The two groups of operatives found each other again near the insanely long ladder they had to use earlier to climb down there. However, they weren't alone : a dozen adult mooks stood between the youngsters and the only exit.
The operatives didn't waste any time and started firing their S.C.A.M.P.P.s or F.R.A.P.P.E. while charging the enemy line. Shots and punches were exchanged, a couple of adults were frozen and a couple more tripped on their comrades in the dark, and the rest pursued the kids and teenager as they reached the ladder. Numbuhs 2 through 5 started climbing while Numbuh 111 stayed in the tunnel to seal it with ice, temporarily entrapping the adults.
"That should hold them until the ice mel-"
The teen didn't even get to finish the last word before a sudden spurt of boiling coffee melted their wall of ice instantly.
"Seriously?!" they shouted in frustration as they backed away from the adults.
Then, the time traveller turned around and started to climb after their friends. Once they had gained a bit of distance, they took a look down and entrapped the enemies under a thick sheet of ice. This time it should hold them off for a while.
The five youngsters kept climbing as they heard explosion sounds in the distance. The pipes were now destroyed but they still had yet to escape the place.
The climb seemed endless. They were starting to tire. And yet they went on. No other adult went to meet them from above ; they most likely all were waiting for the five of them to arrive to the surface all exhausted from everything.
It was then that Numbuh 111 got another idea : create another sheet of ice for them and the kids to rest on for a few minutes. Just long enough to catch their breath before getting back on the ladder. They repeated the process a few times before they finally made it to the surface.
Cuppa Joe, Mister Boss and their minions were waiting for the operatives all around the top of the ladder. Numbuh 5 arrived first, leapt on top of the nearest mook's head then jumped from person to person, landed right next to the exit door, turned around to face the enemy troops and fired her weapon at anyone who approached her or friends (who were starting to emerge from the pit).
"Don't just stand there you idiots, go get h-" Mister Boss started yelling before being literally frozen mid-word.
Numbuh 111 tried multiple times to hit Cuppa Joe with their weapon ; however he was way too fast for them or anyone else. Wally was the one to take him down (literally) by taunting him into a fistfight then moving out of the way as soon as the caffeine-crazy villain started to charge him ; the adult couldn't stop in time and fell into the pit the youngsters all emerged from moments ago.
"See you next fall!" Numbuh 2 shouted down the pit right before he and Numbuh 3 closed the lid on the hole.
"Man, seriously?" Abby commented, rolling her eyes while holding her ground in the middle of the chaos.
"Everyone gets over here!" she ordered her allies. "Numbuh 5 can't hold 'em off forever!"
Numbuh 3 skipped around the room, effortlessly evading all attacks until she joined up with her leader on the other side of the room ; Numbuhs 4 and 111 fought their way through it and Numbuh 2 shot all the lightbulbs, plunging the room in darkness, and ran to his teammates.
The very second Abby opened the door, all five youngsters rushed out of the room onto the outside platform and closed behind them. The teen operative even sealed the frame in ice.
Next thing they knew, a dial on their arm that had been inactive until then started blinking red. They cursed under their breath as it flashed faster and faster.
"What's that for?" Hoagie asked.
"That means he is here!" Numbuh 111 replied, holding onto their F.R.A.P.P.E. as though their life depended on it.
"Who?" Wally asked.
"Who do you think?!" the teen shouted.
The red dial on their arm was now lit without blinking at all. Then a way too familiar voice came from behind them, making them turn around to face its source.
"You again" Father said, his flames already surrounding him. "As if I hadn't seen enough of you little brats this week!"
He threw a big fireball at the kids ; Numbuh 111 immediately stepped in front of them to shield them… and was left completely unaffected by the flames.
Everyone stared at the teen in shock.
"Who… who are you?" the villain asked them.
"You'll know in a few years" they replied, pointing their weapon at him and pulling the trigger.
Nothing happened.
"Seriously?" Numbuh 111 cried out. "You can't run out when I need you the most!"
Seeing that his fire powers wouldn't be of any use against the teen, Father punched them in the face while they were still distracted by their toy not working ; they fell on their back and their ski goggles shattered.
Numbuh 5 only caught a glimpse of the balaclava they were wearing underneath before they covered their eyes with one hand and produced sunglasses from their pocket with the other.
It was only once the sunglasses (which were very similar to Numbuh 1's) were secured on their face that Numbuh 111 stood up.
"You… big… JERK!" they yelled at the villain, letting go of their now useless weapon and leaping on him.
"You guys go back to the ship while Father's distracted!" Numbuh 5 ordered her team while the adult and the teen were busy beating each other up.
"What about Numbuh 111?" Wally asked. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on them!"
"Forget it, just go!" Abby replied while picking up the time traveller's F.R.A.P.P.E..
Meanwhile, Numbuh 111 and Father got dangerously close to the edge of the platform. Neither of them seemed to notice though, as they kept punching and kicking each other.
Numbuh 5 tried to warn them but they didn't listen and ended up falling off the coffee rig and into the ocean.
As they were falling, Numbuh 111 produced a small cube from their pocket and threw it on the water beneath, where the item deflated into a lifeboat for them and Father to land on.
Or rather, Father landed on the boat while the teen landed on him ; the two quickly separated and sat as far from each other as they could on such a tiny ship.
"You owe me brand new goggles, old man", Numbuh 111 pointed out as they fidgeted with what was left of their ski goggles hanging on their chest like some kind of weird pendant.
The adult chose to ignore their comment.
"Why do Kids Next Door always have to ruin everything?" he thought aloud.
"Excuse you, adults like you are the reason the KND exist in the first place! Because you ruin everything! I wish I could have let you drown!"
"So why didn't you?"
The time traveller fell silent for a second before mumbling :
"Well… hum…"
"And aren't you too old to be a Kid Next Door?"
"I'm just giving them a hand for this mission only, I'm not actually one of them" the teen operative lied as they cautiously stood up. "Anyway, you can find your own way home. I'm leaving."