably just my imagination or something." She muttered aloud to herself.
The brown haired girl returned to her thoughts, thinking about her long lost love. She missed his joyful self, his black curly hair and his emerald eyes. The two had met during their training for S.R.S.S.T. She closed her eyes and slowly drifted away into a deep sleep.
Suddenly old memories emerged in her head, and became so vivid she felt as she was reliving the moment…
2 years earlier in the Arctic Base
"All right maggots! Now before we proceed to the most difficult and miserable training of your lives, I would like to congratulate all of you to making it into this elite team of operatives." Yelled out Numbuh 60, at the time still drill instructor at the Arctic base
"You are here because you are the best of the best, the cream of the crop, an example for which all of us may follow, and I will expect nothing short of that while I personally train all of you."
All of the operatives on the main bridge gulped, they felt special that they would be part of S.R.S.S.T, but their happiness was short lived when Patton announced he would personally train them. Patton was the one of the best drill instructors in Kids Next Door history, but his methods of which to train operatives was unusually difficult and rigorous.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm excited too. Anyway, I'd like to introduce you to one of my good colleagues, Numbuh 362, one of the most cunning and talented operative and espionage agent of this organization."
A young blonde girl, probably around age 10, walked onto the bridge.
"What the heck does she have to do with our training? She's part of a whole different agency!" one of the cadets rudely shouted.
Numbuh 60 produced a cold stare at the arrogant cadet, and walked up to the small boy face to face.
"Oh so you're a know it all aren't you huh? Think just because you're in S.R.S.S.T there aren't other operatives in other elite branches of the KND who are probably more skilled than anyone in this room? Well, I'll tell you right now you little scrub, you best keep your mouth shut or I'll kick you out of this program right now, butt freezing in the sub-zero degree temperatures right outside this base."
The boy nearly collapsed upon hearing Numbuh 60's response, causing all the other cadets to become more attentive.
"That goes for the rest of you too." He announced
Rachel was standing right next to Patton, and she whispered something into his ear.
"Geeze isn't that a little harsh, you aren't serious are you?"
Patton wanted to smile, but kept a straight face.
"Eh… Kinda." He responded back, now turning to the rest of the cadets.
"Ok, now that we got that squared off, Numbuh 362 will serve as your instructor for the first couple of days, she will train you on how to sneak up on your enemy and gather intelligence during combat. The Intelligence gathering agency goes through a similar, if not more challenging process.
Numbuh 60 then stepped back, allowing Rachel to move forward and speak.
"Greeting cadets, I would also like to congratulate you on making it to this special force of the Kids Next Door. I too was invited to S.R.S.S.T, but was recommended by global command to join the intelligence agency…"
Near the back of the row of cadets, a short brown haired girl was shaking from nervousness.
"Hey, you ok?" a voice next to her responded.
"Yeah… well no…" she turned to see a medium sized boy with curly black hair and emerald colored eyes. He had a calming aura around him, one that helped put the girl at ease.
"Hey, just take it easy, we'll get through this. By the way my name is Aiden."
"Serena." She smiled back, happy that she made a friend.
Back to the present
She woke up suddenly, gasping for air. Everything felt so real, like she traveled back in the past when everything was much simpler, back when she first met Aiden.
She took a deep breath, and whispered something under her breath.
"Just a dream…"
Right as she said that a voice from the side of her bed broke the silence in the room.
"Too bad this isn't." Cree said before several hands subdued her and injected a needle into her arm that would render her unconscious.
"How… how did you…" Serena felt everything around the room spinning, before the drug finally took full effect.
"Hey Numbuh 1, you should really get with Numbuh 362 once this is all over, she diggin' ya!" Numbuh 5 teased as all of Sector V was walking down the Moon Base dock.
"For the love of cake Abby, we're just really close friends!" Nigel insisted, now annoyed of his friends' accusations.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever Numbuh 1, you're probably the most clueless one when it comes to this relation stuff." Numbuh 4 blurted out, causing all of Sector V to turn their heads towards him.
Kuki then raised her hand and slapped him in the back of the head, catching the Australian operative completely by surprise.
"You'd be the one to talk!" she muttered, now aggravated.
"What was that for?!" Wally responded back, rubbing the back of his head.
Abby and Hoagie just shook their heads and face palmed their faces.
"Speaking of clueless, what'd you guys gather from Numbuh 900?" Abby questioned, turning her head towards Nigel."
"Well it's a long story…"
The Moon Base alarms suddenly went off, starling all the personal on the dock.
"Intruder alert, requesting all security personal to Deck 1B through 3A, initializing tree house lockdown now."
Nigel's heart stopped, Rachel's office was located on Deck 2B. Negative thoughts began to race through his mind, what if something happened to her? It was certainly a possibility and the bald operative immediately rushed to the Supreme Leaders office.
Rachel was sitting in her office analyzing possible battle plans to recapture Earth when the alarm suddenly went off.
The blonde girl jumped out of her seat, but quickly regained her composure.
She ringed up Numbuh 60, who was on the Moon Base bridge.
"Status report Numbuh 60!" Rachel asked through her communicator
"There's been a breach through several levels of the tree house, and the nurses report Numbuh 900 missing from her room!"
Rachel was caught totally caught off guard, she didn't think anyone would be able to sneak into the Moon Base, and the fact that Numbuh 900 was kidnapped only made matters worse.
"I want an immediate lockdown of the entire base; no one gets in or out until I lift the order, got that?"
"Yes Numbuh 362 sir." Patton responded back.
As soon as the transmission was cut off, Rachel proceeded to reach another contact.
"I gotta call Nigel!" Rachel thought to herself.
Suddenly and without warning her office door busted down, and a shadowed out figure emerged through the door. Rachel quickly grabbed a 2x4 laser gun she keeps stashed underneath her office desk.
"Let her go intruder, you're not going anywhere!" Nigel yelled, holding a M.U.S.K.E.T
"Nigel what the heck are you doing?!" Rachel questioned from behind her office desk.
"Don't worry Rachel I'm here to rescue you!" the boy lunged forward toward her and pulled her underneath the cover of the wooden desk.
"What the ?! Nigel… no one is harming me, I'm totally fine…" Rachel muttered, squinting her eyes at the reckless operative.
"Yes there…. Oh…" Nigel said, peeking over the desk only to be greeted by a completely cleared room.
Nigel bit down on his own teeth "Erm, sorry about that…"
Rachel lightened up, the thought of Nigel barging in to rescue her even though there was no immediate danger appeared to be very sincere.
"Don't worry about it, I thought you checking in on me was kinda cute anyway." She smiled.
Nigel blushed, why did she have to have such an adorable smile?
He stood back up, helping Rachel regain her balance along the way.
"So if nothing is wrong here, then what's going…?
Rachel rubbed the back of her head, breaking eye contact with Nigel. She paced back behind her desk to clean up the mess Nigel had made while barging into her office.
"Well…Numbuh 900 has been kidnapped."
"Wait by who?!" He blurted out, anticipating Rachel's response.
She finished putting the last stack of papers and files into her drawer and refocused her attention back onto Nigel. "We suspect it's the Teen Ninja's, after all, they're the only ones who could possibly sneak in here undetected."
"I should've know… any idea where they are now?" Nigel questioned, eager to rescue Numbuh 900.
"Well they couldn't have gotten far, we locked down the whole base, so they have to be in here somewhere…"
"Look no further you little brat, we're right here."
Suddenly Cree and several Teen Ninja's dropped down from ceiling. Rachel caught a glimpse of Serena being carried by one of them.
"What did you do to her?!" Rachel yelled, now worried.
"Oh don't worry, just a little sedation." Cree grinned, preparing her nun chucks.
"Numbuh 900 was the priority of this little mission, but it was also strongly recommended I kidnap you two also!" Cree added, signaling the others to capture the two operatives.
Without hesitation, Nigel quickly jumped in the air, knocking down one of the teens and blasting another with his M.U.S.K.E.T.
"Well sorry to burst your bubble, but we're not going anywhere!"
Rachel soon followed, and a brawl soon took place in the room.
"I got your back Nigel!" she yelled, leaping in the air to dodge two teens who violently knocked each other out.
He smiled, "guess your finally getting adjusted back to field work huh?"
"Just keep your mind focused." She responded back, as she blasted one of the teens away and tripped another.
The two operatives fought fiercely, but were eventually surrounded by the Teen Ninjas.
"Nigel, I don't know how long we can last." Rachel was gasping for air, exhausted from the fighting.
"Don't give up Rachel! We'll get out of this." Nigel said while dodging a pair of nun-chucks.
They lasted only a few seconds longer before they were finally cornered. A set of nets shot out over them entangling the two operatives, restricting their movement.
"Why kidnap us anyway?!" Nigel blurted out.
"Orders from Father." Cree responded, pulling out the anesthetic.
Rachel glared at Nigel, who was still frantically trying to break free from the confinements of the net.
Nigel stared back, and he slowly settled down, accepting that his attempt to escape was futile.
Suddenly, lasers shot out from behind Cree, taking out several of the teens including the one holding Serena. Sector V, several guards, and Patton hustled into the room, aiming their modified 2x4 laser rifles at the remaining Teen Ninja's.
"Any last words before we finally put you through decommissioning big sis?" Abby said, feeling a bit of remorse. Despite all of her crimes towards children and various other age groups, she was still her sister.
Cree grinned, and pulled out a smoke grenade out of her back pocket.
"Actually yes, see you later Kids Next Dorks!" she yelled before she threw the grenade on the ground. Smoke suddenly engulfed the room, and when it finally cleared, Cree and her Ninja's were gone.
"Damn, they got away." Patton murmured to himself. All the personal in the room quickly rushed to aid the Supreme Leader and Numbuh 1. The minute they cut the nets, Numbuh 362 quickly jumped in search of Serena.
"Where's Numbuh 900?!"
Patton pointed to a group of paramedics carrying her on a stretcher.
"Are we seriously going to bring her back to the infirmary after she JUST got kidnapped from there?" Rachel grumbled.
"Nope, we'll bring her to a much more secure location. After all she's just under anesthetics and should be awake in a couple hours." Numbuh 60 responded, signaling all of his men to check for any signs of Cree.
"How'd you guys know we were here?" Numbuh 1 questioned his team.
"Lucky guess." Abby grinned.
"Big sister!" a voice yelled through the doorway causing every operative in the room to quickly turn to the doorway.
Everyone in the room grunted at the site of the boy, especially Sector V.
"Harvey what did I tell you? When we're on duty you address me by my code number…" Rachel responded, now just a little irritated by the abrupt appearance of her younger sibling.
Numbuh 363, despite being Rachels brother, was perhaps the most hated operative in all of the Kids Next Door, even in the light of his sectors high mission success rate. The boy had earned such a repulsive personality due to his selfish nature, cruel methods, arrogant behavior, and over the top competitveness. Not to mention his little phobia of being touched.
"Sorry Numbuh 362… What's he doing here? I bet you're the reason those teens were able to infiltrate the base in the first place." Harvey snared at Nigel, causing Rachel to roll her eyes.
"He was helping me fight off Cree; say didn't I assign you and your sector to keep watch over the Moon Base bridge?"
"Um, yeah…" Rachel's brother replied back sheepishly.
"Well I suggest you get to it then soldier."
Harvey rubbed the back of his head and quickly exited the room, causing everyone to breathe a sigh of relief.
"If I get my hands on that cruddy brat I swear I'll…."
Nigel interrupted.
"That's enough Numbuh 4." Causing Wally to hold his tongue and keep his mouth shut.
"Sorry about that Nigel…" Rachel muttered in an apologetic voice.
"It's ok Rachel; I could never understand why your brother holds such a grudge against me over well… nothing."
Rachel responded back, she too didn't have a clue to why her brother disliked Nigel so much "Eh, well I guess that's just how he is."
As silence fell over the room for a brief moment and security and emergency crews exited the room, she suddenly remembered something she'd meant to inform Nigel about her findings when searching through the data base.
"Hey Nigel, do you remember that whole Project M.M.A.C.P thing I disbanded a few years back?"
He looked puzzled. "Yeah why? Something about mind control and stuff right?"
"Well, the scientists that worked under the Hasayans as well as the ones who were kidnapped were in charge of its research and development."
Nigel thought about what Rachel said, and made a connection with what she had just told him.
"It makes sense now, Leader and the Hasayans kidnapped them so they could help re-develop the machine that Numbuh 900 destroyed!"
"Exactly my thoughts Nigel."
An incoming transmission suddenly interrupted their conversation.
"Supreme Leader, I have some urgent information to discuss with you, meet me on the dock." Chester replied.
"Um ok, be there in a bit." Rachel responded, shutting off the moniter.
She turned to Nigel who was now waiting near the office door way.
"Guess we'll have to figure out this whole conspiracy some other time."
Father was furious upon Cree's arrival.
Instead of bearing the three operatives, she returned empty handed.
"Where are they?!" Father scolded at Cree.
"Those three brats managed to get saved by their annoying friends who caught us by surprise." She stated unaffected by Father's temper tantrum.
"Dou you have any idea what the hell this means?!" Father responded, getting more angrier by the second.
"Kind of."
Infuriated by her answer, he immediately ordered her to get out of his site before he turned her into ashes. Shortly after, an incoming transmission appeared on his screen.
"Did you get the three children?" Leader questioned as soon as the connection was established.
"About that…" Father began twiddling with his fingers.
"I'm guessing you weren't able to capture them." The boy said, now narrowing his eyes onto Father.
Father just stared emptily at the screen.
Leader sighed, and moved a little closer to the screen.
"Deals off."
"What?! You miserable little imp, you should be answering too me, not the other way around!" the dark silhouette was really ticked off this time.
Leader cut the transmission short, and turned to face his newly finished machine.
"I knew I couldn't count on that fool, no matter we can begin the final stage of my plan shortly." He turned to Chamenos who was standing near a corner.
"I want you to destroy those cannons I gave to Father immediately, I'd hate to see that imbecile somehow using my own weapons against me."
"As you wish… but how can we finish your project if the girl and her friends aren't here?" Chamenos responded, unconsciously staring at the bracelet he wore on his wrist that the girl he encountered also wore. He couldn't stop thinking about that girl, there was something so familiar about her.
Leader grinned.
"No matter, now they will simply come to us…"
"Numbuh 1942, you said you needed us?" Rachel said as she approached the admiral.
"Ah yes, well I'd like to inform you that we're ready to strike against Father's armies."
Rachel and Nigel looked at each other confused. It had been only maybe a few days since they arrived on the Moon Base.
"That's what happens you re-commission several thousand ships and mobilize the entire Kids Next Door." The admiral proudly stated.
"But what about those energy cannons? We'll get ripped apart again if we attack now." Nigel asked, believing that an invasion plan would fail with the enemy possessing such weapons.
"That is why I think now is the time to strike, apparently after heavy usage, they need to be fixed for maintenance at one single location. I suggest we launch a global counter-offensive while we still have the chance, meanwhile I will lead a large task force to take out the facility that is currently holding those cursed weapons."
Rachel thought about it for a minute, and came to the conclusion that this may be their best shot at winning the war.
"Sounds like a plan, let's discuss this with the rest of the commanders in about 20 minutes yeah?"
The admiral nodded in approval before leaving to inspect the fighters being loaded onto his carrier.
The pair then waited on the dock for several more minutes before Rachel finally turned to Nigel. She scooted a little closer to ask him something.
"It's Meatball sandwich day still, wanna grab some dinner?" she suggested.
Nigel thought about it for a minute, the last time she asked him he rejected the offer.
"Yeah sure why not?" he answered back.
Rachel smiled and the two walked in extremely close proximity to the cafeteria.
After nearly an hour of debating and shouting, Rachel and Nigel, as well as other important commanders including Numbuh 1942 and Numbuh 60, began finalizing invasion plans in the Moon Base's war room.
"After Numbuh 1942 destroys the energy cannons, he will provide close support for Numbuh 60's landing force as well as destroy Father's Navy, meanwhile several S.R.S.S.T members will cripple Fathers artillery batteries scattered throughout the continent. After we have secured a beach hold in North America, I will give the order for the full scale liberation of Earth. Invasion begins at 0800 hours on Tuesday." All the commanders in the room agreed on the plan, it was solid, sound, and well thought out.
"I'd like to inform you fine gentlemen that you will embark on the largest invasion fleet in Kids Next Door History. I will also address all of the Kids Next Door tomorrow, do not tell your soldiers until then." She then dismissed the commanders who reported back to begin organizing their men.
Nigel was waiting in the corner. "So you're positive you're going to tell the rest of the Kids Next Door?"
"Yeah…but like I said tomorrow, they've been through enough already…" she replied.
"But what about the Arctic facility? You didn't even mention that during briefing…"
"Don't worry about too much, I've already began thinking of a plan." She sighed, things were going to get a lot more hectic around here.
Deep in the coldest parts of Siberia, several figures managed to slip pass the security detail of one of Father's war factories.
"Are you sure this is where the cannons are stored?" Chamenos whispered into his communicator.
"Of course." A voice replied on the other line.
"Understood." The black haired teen then signaled for the Hasayan soldiers to sneak out of the bushes and plant C4 charges on all of the structures.
He watched as they opened the backdoors to the buildings and shot anyone inside with their guns equipped with silencers. As they entered the facility's, one of the soldiers accidentally made a loud banging noise by hitting his gun against a barrel.
One of the guards taking notice of the sound, quickly ran to the back of one of the buildings
The man raised his gun and pointed his gun towards the door. "Hey what's going on back there?"
Chamenos, hiding behind a bush overseeing one of the doors leaped out to silence the man, who would compromise their mission the minute he spotted his men inside the buildings.
Just as he broke the man's neck and proceeded to drag the body into a bush a bright blinding light turned in his direction.
It was a guard towers spotlight.
"INTRUDER!" the guard on the tower yelled, as he quickly reached to sound off the alarm.
The teen shot the guard in hopes of taking him out, but it was too late.
The sounds of sirens alerted all personal in the facility and they quickly manned several APC's and trucks equipped with machine guns.
"Figures…" he muttered to himself.
The Hasayan soldiers quickly ran out, having finished planting the charges on all the buildings.
"Charges planted."
"Good." He responded while grabbing his communicator to request extraction.
Several seconds later a black stealth helicopter arrived over their heads and landed.
"Hurry get on board, the guards on their way." He gestured to his men.
They quickly loaded the helicopter which instantly lifted off when all soldiers were accounted for.
Below them the security had arrived, shooting rockets into the air as well as machine gun fire.
Chamenos grinned, grabbing a remote from his pocket.
"1...2…3 boom."
Several large explosions quickly dispersed Father's men and the flames engulfed anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in it's way.
He watched as several trucks were tossed on their sides and APC's were violently ripped apart. Men were running around confused, shooting aimlessly in the air.
"Mission complete, returning to base." He muttered into his communicator.
The young teen looked again at his bracelet.
On it read "Death before Dishonor."
An image appeared in his head, and he could see the brown haired girl he ran into while at the Arctic Base. Memories began flooding in until one his men took notice and interrupted his thoughts.
"Everything alright sir?" one of the soldiers asked through his gas mask.
"Yeah... just a minor headache." he responded back.
The boy looked toward the stars.
Did he somehow know the girl Leader wanted so much?
...TRANSMISSION INTERRUPTED...
There was a typo earlier in the story which I called Serena(Numbuh 900) a "blonde girl" I corrected it just in case any of you were confused, she actually has brown hair
Sorry for any confusion, will keep you guys up to date!