Songs featured:
Gamma's message: "Stardust" by Tetsukazu Nakanishi
Father's photo: "My Heaven" by Akira Yamaoka
Transmission 26: Hope and Despair
"This is…gah…all I could…do…please…when you get to Earth…tell Numbuh Alpha and the others…that I'm sorry for failing them…please…UARGH!"
Those were the last words Numbuh S-26 said to him before his Reconditioning took over and they ring in Chad's head as he, Rachel, Patton and Keith run through the Moonbase's Teen Extension's hallways, towards a special meeting room protected by two guards and an automated S.P.O.T.F.I.T.E.S. lamp turret. Seeing the teens approaching, the guards stand aside and open the door, allowing them through and upon entering, they are greeted by Eliza. "Good, you guys finally came."
"We got here as fast as we could, Supreme Commander." Rachel salutes Eliza, as do the boys. With her in the room are the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, Numbuh Vine, 9L, Herbie, Kieran, Maurice, The Kid and KND Supreme Leader Numbuh 81, Jacques Duval. "Is it…true that you deciphered the disc?" Rachel asks, prompting Maurice to nod.
"Yeah. It wasn't easy though. We had to go through tons of code and apply the same method on all of them. You can thank Numbuh Vine and Scorpius for that. These two did most of the work." Maurice replies while gesturing towards the two aliens, prompting Vine to lower her pot over her eyes.
"You were a big help too, Numbuh Sigma." she says shyly as Maurice makes eye contact with a stoic Chad.
"Let's hope it was worth the trouble." he eyes Chad, reminding him of everything he had to go through to just bring the disc to Earth.
"It will. I'm sure of it." Chad replies sternly as Eliza gestures towards the big round table at the center of the room.
"Over here. Let's begin."
After everyone gathers around the table, Maurice opens the 2x4 briefcase he brought with him and puts it in the middle of the table, revealing a 2x4 holoprojector and a computer inside it. "Okay, I'm unlocking it." he types on the keyboard as the anticipation inside the room rises. Then, the disc, which has been placed on top of the projector, makes a clicking sound and the green part of the disc starts glowing, causing the projector to activate, generating a hologram of Numbuh S-26.
"No way…" Rachel mutters in awe while Chad lowers his head at the sight of his former comrade.
"Greetings. If you are viewing this message, then Numbuh 274 has managed to escape Void Prison and has safely arrived to Earth."
Hearing their former Intelligence Chief's voice for the first time in over a year causes mixed feelings among the TND agents present: while they are happy to hear from him again, at the same time, they can't help but feel sad that it is a recording.
"By the time you see this, I have already gone through Reconditioning and no longer consider the TND nor anyone else on Earth as allies, but as enemies. It was the only way to save Numbuh 274 from execution and for that, I am truly sorry everything turned out the way they did. My very presence on Earth was against GKND protocol, so it was my duty to bear the consequences."
Shocked by his words, Eliza and the rest of the TND members turn their eyes towards a silent Chad, who has covered his face under his long blond bangs and refuses to make eye contact. "You went so far…for his sake…" Eliza thinks as S-26's message continues.
"My intentions with this disc message are to reveal the truth behind the Splinter Cell, using information I gathered after I left Earth, and to give you all a fighting chance against the GKND. You have probably already learned this from Numbuh 274, but the Earth has been designated as a threat to the Galactic Kids Next Door and will be Decommissioned. However, thanks to your efforts, their arrival was successfully held back by one Earth year. Before Operation: R.E.T.R.I.B.U.T.I.O.N. had commenced, Numbuh 274 contacted me, informing me that the Galactic Subjugation Force had been sent to Decommission Earth. I was only able to mention this before my departure to Numbuhs Zeta, Beta and Agent Raven during our infiltration of the Splinter Cell controlled Orbital Shipyards."
But the mere mentioning of the Shipyards causes Patton to grimace painfully, reminding him of how Fanny lost her memories right before his eyes.
"However, the GKND had an ulterior motive to Decommission Earth than simply to defeat Father. They intended to wipe away the Splinter Cell, as they had gone out of control. This information came to light from the communication data I took from the Shipyards but didn't have enough time to decipher them before I was ordered to leave Earth."
"Makes sense…Numbuh 1000 really was too insane even for them…" Rachel says silently.
"The logs revealed that, just as suspected, Numbuh 74.239 was indeed the one behind the formation of the Splinter Cell, but he was also merely a GKND agent following orders, as the mission to establish a shadow organization within Earth's KND came directly from Galactic Command. However, now that the Splinter Cell no longer exist, Galactic Command has been very thorough in removing all evidence of what happened on Earth, out of fear.
"The GKND's hardline, radical regime is based on the belief that growing up is a disease, namely, the 'Adulthood Virus'. Their obsession with this 'virus' is so strong that it has become the most powerful and effective way to control a galaxy-wide organization. Entire planets have been devoted to the research of this 'disease' but so far, they have found no cure for it.
"The Splinter Cell was supposed to be an experiment to reform the Earth's KND into following this radical, adult-hating ideology, which could be then used on other KND branches across the galaxy. However, as you all know, this did not happen. Instead, the Splinter Cell's appearance directly led to the creation of the Teens Next Door, an organization made up of teenagers who retained their memories of the KND. Thus, if knowledge of what happened on Earth leaked, it would be disastrous for the GKND, because it could lead to the rise of similar, organized teenager or adult groups on other planets, which would then persuade the local KND branches to co-exist with adults and teenagers and that, is something the GKND cannot allow."
Maurice pauses the message, as everyone try to process what they had just heard. "So that's the real reason they're coming to Earth. They wanna wipe out all evidence of their 'mistake'." he mutters while shaking his head.
"And growing up is a disease…" Eliza says solemnly as the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, excluding Virgo, exchange looks.
"That is what we were taught to believe. From the moment you become a Cadet, you are told that adulthood is a virus that infects the galaxies, and it must be destroyed." Libra explains.
"But you can't stop someone from growing up. That's not possible."
"If only it were that simple, Numbuh Epsilon. Look at us." Scorpius spreads his pincers wide open. "We are a direct result of their ambitions. The GKND are trying to find a cure for that 'disease', and they are willing to go to any lengths to reach it, even experiment on their own comrades."
"We cannot age anymore, because of our artificial bodies. But this is no cure. It is a curse forced upon us by them." Libra lowers their head slightly. "Granted, for a Mechacon like us, this form is very desirable, because on our planet, once you reach a certain age, your individuality is taken from you and you are merged into the Adult Hivemind Network that rules our planet. Before we became Libra, we were known as Numbuh Teknee-1, a member of the Galactic Science Division and we believed in the existence of the 'Adulthood Virus'. That fear of the 'virus' was the reason we joined Project O.M.E.G.A. and helped the GKND create…us." Libra gestures to the other O.M.E.G.A Numbers. "We were made to believe this project was supposed to help with curing the 'Adulthood Virus', but it only resulted in ruining five lives…no, six. We couldn't stand what we had done, so we volunteered to be the sixth O.M.E.G.A. Number to atone for our mistake." Libra explains before sighing heavily, regret clearly visible on their robotic face.
"You're just like us then." Rachel says, prompting Patton to nod.
"We got manipulated by the Splinter Cell for years to do their dirty work without realizing it, so we don't have any right to judge you, Libra. No one here does."
"You're as much a victim to the GKND as everyone else here." Eliza joins in before Numbuh 9L extends her left tail and pats Libra on the head.
"Meow!"
"9L's planet was Decommissioned just like ours was." Cygnus gestures towards Corvus, who huffs. "Libra, what happened back then doesn't matter anymore. We've found a new purpose, haven't we?"
"…perhaps…" Libra mutters, aware of the cold glare that Corvus is giving him.
"Do the GKND really hate adults and teenagers so much that they're willing to blow up entire planets just like that?" Maurice asks Chad, who nods.
"They do. Like S-26 said in the message, they can't live with the idea that adults, kids and teenagers can coexist together. In their eyes, you don't need a family with adults in it, when the GKND gives you everything a kid would want. I fell for their lies too, don't forget. I served them for five years, despite being a teenager."
"That's what I've been wanting to ask, Numbuh Delta, why did the GKND allow you to join? We know Numbuh 1 was the original Earth representative candidate, but why did they let you in?" Eliza asks Chad, who shakes his head.
"To be honest, I don't know that myself…" he replies before putting his hand over the back of his neck. "They…placed a Dilation Chip on me after I joined, which stopped…no, slowed down my aging."
"A Dilation Chip? What's that?" Kieran asks, prompting Chad to reveal the scar left behind neck.
"It's a device they give to operatives who's aging process is faster than others, like us humans…that's how the Splinter Cell made their followers believe that the GKND can stop aging…they used me as an example…"
"I…I have one too." Numbuh Vine says and points at silver square on the back of her black, shapeless head right under the pot. "I'm not sure what happens if I take it off though. We Plantiforms have totally different physiologies than you humans."
"If they've developed something like that, doesn't it make their hatred of growing up irrelevant?" Herbie asks the aliens, prompting Scorpius to reply.
"In theory, yes, but the Dilation Chip does not stop aging. It merely slows the process, so an operative doesn't suddenly grow up during space leaps. And removing the chip will cause rapid aging, as happened with Numbuh Delta."
"Yeah…I jumped from 14 to 18 in the blink of an eye…it's not a solution, just a short stopgap."
"A stopgap that could have horrific consequences if the chip is used for too long." Scorpius nods as Eliza interrupts everyone.
"Let's listen to the rest of the message. Numbuh Sigma?"
"Yeah, gotcha."
"…The instigator behind the Splinter Cell, Numbuh 74.239 has been assigned to the Galactic Subjugation Force and is under orders to clean up his mess, lest he be made the scapegoat and Decommissioned as punishment. You are now facing an enemy who knows everything about you and while I can't help you directly anymore, I can at least help you this way. Before I will be Reconditioned, I managed to gather every piece of information I had at hand into this disc, including the cure for Erasure. I will also instruct Numbuh 274 to free the rest of my Sector, along with the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers.
"All of them face the same fate as I and Numbuh A64, who has already been Reconditioned at the time of this recording. I am also aware of Numbuh 274's and Numbuh Vine's past actions on Earth, but you must allow them to help you. While I was unable to stop the destruction of my home planet, Luminos, you humans still have that chance, so do not let my efforts go to waste. Lastly, included in this disc are encrypted coordinates to a secret location that holds the key to defeating Omnius, who I'm certain is still on Earth, plotting his schemes. However, this encryption will only be undone once all six O.M.E.G.A. Numbers have found their partners, as Omnius is too powerful to face without the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers at their full potential."
"Partners for all of us? Quite the hefty demand." Cygnus mutters while Corvus squints his eyes towards Virgo, who squints back.
"Things just got a lot harder…dammit." he thinks as the final part of the message plays.
"Lastly, I want to apologize…for everything that happened on Earth. The loss of your comrade's memories could've been avoided, if I had done a better job. So many kids and teenagers were Erased because I was not there to help you when you needed me the most. And because of me, the GKND are now on their way to Decommission your planet. I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart. I wish I could have been more helpful when it mattered, but I can't change what has already been done. So instead, take this small shard of hope I'm giving you and use it to protect your planet, because I couldn't do the same to mine. To all members of Earth's Kids Next Door and Teens Next Door, thank you. It was an honor to serve alongside you and I wish you all good luck. This is Numbuh S-26, former Numbuh Gamma of the Teens Next Door, signing out."
The message ends, plunging the meeting into complete silence, while everyone try to process what they just heard. Then, Eliza hits the table slightly while gritting her teeth. "…you idiot…I told you…don't apologize…it wasn't your fault." she mutters, and the others notice that she is on the verge of tears, prompting Rachel to come to her friend's side.
"A shard of hope huh? Well then, let's put it to good use." Maurice stands up and types on the computer, causing the disc to clink once more and the hologram changes into a selection screen, showing 4 information folders titled: "Project O.M.E.G.A.", "Erasure", "GSF", "NC". While everyone else's attention is immediately drawn to the folder regarding Erasure, Virgo's eyes are fixated on the one named "NC". "Looks like we've got even more things to go through now." Maurice says and immediately clicks the "Erasure" file, which shows them not only the cure, but also how it originated.
"… 'Erasure technology is based on the GKND's Reconditioning process, but instead of implanting a new identity, it simply destroys memories and the amount lost is determined by how much radiation the victim was exposed to.' So, we were right, it didn't have anything to do with Decommissioning. Aye, this is good news." Omicron smirks as he reads out loud the cure section. "… 'If the victim was exposed to a large or a highly concentrated amount, their memories cannot be recovered. However, if it was small or moderate, their memory fragments and identity are instead passed onto to an object in their possession that they consider important. This condition can be reversed.' This is it!" Numbuh Omicron jumps up and points at the hologram, which shows the schematics for a device that can transfer the fragmented memories from an object to a person.
"Alright! He really pulled through for us!" Patton pumps his fists in the air victoriously while Jacques, who has remained silent so far, can't help but smile.
"Now we can bring our friends back…at least some of them."
"We'll need to start working on that device right away!" Herbie says to Omicron, who crosses his arms.
"Of course, but we need to make sure it works first. I don't know where S-26 got these schematics, so we need to prepare thoroughly."
"I shall provide assistance. That way, we'll also identify who our potential partners are." Scorpius gestures to Kieran as the room fills with excited murmurs. Chad however has not spoken a word and is hiding his eyes under his blond hair.
"Gotta say, you've got a great buddy looking out for ya, Numbuh Delta." Maurice says as he pats Chad in the back. "With this, we might actually stand a chance."
"Yeah…" Chad responds as his voice trembles, trying his best not to start crying.
"Meow!" Numbuh 9L moves over to Chad and strokes his head with her tail. "Mrau…"
"I know…I just…didn't realize he went this far…for us…"
"We're in his debt now and there's plenty of work to do, so chin up." Eliza, who sits next to Chad, says to him while Rachel nods.
"…of course…" Chad nods back and smiles weakly, knowing that now, they might stand a better chance against the GKND.
…
At the same time, as evening arrives to Cleve, Nigel is once again reading through his notes regarding the KND but he can't seem to make any headway in his investigation. "…this isn't going anywhere…I can't find any more evidence from here…" he thinks as he looks around the room and squints at the wooden closet that refused to budge before. Then, a thought appears in his head. "Unless…I start searching elsewhere…" he gets off his office chair and heads downstairs, where Monty and Margaret are sitting in the living, reading the newspaper and knitting respectively.
"Ah, good evening, Nigel old bean."
"Evening dad." Nigel replies to Monty and joins his parents in the living room.
"Is something the matter, Nigel?" Margaret asks, noticing her son's stern expression.
"I've been investigating my amnesia…" Nigel says, prompting Monty to lower the newspaper. "…and I think I can pinpoint when it happened. Dad, you mentioned a few months ago that I acted weird after my graduation?"
"Uh, yes, you did, Nigel."
"I…maybe I lost my memories at the same time as uncle Benedict had his accident." Nigel's parents exchange looks and then Monty replies.
"Nigel, you really should go to the doctor and have that checked."
"It wouldn't help. Amnesia can't be fixed just like that, dad. Besides, it's not like I've forgotten about you guys or about my birthday and stuff. It's just specific memories from elementary school and middle school that I can't recall." Nigel explains and folds his arms. "Dad, can we go meet uncle Benedict tomorrow? The hospital has visiting hours on Saturday too."
"Hmm…" Monty scratches his moustache as Margaret nudges him.
"It'll be fine, Monty. If Nigel says he's all right, then that's enough."
"You're right, darling. Okay, son, let's go see him first thing in the morning. To be honest, I was planning to pay him a visit anyway. He'll be delighted to see you too." Monty replies jovially.
"Thanks dad."
...
The next morning, Nigel drives Monty to the hospital in his Mini and Monty is enjoying the ride. "Hah-hah, I say Nigel, this Mini is quite the car, ey?"
"Yes, dad." a stoic Nigel replies, trying his best to focus on the road, because Monty had insisted on bringing a sousaphone music CD with him and it is blasting into Nigel's ears. Soon, they arrive at the hospital and after parking his car, Nigel and Monty head inside, where they are instructed to the 6th floor, the psychiatric ward. After reaching the said floor, they walk through the hallway and enter a big lounge, where a sharp, lanky man with a pompadour haircut, wearing a white dress shirt, black pants with red suspenders, slippers and yellow-lensed, red rimmed glasses, is sitting by the window, next to a round table.
"Mister Wigglestein, you brother is here to see you." the nurse says across the lounge, catching the man's attention. As he turns his head, his yellow eyes widen, and he almost leaps out of his chair.
"Monty!"
"Ben!" the two brothers immediately hug, as if they had not seen each other in years.
"I wasn't told you were coming here, Monty."
"Ah, sorry about that, Ben. This was on short notice you see, Nigel wanted to speak to you. It's been a while since you two saw each other, hasn't it."
"5 months…hello uncle." Nigel says as he shakes hands with Ben.
"Well let's not stand around here. This way." Ben gestures towards the table and after they sit down, Monty leans forward.
"So how have you been?"
"Quite all right. The doctor said they might let me go soon, depending on the upcoming tests."
"Well that's brilliant! And don't worry Ben, if you can't find a house right away, you can always stay with us."
"Thanks for the offer, Monty, but I've already got that covered." Ben gestures and turns his attention towards. "So, what was it you wanted to talk about?"
"Well…" Nigel stutters at first, before clearing his throat. "*cough* I recently learned that I also have amnesia."
"Is that so? Do tell."
"It's not as bad as yours, uncle. I remember who I am, my family, my birthday etc. but nothing from my elementary and middle school years. Five of my friends have that same condition too and it turns out we were all friends before we lost our memories."
"Interesting…go on."
"Based what little evidence we have…we think we lost our memories at the same time as you did, uncle." Nigel explains and Ben immediately frowns while crossing his arms.
"At the same time, eh? And it's not like mine?"
"No. You had no idea who you were when they brought you here, correct?"
"Indeed. It's all thanks to Monty that I've been able to reconnect with my past self somewhat."
"Anything for you, Ben. We brothers need to stick together." Monty says cheerfully and pats Ben on the back.
"Hah, thanks Monty." Ben chuckles as Nigel adjusts his glasses before taking a photo from his vest pocket.
"Uncle, this is a picture of your old house, do you recognize it?" Nigel pushes the photo across the table and Ben looks at it sternly before shaking his head.
"Hmm…no, sorry. The first clear memory I have is waking up in the hospital bed. The doctors told me my house blew up in a gas explosion."
"Gas explosion…I see. And you can't recall anything else?"
"Nigel, aren't you being a bit pushy? This isn't an interrogation." Monty berates Nigel upon noticing his cold expression.
"Ah, don't worry about it, Monty. I'm equally interested why I lost my memories."
"Yes but…"
"Dad, I just want to get to the bottom of this, that's all. If I don't learn more, the fits will…" Nigel suddenly stops himself, realizing he was about to say too much.
"Nigel?"
"Sorry, it's nothing. Well, I guess that's it. Sorry if I wasted your time, uncle."
"Nonsense, Nigel. It's nice to know I'm not alone with my amnesia. And I'm sure you'll figure something out." Ben replies calmly as Monty snaps his fingers and hits his hands on the table.
"Ah, I almost forgot! It's been too long since we played a good game of chess, Ben. How about it?"
"Hah-hah, I was wondering when you were going to ask. Still angry at that 3-1 loss from last time?"
"Nigel has taught me how to play chess on the computer, so I am much better prepared than last time!" Monty gets up and goes to the retrieve the chess board from a nearby bookshelf as Nigel chuckles slightly.
"This is going to take a while, so you can go home, Nigel. Sorry I wasn't any help."
"No, don't apologize, uncle. This was very productive…and it was nice seeing you again."
"Same here, nephew." However, the moment the word "nephew" escapes from Ben's lips, Nigel's entire body twitches and he feels slight but stinging pain pounding his head. "Hmm? Nigel?"
"Ah, it's nothing. I'll go now. Don't beat him too bad."
"Hah-hah, can't make any promises." Ben chuckles and waves Nigel off as he leaves but the moment he enters the hallway, he has to lean against the wall to keep his balance.
"Urgh…another trigger word…there's no doubt about it…uncle was involved…did…he make me…torture Wally…gah…urgh…dammit…" he gasps in pain for a few seconds before the fit fades and Nigel straightens himself. "I…need to go to the source…" he mutters and leaves the hospital but as he tries to leave the parking lot, a long, black limousine cuts him off so suddenly he has to slam the Mini's brakes down. "Argh, what the…?" Nigel glares at the passing limousine, which has mirrored windows and no external markings whatsoever. However, Nigel quickly ignores it and drives out of the parking lot but instead of heading north-east, he drives towards the large lake that covers the north-west corner of Cleve.
"It should be around here…" Nigel mutters as he drives through the road that runs alongside the cliffs overlooking the lake and soon, he finds what he is looking for: an abandoned estate, surrounded by a partly demolished concrete wall. As his car slows down to a crawl, Nigel glares at the estate, which seems ominous to him somehow, despite having no memory of setting foot there. "I need to investigate that place, but I'll need help." he stops his Mini to the side of the road and sends a message to Abby, Hoagie, Kuki, Wally and Fanny. One by one, his friends answer back and soon, they arrive, parking their cars behind Nigel, who greets them. "Sorry about this, but I really needed your help." he says as Hoagie and Wally hop out of Hoagie's van.
"Don't sweat it, buddy. We weren't busy or anything." a laidback Hoagie replies as Wally tucks his hands into his jacket pockets and looks around.
"So why'd ya call us?" he asks just as the girls join them.
"Yo, what's the emergency, Nigel?" Abby waves to Nigel. "We came as fast as we could." she says as Fanny notices the ruined estate.
"What the heck is that place?"
"I'll explain everything once we go there." Nigel points at the estate and crosses the road, followed by his confused friends, when suddenly, they are startled by a car horn.
"Gah, what the crud?! We're walking here!" Wally shouts angrily as Fanny recognizes the car approaching them from the opposite lane.
"Patton?" sure enough, it is Patton, driving his SUV and with him is Rachel. He drives past everyone's cars and parks his behind them before he and Rachel run across the road to join their friends. "How'd ya know we're here?" she asks, feeling slightly uncomfortable about Patton being with Rachel again.
"Ah, we were running some errands when we saw Abby and Hoagie drive past us. Uh…I guess we got curious."
"Is it okay if we join you?" Rachel asks cautiously and her behavior confuses Nigel.
"Of course you can, it's fine. We uh…" Nigel eyes Fanny, who realizes she hasn't told Patton and Rachel about also having amnesia. Then, she pushes Patton and Rachel aside explain her situation.
"No way, you too? Man, that's weird." Patton acts surprised while Rachel grabs her friend's shoulder.
"Don't worry about it." she says casually and turns her attention to Nigel. "Are you guys here because of your amnesia too?"
"Yes, I was just about to explain…" Nigel replies as Rachel, Patton and Fanny join the group. "*cough* This…estate or empty lot rather, belonged to my uncle, Benedict Wigglestein." Nigel points at the pile of rubble beyond the ruined concrete wall. "I went to visit him at the hospital today and he confirmed my suspicions, that the six of us lost our memories at the same time as he did, probably at this very location." Both Patton and Rachel twitch slightly but try their best remain stoic.
"No kiddin'. This place looks like it got blown to heck alright." Abby puts her hands on her waist and looks around the estate.
"Must've been one heck of an explosion." Hoagie nods while Nigel turns his back on everyone.
"All the clues I've collected so far point to this place as the source of our amnesia, so that's why I called you here. We need to investigate every nook and cranny. Hoagie, did you bring the tools I asked?"
"Argh, right, almost forgot! Just a sec!" Hoagie quickly runs over to his van and returns with an old duffel bag full of shovels, head lamps and flashlights.
"Boy, are ya plannin' on diggin' this whole place up? We're gonna need a frickin' excavator to move that rubble." Abby says sceptically as Nigel grabs a shovel and a headlamp.
"Not if we do this smartly. Hoagie, you and Kuki check the wall. Patton, Wally, you guys will help me dig around the old building. Rachel, Abby, check the surroundings for anything suspicious." Nigel barks out his orders, his stern attitude making Rachel feel nostalgic.
"That's just like you, Nigel…" then, Patton nudges her.
"Hey, remember, don't reveal anything. The guys at the Science Section just started working on that reversing device, so we can't blow our cover yet." he whispers to her.
"Yeah, I know." she whispers back when Abby interrupts them.
"Yo, what are ya spacin' out for? Let's get a move on, girl." her yelling startles both and Rachel waves back.
"Ah, sorry, wait for me!" she runs after Abby while Kuki and Hoagie begin investigating the destroyed wall.
"Wow, this thing is suuuper tall!" Kuki shouts from the top of the structure while Hoagie climbs after her cautiously.
"Yeah, what kinda building was in here anyway? Did Nigel's uncle own a castle or something?" Hoagie says as he reaches the summit and looks around. "Why would he need a wall like this in the first place?"
"You think he had moat around this wall too? And a draw bridge?" Kuki asks excitedly as Hoagie kneels down and studies the wall with his magnifying glass.
"Nah, don't think so…hmm, wait a minute…" he notices a metallic object slightly jutting out of the walkway they are standing on and starts to carefully scrape away the concrete around it with a small hammer and chisel.
"Ooh, did you find something?" Kuki kneels next to him as the shape of the metal object is slowly revealing itself to them: it is what remains of a metal support beam and not too far away is an identical support beam but both show signs of being violently torn in half.
"Hmm…something was definitely here…but what?" Hoagie frowns and stands up but cannot find anything that would reveal the support beam's purpose.
"Hoagie, look!" Kuki suddenly shouts, drawing Hoagie's attention as she points at another standing section of the wall nearby. "What's that?!"
"What do you me…WOW!" Hoagie is so shocked by what he sees that he nearly loses his balance: a metal structure that resembles a tunnel's walls and roof jutting out of the broken wall. "This…this wall's hollow!" Hoagie grabs his tools and scales down the wall in a frenzy, with Kuki in tow.
"Ah, wait for me! Aw, why'd I take these shoes…" Kuki yells, regretting the fact she hadn't taken her winter boots instead of the simple green shoes she is wearing while Hoagie is already climbing up the pile of rubble, towards the metal structure.
"Alright, now we're in business!" he grabs a shovel and stars digging away the rubble, revealing a ceiling right below the walkway on-top of the wall and inner walls that run down all the way to the ground.
"What did you find?" Kuki shouts from the foot of the rubble pile as dirt and crushed concrete fly everywhere, forcing Kuki to step back. "Hey! Watch it!"
"Ah, sorry! Call the others! They gotta see this!" Hoagie yells back over his shoulder.
"Okidoki! Hey guys! Over here!" Kuki gestures to the others, who quickly join her and Hoagie.
"Did you find something?" Nigel asks immediately as Hoagie shovels more dirt away from the tunnel.
"Oh did we?! Check it!" he points at the tunnel, which is now clearly visible but still clogged with rubble. "This is a tunnel! And it probably ran inside the whole wall!"
"Now why the heck would yer uncle need a hollowed-out wall?" Abby raises an eyebrow as Nigel climbs up to see it himself.
"Your guess is as good as mine, Abby. Wally, Patton, come up here and help!" Nigel shouts, prompting Wally and stone-faced Patton to also climb up the side of the wall and soon, the boys manage to unearth a passageway into the wall.
"*pant* *cough* Aw crud…I hate digging…" an exhausted Wally mutters as Kuki hands the boys water bottles she had brought with her.
"Here you go."
"Thanks…" Wally takes a long chug as Nigel turns on his headlamp and enters the exposed tunnel but quickly returns, disappointment visible on his face.
"What's wrong? Did you find anything?"
"No Hoagie. The tunnel is completely collapsed. Whatever is under there, is beyond our reach." Nigel shakes his head while Hoagie also goes inside and also returns emptyhanded and shoulder's slumped.
"Aw man, you're right. There's nothing but rubble in there…" he mutters while both Patton and Rachel sigh silently.
"So what now? Are we done here?" Fanny asks but Nigel shakes his head.
"Not yet." he shows everyone the photo he had given to Ben earlier. "Uncle's mansion used to look like this, and I want to see if we can find anything from where it stood."
"Wow, that is one fancy house. Gotta be at least 10 stories high."
"Your uncle must be really rich!" Hoagie and Kuki say to Nigel, but Abby still not convinced this will lead anywhere.
"Nigel, ya sure we'll find anythin' here? This is startin' to feel like a wild goose chase to Abby."
"She's right, Nigel. Maybe we should call it for the day?" Rachel suddenly agrees with Abby, surprising the others. "I mean…uh…you guys did just spend an hour digging and found nothing so…"
"Rachel's got a point. I get that you wanna learn more about your amnesia but I don't think this is gonna lead anywhere." Patton remarks but Nigel walks past everyone, ignoring what Rachel and Patton said.
"No, the answer has to be here, I just know it." he says sternly but then notices the looks the others are giving him. "…please, just one hour more, okay? If we don't find anything within that time, you guys can go."
"'You guys'? Wait, are you saying you're gonna keep digging around by yourself?" Wally asks, prompting Nigel to nod.
"I need to see this trough, but I understand if you don't want to help." he replies, prompting Wally to shake his head before he puts his shovel over his shoulder.
"No way am I gonna let ya dig here by yourself!"
"We'll help ya out, buddy, don't worry." Hoagie says while Kuki nods intensely.
"I'll help too!" seeing the determination in her friend's eyes, Abby smirks and shakes her head.
"*sigh* Fine, but we ain't goin' underground, got it? Abby don't like the vibe of this place." but then, Rachel runs over to Nigel and stands in his way.
"Nigel! Do you really have to do this? What if the ground collapses or…"
"Rachel, don't worry, we are not going spelunking. I just want to find some kind of evidence from here."
"But…" but despite Rachel's continuing protests, Nigel refuses to listen, prompting her to grab his arm. "Nigel, it's dangerous! Why don't you listen to me?"
"Let go!" Nigel suddenly snaps at her, startling everyone. "I…I can't just turn away now! Do you have any idea what it feels like to have no memories of your past?" his words cause Rachel to step away from him. "If there's a chance we'll find any answers here, I want to take it! Otherwise, we'll…" then, Nigel stops himself after noticing Rachel's hurt expression.
"Hey, calm down, ya hothead! You're goin' too far, she's just worried about ya!" Abby yells at Nigel who turns his back on Rachel, who has hidden her eyes under her bangs.
"…sorry, that was uncalled for." he replies silently and walks over to the large rubble pile to dig, while Abby puts her hand on Rachel's shoulder.
"Man, that guy really needs to fix his attitude about this amnesia. It's not like we're all sufferin' because of it." Abby says but Rachel keeps quiet, doing everything she can to stop herself from revealing the truth, which is noticed by Patton.
"You guys go on ahead. We'll catch up." He says while gesturing to the others, but Fanny is again irritated by his overly friendly behavior around Rachel.
"Fine, come on guys, let's go before that dummy breaks somethin'." Abby rolls her eyes and heads over to Nigel, followed by Wally, Hoagie and Kuki, while Fanny pretends to follow, as her focus is on Rachel and Patton.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Does it look like I am?" Rachel hisses at Patton, who glances at the others, who have started helping Nigel dig.
"Just bear with it a bit more. We just need to…"
"He was the one who wanted to lose his memories…" Rachel interrupts Patton and clenches her fists. "Why couldn't they just…"
"You know exactly why." Patton whispers to a bitter Rachel, who grimaces under her bangs.
"…it's not fair…we're the ones who're really suffering here…" she mutters and marches away from Patton.
"Hey, where are you going?!"
"I'm gonna cool off my head." Rachel snaps at Patton and storms off, prompting Patton to sigh heavily.
"Dammit…" but then, he notices Fanny eyeing him suspiciously. "Uh…don't worry, Rachel's fine. She's just gonna take a breather."
"That so…" Fanny frowns, frustrated that she couldn't clearly hear what they were talking about. "Well, quit standin' around and get over here."
"Yeah, yeah…"
Rachel meanwhile goes behind another collapsed section of the wall and as she leans her back against it, faint tears run down her cheeks. "I can't take this much longer…" she mutters and gazes towards the lake, its waves slamming harshly against the cliffs. It was here, a year ago that the TND and KND fought a desperate battle against not only Father and his Delightfulized army of kids and teenagers, but also against the last remaining member of the Splinter Cell, Numbuh 100's younger brother Numbuh 1000, who wanted to mindwipe everyone on Earth. Now however, the only ones among the ruins who can remember what happened here, are Patton and Rachel, who wraps her arms around her shoulder and gazes up towards the cloudy late November sky. Then, her mind goes back to last year, a week after the battle.
...
She was standing on the Moonbase's Numbuh Zero observation deck with Nigel when she heard those dreadful words.
"We're going to Erase ourselves."
"What…what are you saying Nigel…You can't be serious?!" Rachel looked at Nigel in disbelief, but his expression told her he was not joking.
"I'm deadly serious. It's not right that Numbuh 4 and Numbuh Beta and everyone else lost their memories and we get to keep ours." Nigel explained solemnly, which makes Rachel shake him by the shoulders.
"But you can't…don't you remember who made Erasure?! You can't do this!"
"It's the only way." Nigel replied coldly, showing no signs of hesitation.
"NO! There's always another way! You can still be friends with them even if they…" but Nigel shook his head sternly.
"Rachel, from now on, you should hold on to this." Nigel reached into his hoodie's pocket and handed Rachel the Book of KND. "Keep it safe until someone from the KND can become the new Keeper. My chapter in the KND is over now, for good."
"No…" Rachel clutched the book in her arms and with her pleading eyes, looked back at Nigel, who seemed completely emotionless.
"We're not doing this only for Numbuh 4's sake. We know too much."
"Wha…what do you mean?"
"If we kept our memories and left, someone would want the knowledge we carry. And if we get Decommissioned, they could be taken from the Decommissioning Chamber. By removing our memories, we'll also protect everyone in the TND."
"…this…this isn't protecting…you're just…YOU'RE JUST RUNNING AWAY! AFTER EVERYTHING WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, YOU'RE JUST GOING TURN YOUR BACK AND FORGET US!"
"I'm sorry Rachel…I wanted to tell you about this earlier but I…I didn't…I didn't know how toURGH!" suddenly, Rachel slapped Nigel hard on his left cheek, knocking him to the floor.
"YOU IDIOT! IT'S ALWAYS LIKE THIS WITH YOU! HOW COULD YOU…HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME…TO EVERYONE WHO HELPED YOU!"
"Rachel…" Nigel stood up, holding his cheek as Rachel lowered her head to hide her tear-filled eyes.
"All this time…I just…I just wanted…to be with you…I wasted three years…thinking you were my enemy…and now when everything's behind us…you decide to run away…"
"We're not running away, Rachel, we…we're going to take responsibility for all the horrible things we did. This is our punishment for being Teen Villains."
"No…you're just a coward…I thought you wanted to face your past and move on, not run away from it…" Rachel hissed at Nigel, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Rachel…I…"
"Shut up…I don't want to hear it. Do whatever the heck you want…"
"…I'm sorry…"
"GET OUT! DON'T EVER SHOW YOUR FACE TO ME, YOU COWARD!" Rachel screamed from the bottom of her lungs, releasing every bit of pent-up frustration, grief and anger she held inside her all at once, but when she finally opened her eyes, Nigel was gone and as her rage slowly subsided, Rachel realized how cruel her words had been. "…Nigel…" she reached out towards the dark hallway that led away from the observation deck but only silence greeted her. "…I didn't…" the sad expression Nigel had shown her right before she screamed now imprinted into her mind, Rachel's knees gave away and she broke down completely, punching the floor while her bitter, pain-filled, wailing cries echoed across the observation deck. It is as if everything felt pointless and had no meaning anymore, now that Nigel and his team were gone from her life.
...
Suddenly, Rachel is brought back to reality by a loud crashing and rumbling sound, followed by screaming.
"WHOAH!"
"OH MY GOD, HOAGIE!"
"HOAGIE!"
As if struck by lightning, an alarmed Rachel dashes from behind the wall, towards the pile of rubble that used to be the Delightful Mansion, Father's base of operations. "WHAT HAPPENED!" Rachel shouts as she joins her friends.
"The ground collapsed under Hoagie, and he fell down!" Patton replies as everyone gathers around a moderately sized hole right next to the rubble pile.
"Hoagie! Hoagie can you hear me?!" Nigel shouts while a nearly panicking Abby kneels next to the hole.
"Hoagie! Come on, answer me!" but just as everyone starts fearing the worst, they get a response.
"Ow, ow, ow…whoa man…I'm okay!" Hoagie yells as Nigel turns on his head lamp and notices concrete stairs appearing out of the darkness.
"What the…Hoagie, where are you?"
"I think I slid down a bunch of stairs or something…heh, luckily, I had a soft landing. Hey, come over here, you gotta see this!"
"*sigh* That boy's got crazy luck…hey, Nigel, what are ya doin'?!" Abby yells as Nigel starts descending down the stairs.
"I'm going there to find Hoagie." he replies sternly, but neither Abby nor Rachel can help but thing he has an ulterior motive. "This tunnel seems to be very strong. I don't think it'll collapse." Nigel says as he disappears into the darkness, prompting Abby to throw her arms up in frustration.
"Gah, Abby knew this was gonna happen. Come on, let's go before those two get themselves killed." she points at the whole, prompting Wally to go in first, followed by the girls but Patton and Rachel immediately look at each other.
"We need to stop them before something goes wrong. You go in first. I'll be right back." Patton says and runs across the estate to his SUV and picks up a small package from underneath the boot's floor.
Meanwhile, Nigel has slowly made his way down the stairs towards Hoagie's voice. "Hoagie! How far did you fall?"
"I can hear you pretty well, Nigel. Just a bit more." Hoagie replies as Nigel delves deeper into the darkness, before spotting a light up ahead.
"I see you Hoagie! I'm coming!" Then, the stairs end, and Nigel arrives to a surprisingly intact room. "Hoagie!"
"Sweet, you found me. Man, if that sofa hadn't been there, I'd have broken my legs." Hoagie points at the burgundy-colored antique sofa right in-front of the stairs. "Check it out, we're in a study." Hoagie spreads his arms wide open as Nigel looks around.
"Why would a study be underground…" he mutters just as Wally and the girls arrive.
"Hoagie!" Abby immediately runs over to her friend and inspects him. "You okay? Ya didn't get hurt?" her genuine worry surprises Hoagie, who blushes slightly before shaking his head.
"Nah, I'm fine, don't worry. I landed on that sofa."
"What kinda freaky room is this?" Wally asks Nigel, who has turned his attention towards a mahogany desk near the back of the room.
"A study of some sort…hmm…let's see what we can find." Nigel's eyes light up as he starts opening the desk's drawers while Kuki sees a square-shaped object on the floor.
"Eh, what's this…Hey guys, look! I found a photo!" she shows the framed photograph to her friends, which depicts a man posing next to a table.
"Is that…your uncle?" Abby nudges Nigel, who nods.
"Yes, that's uncle Benedict. I didn't know he smoked a pipe though."
"I bet there's more of them here!" Kuki says just as Fanny finds another portrait, which shows five prim and proper kids staring emotionlessly towards the camera.
"You got that right. Huh, did your uncle have kids?" Fanny asks Nigel, who shakes his head.
"No…his family registry didn't mention anything about kids…or a wife…"
"Whoever they are, they're creepin' Abby out."
"Yeah, they look like dolls…" Kuki says while eyeing the picture, prompting Nigel to take both portraits and put them into his jacket pockets.
"I'll hold on to them for now. Let's investigate some more." he says before turning his attention back to the desk just as Rachel arrives.
"Oh no, it's Father's private study!"
"Oi, what took ye soo long? And where the heck did Patton go?" she squints her eyes at Rachel, who stutters.
"He uh…he went to get more headlamps. He'll be here in a bit." she replies warily but that doesn't stop Fanny from getting even more suspicious about Rachel's behavior.
"Over here! Nigel shouts suddenly and gestures from behind the desk. "I found another picture." but the moment he turns it around, his face turns pale, alarming Rachel.
"Nigel?" she quickly joins the others just as they see the photo, which shows a man, who's body is completely pitch-black, except for a red outline and sinister, yellow eyes.
"Wha…who the crud is that?!" Wally says as a cold chill runs down his spine.
"He's scary…" the sight of the man causes Kuki to grab Wally's left jacket sleeve while Hoagie shudders.
"This guy's giving me bad vibes…" Hoagie stutters as Abby nods silently but then, they all notice Nigel's expression: all the color has been drained from his face, as if he'd seen a ghost.
"…wha…who…who is this…" his body starts shaking as visions begin flashing before his eyes. "Urgh…*gasp*…augh…*gasp*…" then, he drops the photo and starts to hyperventilate violently.
"Nigel!" Abby shouts as she and Hoagie manage to grab Nigel before he collapses on the floor. "What the heck's wrong with ya? Urgh!" suddenly, Abby is struck by a stinging headache while Wally sees a faint vision, depicting a dark, brick-walled dungeon cell, causing him to collapse on his knees and scream in fear.
"AAAAAAARRRGHHHH!"
"Wally!" alarmed, Kuki kneels next to him and grabs Wally by the shoulders but Wally does not register at all and continues to scream.
"What the heck's happening?! What's wrong with them?!" a panicking Fanny asks Rachel just as Kuki, Hoagie and Abby begin seeing flashing images in their head, causing them to collapse and scream in agony as well.
"Ga…Gas! There's toxic gas in here! We need to get out of here, now!" Rachel yells right as Patton appears from the dark stairs, which immediately causes Fanny to see a flashing image of a blue light coming towards her, causing her to also suffer a fit.
"Argh…*gasp*…ARRRGHH!" she collapses to the floor and starts writhing in pain, horrifying Rachel and Patton.
"Dammit, it's another fit! Just like the one they had in Cree's room!" Patton exclaims as he runs over to Fanny's side, only see her eyes turn blank and she loses consciousness, as do the others, causing the room to fall into silence. "Ghhh…let's get them out of here." Patton says to a stunned Rachel, who is not moving a muscle. "RACHEL!"
"…Ye…Yeah! Okay!" Rachel slaps her face hard before she and Patton turn on their B.R.A.'s and one by one, haul everyone out of the study and up the stairs back to the surface. Then, after getting all of them out, Patton throws the package down the stairs before pushing a button on his 2x4 wristwatch. At first, there is only silence, but then, a low rumble shakes the ground before a loud explosion erupts beneath the rubble pile, causing it to sink even further down, sealing the stairs completely.
"There…now we don't have to worry about that damned place anymore…" Patton mutters before walking back to a silent Rachel, who is sitting on the wet grass next to her unconscious friends. "Don't blame yourself over this, Rachel. We couldn't avoid that."
"…I know…" Rachel replies while wrapping her arms around her knees. "The sooner we get that cure for Erasure working the better…I don't want to see them suffer like this anymore…" she says silently while Patton nods.
"We'll have to report this immediately. And I'm gonna call for an orbital strike on this place. We need to wipe it off the map."
"Agreed…" Rachel nods, her mind filled with hate towards the estate. "We can't let them go back there again…never…" then suddenly, she notices a slight twitch on Nigel's hand. "Nigel?!" Rachel jumps up and rushes to his side as her friends begin waking up.
"Urgh…wha…what happened?" Nigel asks weakly as Rachel breaks down and hugs him.
"You idiot! I told you guys not to go down there!" she screams as Nigel's vision clears while the others slowly come to.
"Ow…my head…" Hoagie groans while Kuki immediately looks for Wally, who still seems haunted by what happened.
"Wally? Are you okay?" she asks cautiously, to which Wally nods back.
"I think so…you?"
"My head hurts a bit…but I'm fine…" Kuki replies as Abby sits up and looks around.
"Yeesh, that was nuts…" she says while holding her head while Fanny shakes hear head in a daze.
"What was that…I…thought I was goin' insane…" Fanny mutters before Nigel looks around and notices the worry on Rachel's face.
"Rachel…where are we…?"
"Back outside…that room we were in was filled with gas."
"GAS?! No way…" a visibly scared Hoagie stutters, prompting Patton to nod.
"Yeah. We managed to get you guys out of there before the whole place blew up."
"Blew up? You don't mean…" Nigel falls silent as he notices the faint column of smoke rising from the rubble pile.
"…you're kidding…you mean we could've…" Hoagie's jaw drops from shock while Kuki grabs Wally's hand.
"It really blew up…" she covers her mouth while Wally is speechless.
"Dammit, we shouldn't have gone down there in the first place!" Abby shouts and glares at Nigel, who lowers his head in shame, disgusted at himself nearly leading his friends to certain death.
"I'm sorry…it was my fault…I should've listened to you all…"
"Well…at least you'll know better now. So let's all promise not to come back here again." Rachel says to the others, who immediately agree.
"Seconded. Abby ain't ever comin' back here again."
"Yeah…this was way too close…" a pale Hoagie mutters while Kuki suddenly tears up and runs over to Rachel to hug her.
"THANKS FOR SAVING US RACHEL! WAAAAAAAAAAHH!" Kuki starts crying in Rachel's arm, prompting her to hug her back.
"It's okay, I know you'd do the same to me and Patton."
"OF COURSEEEEE…!"
"We owe you two big time..." a shaken Hoagie says to Patton while Nigel remains quiet.
"Yo, let's blow this joint before anyone calls the police. Abby don't wanna explain what happened to her parents." Then, as the group starts leaving the estate, Fanny pulls Patton aside.
"Hmm? What's up?"
"I uh…gah…what I wanna say is…tha…thanks for…getting us out of there and all…" seeing the Irish girl blush under her frizzy hear cause Patton to smirk, but he refrains from teasing her.
"I told you that I'd have your back. No way I was gonna leave you guys down there." Patton's abnormally serious expression causes another faint vision to flash by Fanny's eyes, as if she had heard him say that before, a long time ago. "Hey, you okay?"
"Ye…yeah! Of course! I was just…it's nothin', forget about it."
"Hah-hah, alright."
"Hey guys! Let's go to the Point! Rachel said they're having an open mic night!" an excited Hoagie shouts from across the street, prompting Patton to give him a thumbs up.
"Sweet! Hey, you hear that?"
"I'm not deaf, ya dolt!"
"I know, I know, I was just checking." Patton smiles and starts walking away before Fanny stops him again.
"Hey, wait!" Fanny's face turns redder than her hair as Patton turns around.
"Hmm?"
"You…you don't have a date for the Christmas party yet, right?"
"Uh…no, why?"
"Good! Then you're takin' me there! That way I don't have explain anythin' to dad."
"Hah-hah!"
"What's so funny, you stupid donkey?!" angered by his reaction, Fanny is just about retract her request when Patton gestures back to her.
"Hah-haa…sorry, you just caught me off guard. Yeah, I'll go with ya. And don't worry, I'll tell your dad his daughter's in good hands!"
"GAH, SHUT UP!" Fanny roars back at Patton, who continues to laugh as he walks over to his SUV, while Fanny covers her face to hide both the embarrassment and the unbridled joy.
But as the teenagers leave the estate, the black limousine arrives and drives over the grass before parking right in-front of the collapsed rubble.
"Well, well, well, looks like some unwanted guests were snooping around our old house." five eerie voices speak in unison as the setting sun paints the sky dark red.
End of Transmission 26
Note: This chapter was a loong time coming. Numbuh Gamma's message was something I've been wanting to write ever since I finished RETRIBUTION. The true origin of the Splinter Cell and the GKND's motives were also revealed here and they'll be making their move soon...
Also, it's been over a year since I started to actively to participate in the KND, not just by releasing my fics, but also by drawing fanart and conversing with other KND fans, which, granted was a tough hurdle for an introvert like myself. Anyway, if there's one thing I've learned during my stay in the fandom, it's that people love wholesome Monty and Ben moments, so I wanted to put a short scene about them here. I wanted to give my depiction of how their relationship would be if BOTH of them had no memories of Grandfather and Ben had (forcibly) discarded his Father persona.
Lastly, we finally got to see what happened between Rachel and Nigel before he and his team got Erased. Leaving this moment out of RETRIBUTION was always my plan because I wanted to reveal it here, during this specific chapter.