Disclaimer: Numbuh Infinity's alien design was based on the concept made by zerogravitybadger
Transmission 31: Countdown
The rest of the week and the following week go by quickly as Kuki and the boys continue to feverishly practice for the Christmas party, all the while keeping it a total secret from Abby, Rachel and Fanny. Abby meanwhile becomes increasingly stressed and distant, not only because of the dream, but also because she rarely sees Kuki, Hoagie and the others outside of school.
To keep the band a secret, they must continuously come up with new excuses while Kuki keeps turning down Abby's offers to ride in her car to school and back, which makes her feel guilty. Hoagie meanwhile tries to balance his schoolwork and the band with his pet project, turning his van into a minibus, which has already progressed quite far, with the help of his younger brother Tommy and sometimes, Wally.
It's now Friday and lunchbreak in McClintock High School. The boys are eating together in a table near the cafeteria's left wall. "Man, one week to go guys. Think about it, ONE WEEK!" Hoagie shows his index finger to his friends excitedly.
"Finally…my cruddy fingers can't take this much longer…" Wally laments while Nigel is scrolling on his phone.
"Hmm…we've still got to hold a dress rehearsal, so we're 100% prepared."
"Don't worry, this is gonna be an awesome party! And we can all go there in my van. I'm gonna take her to an inspection on Monday and we're set." Hoagie explains but Wally is sceptical his idea will work.
"Yeah, but are ya sure the girls wanna ride in it?"
"Heh, don't worry, I made Betsy 3 into a real chick magnet."
"Right…" Wally rolls his eyes and looks around the cafeteria. "Huh, where are they?"
"Who?"
"The girls. Why aren't they eatin' with us?"
"Maybe they're stuck in the line or something?" Patton says but Hoagie shakes his head.
"No, I don't see them anywhere. Well, it's nice being with just us guys from time to time. Oh yeah, you guys free tomorrow?" Hoagie asks and the boys can immediately tell that he's got something on his mind.
"Yup, got nothing tomorrow."
"Me neither."
"I was going to study…"
"Come on Nigel, it's almost Christmas, this isn't the time for school work."
"But I don't want to have any left-over homework for the holidays, so I'm doing as much I can now." Nigel says prudently but then gives in. "Fine…what do you want to do?"
"Let's go hang out at the Super Mall!"
"Super Mall? The crud is that?"
"You don't know? It's biggest mall in town."
"Well sorry, my folks always buy me thrift shop stuff, so I don't go to those places." Wally snaps at Patton, prompting Nigel to step in.
"Calm down Wally."
"Sorry…"
"So, you guys in?"
"Hmm…sure, why not. I needed to get more pens and some folders anyway." Nigel replies while Patton and Wally nod.
"Yeah, I'm in."
"Sure."
"Alright!" Hoagie rejoices
"But who's gonna take us there? You're van's not street legal yet."
"And my Mini can't fit us all." Nigel says as the boys turn their eyes on Patton, shrugs..
"Then I'll guess I gotta be the driver. Okay, what time are we going there? Is 12 okay with you guys?" Patton asks, receiving nods from the others. "Then it's settled." Then, their conversation moves on to other subjects and Patton has a best-of-3 armwrestling match with Wally, which the Australian loses, much to his frustration.
Meanwhile, across the cafeteria and unknown to the boys, the girls are sitting in another table, planning their shopping trip. "What time do I gotta pick ya up?" Abby asks the others as she finishes her lunch.
"Maybe 12? At least we'll all be awake by then." Rachel says, prompting Kuki to put her hand up.
"And we don't have to worry about the crowd. Everyone usually goes to the Super Mall later."
The girls then agree on their meeting time, but Abby seems indifferent. "Yeah, sure…see ya tomorrow." she replies silently and leaves the table.
"She's not looking good…" Rachel says as they watch her walk out of the cafeteria.
"Yeah, she's been like this for a week now…I wonder what's wrong…" Fanny replies and turns to face Kuki. "Ya got any idea?"
"No…I just hope it's not because I haven't gone to school with her…"
"Huh? What do ya mean by that?"
"Ah, n…nothing! Anyway, we need to cheer her up tomorrow!"
"Are you sure taking Abby to her mother's clothes shop is a good idea?"
"Yeah, she's gonna snap if we force her to buy a dress and wear it."
"No, we won't force her, no way. I'd never do that. We'll trick her."
"Trick? How? This is Abby we're talking about. Nobody tricks her."
"Leave that to me." Kuki winks confidently but neither Fanny nor Rachel are convinced.
…
The next morning, Wally and Hoagie are waiting for their ride on bus stop between the suburbs and the outskirts. "Why's it gotta be so cruddy cold…?"
"Come on, it's not that bad. This is way better than a blizzard." Hoagie says while Wally rubs his gloves together.
"But it's still cold! Gah…where the heck are those guys anyway? We're gonna freeze to death." Wally complains loudly as Hoagie's expression changes, and he stares at the frozen street.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah?"
"How do you really feel about Kuki?"
"Huh?! Wha…what kinda cruddy question is that?!" Wally shouts at Hoagie but then notices his unusually serious expression. "Ugh…I don't know…we're friends…I guess…"
"Is that really all?"
"I said I don't cruddy know! I've thought about it…but I just…"
"Remember those notes we found on our albums?"
"What's that got to do with…oh…" Wally lowers his head as he remembers exactly what the note contained, and his face turns red.
"Mine said Abby likes me back…" Hoagie says with a monotone voice, surprising Wally.
"What?! Really?!"
"Yup…when I read it, I…I felt really happy. Like super happy. That someone like her actually likes me…but the more I think about, it just doesn't make sense."
"Why's that?"
"I'm not exactly boyfriend material…I'm a nerd who drives a van and makes bad jokes. No matter what I do, she always mocks me or hits me with her hat. Even in those old pictures, she's either yelling or hitting me." Hoagie laments while his shoulders hunch down as Wally's taken aback by his words.
"Uhm…don't be so hard on yourself…aw crud…now I dunno what to say."
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to bring the mood down…anyway, what I'm trying to say is, don't waste your chance."
"Cha…chance?! What do ya mean by that?!"
"I mean, you've got way better chance with Kuki than I'd ever have with Abby, so you should let her know how you feel sooner than later…"
"How I feel?! But I told you, she's just a…" Then Wally remembers the night she spent at his house and puts his hand over his left cheek. "…just a friend…someone like me ain't…" he mutters but Hoagie shakes his head.
"You know that's not true. Even if you don't wanna admit it, you like her." he says bluntly as Wally clenches his fists.
"Then what the crud am I supposed to do?! Just walk up to her and tell her everything?! No way! There's no cruddy way I can do something like that!" Wally shouts at Hoagie and stuffs his hands into his jacket pockets. "Why'd ya have to start talking about this crud…?" he mumbles while Hoagie sullenly looks up towards the mid-day sky as silence falls on the bus stop. Then, the boys hear Patton's SUV approaching.
"Sorry Wally…let's just drop this. We don't wanna ruin the day for the guys if we pout."
"…right…" Wally replies as the SUV stops in-front of the bus stop and the boys climb into the backseat.
"Sorry it took so long; Nigel forgot his wallet and we had to turn around to get it." Patton say as he accelerates towards the city center.
"I can't believe I left them in the wrong jeans…" An embarrassed Nigel mutters as the SUV leaves the suburbs.
"It's fine…" Hoagie replies and stares out of the window.
"I hope you didn't get frostbite." Nigel asks Hoagie, who shakes his head.
"Nah, but you'd think Wally did, with the way he complained."
"Hey!" Wally snaps at Hoagie, who along with Patton and Nigel start laughing but despite being annoyed by Hoagie's jab, Wally stops himself from getting angry and turns away towards the window.
"So, you guys got anything specific to do or we just gonna hang out?" Patton asks as the SUV stops at an intersection.
"Well, we might as well do our Christmas shopping while we're at it. Then we won't be scolded like last year." Nigel's comment catches Wally's interest and he notices that the atmosphere inside the SUV has become tense.
"Scolded? What do ya mean?"
"Oh yeah, we haven't told you about 'that' yet." Patton's reply only confuses Wally further.
"Then why don't ya tell me then?!"
"Chill, dude. Okay, so, whatever you do, make sure you get a present for Kuki, no matter."
"Wha…what the crud?! Hey, didn't ya say we'd drop that…"
"No, no, it's not about that, Wally. You see, Kuki loves Christmas, she's totally nuts about it."
"And she always buys presents for everyone. But, she expects to get a present in return. Last year none of us three got her anything and she uhm…didn't take it well." A chill runs down Nigel's spine as Hoagie takes over.
"She kept reminding us about it for half a year, it was not fun. So, you better be damn sure you get her a present. Otherwise, she'll hold it against you, trust me." Seeing the visible terror in his friend's eyes freaks Wally out and he nods back silently.
"It doesn't really matter what it is, as long it's for her, that's enough, though in your case, you might wanna go the extra mile." Patton gestures to Wally, who's face turns red.
"Uhm…I'll get her something I can afford…" Wally mutters and looks out of the window, but as he does so, he sees something odd outside. "Hey, what's with that empty lot over there?" he points at a fenced area to their left as the traffic light turns green.
"Oh that? If I remember right, there was a minimart and a parking garage there before it blew up because of a gas leak." Nigel explains as they drive past it.
"Wow, that musta been a cruddy big explosion. When did that happen?"
"It was…uhm…I don't know. You can look it up yourself."
"Nah, too much work." Wally shrugs off Nigel's suggestion as Patton tenses up and squeezes the steering wheel, reminded of how that lot used to be the infamous Cleve Teen Ninja Hideout, where numerous kids and teenagers were tortured for sport by the Ninjas. However, he quicklty pushes the memories asade as they approach the imposing Super Mall. "Holy crud, this place is huge!" Wally says in awe as Patton drives the car into the underground parking garage and after a few minutes, manages to find an empty space near the escalators.
"Yeah, it's pretty big. Just wait until you see all the cool shops and stuff." Hoagie says as the quintet leave the SUV and take the escalator to the first floor. Before them lies the massive atrium of the four-story Super Mall, lined with shops and restaurants.
"Wow…"
"Hey, quit spacing out and come on. We gotta hit the stores before the holiday shoppers show up!" Hoagie shouts as Wally realizes the others are heading towards another escalator.
"Huh?! Oi, wait for me!"
…
Meanwhile, a blue convertible also arrives at the mall and parks outside near the main entrance. One by one, Rachel, Fanny, a visibly excited Kuki and a stoic Abby get out of the car and head towards the huge revolving doors. "Oooh, it's been ages since I've been here!" Kuki exclaims as she skips through the door, followed by her friends.
"Slow down, Kuki. Man, she's acting like she's a little kid." Rachel chuckles while Abby smiles faintly but can't get herself to enjoy the occasion at all.
"What the heck am I doin' here…" she thinks as Kuki points towards the escalators.
"Come on, this way!" she says and almost runs up the escalator, much to her friend's amusement and frustration.
"Kuki! We're not in a hurry! Argh, let's go before she hurts herself." Rachel says as the girls go after Kuki, who has already reached her destination on the second floor but upon seeing the sign above the store Kuki is about to enter, Abby stops in her tracks.
"Hey, you can't be serious!" she shouts as her friends look back at her.
"What?! I wanna buy my dress from here!" Kuki replies with her hands on her hips while Abby shakes her head.
"Oh no, there is no way Abby's gonna step inside that store!"
"What's wrong with ya? Kuki's the one buying a dress, not you." Fanny says and Abby becomes hesitant.
"Uhm…yeah…right but Abby's not going in there. She can just…wait outside…" Then Kuki walks up to Abby and grabs her arm.
"No! Nobody's doing anything alone today! So, you're coming with us!" she stares intensely at Abby, who lowers her cap over her eyes.
"But…"
"No buts! Now let's go! I want your opinion too!" Kuki says assertively and drags Abby inside the women's clothes store, followed by Rachel and Fanny.
"Wow, she's really determined today."
"Yeah, you said it." Rachel replies as Kuki rings the bell on the counter.
"Pardon, just a moment." A woman speaking with a French accent replies from the other side of a curtain behind the counter and upon hearing the voice, Abby freezes and to her discomfort, Abby's mother appears behind the counter.
"Bonjour! Hmm? Oh, Abigail!"
"Hi, Mama…"
"You should've told me you were coming here! And you brought your friends too."
"Kuki wants a dress…" Abby mutters and points at a smiling Kuki.
"Oh, is that so? What is the occasion?"
"We're a having a Christmas Party on the 23rd and I need a dress for it!"
"Ah, tre bon! Are you ladies also looking for a dress?" Mrs. Lincoln asks Rachel and Fanny, who look at each other.
"Uhm…not me, I got one already." Rachel replies while Fanny fidgets.
"I uh…don't have one yet…"
"Tre bien, then we'll find one for you as well. Come, let me show you our collection. Claire, look over the counter for me, s'il vous plait?"
"Okay!" A female co-worker replies as Abby's mother leads Kuki and Fanny away from the counter while Rachel stays with Abby and notices that she is not enjoying this at all.
"Abby?"
"What?"
"Hey, I know you don't like being here, but don't get angry over this. This whole trip was Kuki's idea. She's been worried about you."
"Yeah…sorry."
Rachel then pats Abby on the shoulder and walks past her. "Once we're done here, you can decide where we'll go next, okay?"
"Uhm…sure…" Then Rachel smiles and joins the other girls while Abby stands near the counter, her body stiff as a board. Not helping things is the abundant use of pink inside the story, which makes her uncomfortable. "Ugh…this place is worse than Cree's room…Abby's gonna puke…" she then sighs and looks around until her mother's co-worker, Claire, talks to her.
"Uhm, are you Eleanor's daughter?" the brown-haired woman in her mid-twenties asks, startling Abby.
"Ye…yeah, that's me."
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Claire, the intern."
"Uh, I'm Abigail but just Abby's just fine."
"Okay…are you alright? Sorry, I don't want to pry or anything, I just noticed that you aren't looking too good..."
"Nah, Abby's fine…"
"You know, Eleanor talks about you all the time, so I was kinda curious what kind of a person you were."
"Yeah, Abby can tell. Mama gossips about all kinds of stuff at home too…"
"Oh, I totally understand but she's a great boss. She always lets me go early and insists on closing the shop herself."
"That so…" Abby replies and look towards the fitting booths, where she can hear Kuki shrieking from joy as she tries on different dresses and gowns.
"Aren't you going to join them?"
"Uhm…I dunno…Abby's really not into this kinda fashion…" Then, Kuki waves from the fitting booths towards Abby.
"Abby! Come here! I wanna know your opinion about this!"
"Well?" Claire looks at Abby sharply, who fidgets and then hesitantly walks over to friends. Kuki immediately shows her the purple and deep dark blue strapless maxi she is wearing.
"Abby, does this look good on me?"
"Uhm…yeah, sure…"
"Mon cher, don't be so vague. She's asking for an honest opinion." Mrs. Lincoln looks sternly at her daughter, who takes a deep breath and inspects Kuki's maxi.
"I dunno, it's missing something…" she crosses her arms and looks around the store.
"Like what?"
"Just gimme a second…hah, Abby's found just the thing." Abby walks back towards the counter and returns with a black leather belt. "Hold still…there, now that's way better." Abby puts the belt around Kuki's abdomen and steps back while Kuki looks at her reflection on the mirror inside the booth.
"Ohmygosh, it's perfect! Thanks Abby!"
"Don't mention it…Abby just figured it looked a bit plain without it…you don't wanna look plain in-front of Wally, right?"
"Eh-he…yeah…" Kuki blushes and retreats into the booth. "I'm taking this!"
"You've really got an eye with these things, Abby." Rachel smirks at Abby who doesn't reply but a faint smile does appear on her face.
"Mon cher, it's so nice to see you smiling again. I was beginning to worry about you."
"I'm fine, Mama…"
"Tre bien. Now, what about you, Francine?"
"I'll take that green and yellow midi. It's perfect for me." Fanny replies as she and Rachel head over to the counter with Mrs. Lincoln. Then, Abby, who has stepped aside, finds something that catches her eye: a mannequin wearing a sky blue and cyan colored maxi dress. Despite its rather plain design, Abby can't seem to take her eyes away from it.
"Okay, I'm done…huh?!" Having finished changing, Kuki steps out of the booth and notices Abby staring at the dress. Her expression is something Kuki has never seen before, and she walks next to her friend. "That one's really cute! Aren't you going to try it on?!"
"Whu…are you crazy?! Abby told ya she ain't gonna wear a dress!" Abby shouts but Kuki can sense the hesitation in her voice.
"But you can still try it on! Come on, do it!"
"Abby said no! Kuki!" But Abby's protests are swiftly ignored as Kuki waves at Abby's mom.
"Hey! Abby wants to try this one!"
"Kuki! Shut your mouth!" Abby hisses at Kuki as her mother's eyes start sparkle and she swiftly walks over to her daughter.
"But of course, mon cher! Here, let me see if we have one for your size." she quickly heads to the backroom while Abby glares murderously at Kuki.
"Dammit Kuki, why'd have to tell her that?! Now mama's gonna make me wear it!"
"But Abby, don't you want to look beautiful in-front of Hoagie?" Kuki words silence Abby, who starts to blush wildly, and she can't come up with a reply.
"Ghh…"
"Come on, just try it on. I know you want to." but before Abby can say anything back, Mrs. Lincoln returns with the dress and hands it over to Abby.
"Here you go, mon cher. Mama made sure it's a perfect fit." Abby can't bring herself to refuse now that her mother is watching so expectantly and simply takes the dress and walks inside the fitting booth.
"Aw man…how did I get myself in this mess…" she thinks as she puts on the dress and pulls the curtain away. "There, ya happy?" she mutters.
"Oh no, no, mon cher, this does not work at all."
"Yeah, you can't wear that hat with the dress. Here, let me help." Kuki enters the booth as well, despite Abby's protests.
"Hey, what the heck are ya doin'?!"
"Relax, I'm almost done. Okay, now you look way prettier!" Kuki puts her hands together and walks Abby out of the booth. She has removed Abby's hat and let her hair down, which changes her appearance completely.
"Mon cher, you look so beautiful!" her mother's praise causes Abby to blush even harder while Rachel and Fanny are equally impressed.
"Abby, you should keep your hair out like that more often, it suits you."
"Yeah right…huh?!" Abby's attention is turned towards the store entrance, where to her shock and horror stands none other than Hoagie, an ice-cream cone in hand and their eyes immediately meet, neither able to react.
"Hey Hoagie, what the heck are ya standing there...oh…" Wally also arrives and freezes in place, followed by Nigel and Patton.
"Guys, stop standing in-front of the…huh?" The boys notice the girls inside the store, who also notice the boys. Then, Abby dives inside the booth while Wally and Patton drag Hoagie away.
"Come on, we've got stuff to do, Hoagie!"
"Yeah, let's go!" But Hoagie doesn't react at all as his eyes remain glued to the fitting booth as if he was hit in the head.
While the boys leave, Fanny becomes frustrated by their sudden appearance. "What the heck were they doing here?"
"Calm down, Fanny." Rachel says as Kuki walks over to the fitting booth.
"Abby?" but instead of an answer, she can hear faint, frustrated panting and the ruffling of clothes. Then, Abby dashes out of the booth, her cap covering her eyes and the dress lying on the floor. "Abby, wait!"
"Mon cher!"
"Leave me alone!" Abby snaps at Kuki and walks out of the store before disappearing from her friend's sight.
"Abby…" Kuki looks dejectedly at the dress and picks it up while Rachel comes to her side.
"It wasn't your fault, Kuki. She's just embarrassed, that's all."
"Yeah, it's the guy's fault for ogling at her!"
"But…I…I'm going to look for her!" Kuki says and hands the dress to Mrs. Lincoln. "Sorry! I'll come and pay for my dress later!" she says and runs out after Abby, followed by Rachel and Fanny while Mrs. Lincoln looks on.
"Oh Abigail, you shouldn't push your friends away like that…"
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the 2nd floor, the boys have sat down on two benches near a walkway that goes across the center of the atrium, but Hoagie is still awestruck by what he saw. "What the heck where the girls doing here?!"
"Don't ask me. I didn't hear Fanny or Rachel mention anything about coming to the Super Mall today."
"Quite the coincidence…hey, Hoagie, are you there?" Nigel nudges the speechless Hoagie, who can't get the image of Abby in a dress out of his head.
"Huh, wha…uh…sorry…uhm…" he replies but the boys can tell he's not on the same frequency.
"Yeesh, he's gone totally gaga over that…" Wally rolls his eyes, but Nigel is quick to hit him with a remark.
"You'd be too if it was Kuki."
"Wha…yeah right! There's no way I'd…uhm…" Nigel's words silence Wally as his thoughts wander off to Kuki, causing Patton and Nigel to chuckle.
"Those two are hopeless."
"Indeed. Though, you wouldn't mind seeing Fanny wearing something like that, right?"
"Uhm, yeah, I wouldn't complain…what about you then?"
"Of course, I would complement Rachel for wearing a…" Nigel realizes Patton tricked him and hits his face. "Argh, forget I said that!"
"Hah-hah-hah, you're way to easy. Come on, let's go to the arcade already." Patton stands up, as does Nigel.
"Hey, you two, stop staring into space. We're going to the arcade now."
"Huh?! Oh yeah, right! Hoagie, let's go."
"Uhm…you guys go on ahead, I'll…catch up."
"What do ya mean you'll catch…hey, Nigel, stop pulling me!" Wally shouts as Nigel and Patton pull him away, leaving Hoagie to sit on the bench by himself.
"Wow…never thought I'd see her wearing a dress like that…that was a perfect fit…argh, quit daydreaming, Gilligan. She agreed just because she doesn't wanna deal with other guys…that's all…" Hoagie laments and finishes his ice-cream. Then, he gets up and walks into the opposite direction, his mind filled with the image of Abby wearing the sky-blue dress.
Down on the first floor, Abby is sitting in-front a large round fountain located right below the 2nd floor walkway. Her eyes still covered by her hat, she sits with her arms crossed on a bench and her thoughts are in shambles. "What the heck was Hoagie doing here?! Don't tell he heard about this and dragged the guys with him here…nah…he ain't that dumb…aw man…why'd he have to see me like that…" Abby sighs and realizes that in her haste, she forgot that her hair is still down.
"Oh, for the love of…" she mutters and takes a scrunchie from her bag and ties her flowing black hair into a loose ponytail. Leaning back on the bench, Abby is reminded of Hoagie's mesmerized expression and pulls down her cap even lower as she is unable to figure out her feelings. Then, she hears a voice from the walkway above her.
"Argh, my hat!" Abby looks up and sees a light-brown cap floating down from the walkway towards the fountain behind her. Acting quickly, Abby manages to grab the cap right before it lands in the water, and she can immediately tell who's hat it is.
"Wait a minute, ain't this…"
Then, Abby hears loud footsteps from the second floor, followed by vehement apologizing. "Sorry, excuse me, whoah, uh sorry, sorry! Let me through, wah, urgh…sorry!" turning her gaze towards the nearest escalator, Abby can see a frantic Hoagie rushing comically down them and a faint, warm smile appears on her face. However, in his haste, Hoagie doesn't notice her as he runs over to the fountain and leans over the edge.
"Aw man, where is it?! Mom's gonna kill me if dad's hat gets ruined…" Hoagie looks around frantically but can't find his cap.
"Hey, you lookin' for this?" then, Hoagie slowly looks to his right and sees Abby standing right next to him, which causes him to jump in surprise.
"A…ABBY! Uhm…hi…" Hoagie can't find the words to speak to her but Abby chuckles and hands him the cap. "Tha…thanks…"
"Don't mention it…"
"Well, uhm…I guess I'll get going then. Sorry if I bothered you!" but before he can turn tail and run, Abby grabs his arm. "Huh?!"
"Come on, you weren't botherin' me…so quit actin' like that."
"Uh…okay…sorry…" Hoagie replies as Abby let's go and walks back over to the bench.
"You guys here Christmas shopping?" she asks casually, as if the whole episode in her mother's store never happened.
"Uhm…yeah well, we gotta get presents for Kuki…otherwise she's gonna give us the cold treatment again."
"Heh, thought so…" Abby's voice fades and an awkward silence falls between them.
"Uhm…I'm sorry!" Hoagie lowers his head in-front of a surprised Abby.
"What the heck are you apologizing for?"
"Well…for staring at you I guess…" Hoagie's reply causes Abby to blush and she looks away. "We didn't know you were here too! Honest!" Abby doesn't respond as Hoagie bites his lip. "I uh…just couldn't take my eyes away from you! You looked beautiful in that dress!" he shouts as Abby blushes even more but then; she opens her mouth.
"…thanks…"
"Eh?" Hoagie lifts his head just as a familiar voice calls Abby.
"Abby!" Kuki shouts and runs towards the bench, causing Abby to stand up.
"Kuki…"
"There you are! Why'd you run off like that?!"
"I uhm…sorry, Abby got embarrassed, that's all…" Abby replies hesitantly as Kuki hugs her.
"Baka!"
"Sorry, Kuki…" As her friend let's go of her, Fanny and Rachel arrive as well and the former notices Hoagie trying to walk away.
"Hey, how'd you guys know we were here, huh?!"
"Leave him alone! It's just a coincidence, ya hothead!" Abby snaps at Fanny, who fidgets and huffs while Hoagie starts heading for the escalator. "Hoagie!" Abby shouts after him.
"Huh?"
"Where ya headed?"
"Ah, to the arcade. Patton wanted to play some games with Wally. See ya." Hoagie says with a shaky voice over his shoulder and quickly leaves the girls behind as Abby glares at Fanny.
"Oh great, why'd have to yell at him?! He already apologized to me like ten times! Now ya made things worse!"
"Uhm…sorry I didn't…"
"She's right, that was uncalled for." Rachel looks at the Irish girl disapprovingly while Abby sighs and picks up her bag from the bench and starts walking away.
"Abby?"
"Let's go back…Abby's gotta apologize to Mama…" she mutters while Kuki runs after her and puts her hand on her shoulder.
"Yeah, let's do that! I need to pay for my dress." Kuki skips after Abby and the girls return to Abby's mother's store, where the intern, Claire is standing behind the counter.
"Oh, you came back."
"Sorry…uhm, is Mama there?" Abby points at the curtain, to which Claire responds with a smile.
"Of course, just a second." she goes behind the curtain and soon returns, along with Mrs. Lincoln.
"Uhm, Mama, sorry I ran out and threw the dress like that…"
"Oh it's alright, Abigail. Anyone would get embarrassed if the boy they like showed up out of nowhere like that."
"Mama! How many times has Abby told ya, we ain't like that!"
"Oh-ho-ho, of course, you're just friends." Abby is not amused by her mother's mischievous tone and sighs.
"Whatever. Kuki, Abby's gonna wait outside." Abby leaves the store just as Fanny and Rachel enter.
"Hmm? Where's she going now?"
"Oh, she's just waiting for us." Kuki says as she takes her wallet out of her purse and pays for the purple maxi. "Thank you for the dress, Mrs. Lincoln!" Kuki waves as she, Fanny and Rachel then leave the store.
"Have a lovely day!" Mrs. Lincoln waves back and smiles at her daughter's friends. "Oh, to be young again…"
"You were right, Eleanor. Your daughter's really independent."
"Oh she's much more than that. But that's also why she doesn't like to show her vulnerable side. I just wish she would be more open towards her friends…"
"Isn't she already? I could tell from the way she helped with the dress."
"Yes, that's true…"
Out on the atrium, the girls gather around near the walkway. "Okay, where do you wanna go next?!" Kuki says cheerfully.
"Let's have Abby decide, okay?" Rachel says and everyone's attention is turned towards Abby, who squeezes her bag's shoulder strap.
"Sure! Abby, what do you wanna do?!"
"Uhm…can we just walk around…Abby ain't got anything specific in mind…"
"Okidoki!" Led by Kuki, the girls start walking through the second floor, stopping by at any store that piques their interest. Kuki especially insists on stopping at every Christmas themed shop.
However, Fanny hears a commotion coming from ahead. "Hey, what's with that racket?" she points at the group of people gathered in-front a hall with a large neon sign.
"That must be the arcade…hey, didn't Hoagie say the guys were going there?"
"Don't tell they got into trouble. Come on, let's go check it out." Abby swiftly walks ahead while Rachel nudges Kuki.
"She's no doubt worried about Hoagie."
"*giggle* Yeah."
As Abby approaches the crowd, she recognizes Nigel's shiny bald head amongst them. "Nigel!"
"Huh? Oh, hi Abby." Nigel says as he and Patton exit the crowd and greet their friends.
"So, what the heck's goin' on here?" Abby asks as Kuki, Fanny and Rachel join them.
"Oh that? Well, some local punks started threatening the little kids in the arcade, so Wally challenged them all to a game of Fist of Iron."
"And he's already 2-0'd 4 of them." Patton points at the Fist of Iron arcade cabinet, where Wally is mercilessly humiliating the bullies one by one, while Hoagie is standing by his side, cheering him on.
"You guys are pathetic! I could beat ya in my sleep!" Wally sneers as another "K.O." appears on the screen.
"Yeah, go back to the playground!"
"*giggle* That's just like him." Kuki says as they watch the humiliation unfold.
"Grr…screw this! Let's jet!" the leader of the bullies says and marches out, followed by the rest of the bullies as a loud cheer is heard throughout the arcade
"Wohooo! Finally! Man, you whipped them good." Hoagie says as Wally stretches his arms.
"It was nothin'…huh?"
"Hey mister, can you show us how to play that game?!"
"Yeah, we wanna get good at it so we can beat those bullies too!" the kids who were watching now gather around a confused Wally.
"What?! Uhm…well…okay! I'll show ya how all the combo's work!" Wally shouts and starts teaching the kids, while Hoagie walks out of the arcade.
"Man, I'm starving…hmm? Oh, hi, girls."
"Looks like you guys were having fun." Abby says as Hoagie scratches the back of his head.
"Well, we had to do something! Those punks were forcing the kids to pay for their play time. That's not right."
"Yeah, totally."
"Though I think Wally's enjoying himself a bit too much over there." Nigel says as they Wally basking in the admiring kid's gaze. Then, Kuki hands her shopping bag to Abby.
"Can you hold on to this? I wanna go play too!"
"No problem, go get 'em." Abby nods as Kuki runs over to Wally.
"Wally, let me play with you!"
"Huh?! Kuki?! What the crud are you doing here?!"
"I wanna have my rematch now!" Kuki says with wide smile and puts a quarter into the coin slot which starts the two-player mode.
"Is that lady your girlfriend?" One of the kids asks, causing both teens to blush, but Wally is quick to deny the allegation.
"Of course not! We're just friends! Sheesh…" his rebuttal however frustrates Kuki, who stops smiling and the air around her turns icy. "Hey, what's with you?"
"Nothing…pick your character already and let's do this." Kuki says coldly, which intimidates Wally.
"Okay, okay…"
"Oh, he's gonna get his ass kicked now." Abby smirks as they watch Kuki immediately 2-0 Wally without mercy.
"Again."
"Huh?! Oh, ya wanna get serious huh?! Fine, let's get serious then!"
"Let's leave those two blockheads alone and get some food or something. Abby's getting' kinda hungry."
"Sure thing. What do you guys want? We've got plenty to choose from." Nigel asks and Patton is quick to reply.
"I want pizza."
"That's fine with me."
"I'm all up for pizza too, Hoagie." Rachel says as they agree on what to eat and head out to the pizzeria on 4th floor, leaving Wally and Kuki behind.
...
An hour passes by as Wally and Kuki's Fist of Iron duel has gathered a crowd twice as big from before until finally, with the score at 20-20, Wally gets up from his seat. "Argh, I'm done."
"What, did you give up already?" Kuki smirks at Wally who glares back and huffs.
"I got better things to do than waste my time playing video games." he mutters and walks out of the arcade, followed by an equally frustrated Kuki.
"It's your fault for being a jerk…" Kuki eyes Wally but then, they realize that their friends are gone.
"Hey, where the crud did they go?" Wally looks around but can't see the others anywhere while Kuki notices as message on her phone.
"Uhm…Abby said they've gone to eat pizza on the 4th floor."
"And they didn't tell us?! Some friends they are…" Then, as if struck by lightning, Wally remembers something. "Oh crud!" he shouts and starts running towards the nearest escalator.
"Hey, where are you going?! Wait for me!" Kuki yells and runs after him. "Wally! Slow down!" she pleads as Wally jumps over the last few steps of the escalator.
"Can't! There's a thing on sale that I gotta get!" Wally replies and runs even faster, forcing Kuki pick up her pace as well. Then, they arrive in-front of a jewelry shop. "*pant*…great, they've still got it!" Wally says as he enters the store with Kuki in tow.
"What do you mean? Are you buying something?"
"Dad told me to get a present for mom…there…man, why the crud did they make this a limited time offer…" Wally mutters as he picks up a necklace with a blue flower made of crystal.
"Wow, it's beautiful."
"Dad said he's been looking for a replacement for the necklace he bought for mom back when they were dating or something. He told me to buy this with his Christmas bonus."
"That's so sweet. I bet your mom will like that."
"She better. This is the last one…" Wally says as he hands the necklace to the store clerk, who giftwraps it for him and puts it in a small paper bag. "Let's go find the others now. I'm getting hungry."
"Okidoki." They walk back to the escalator but bump into their friends on the second floor.
"Oh there you are. We were looking for you." Nigel says as Wally crosses his arms.
"Why the crud did ya just leave us there?"
"Well, we weren't gonna wait for you two to get over your lover's quarrel." Abby remarks, but it only angers Wally more.
"Huh?! That's a load of crud! Gah, I'm gonna get some food." Wally shouts and stomps away while Kuki frowns and looks on silently.
"What's with him?" Hoagie asks while Abby notice's Kuki's expression.
"He's just bein' stupid again. Anyway, Abby's gotta do some shoppin' of her own, so can we meet up here later?"
"Uhm, sure, that's fine. Patton and I where planning on visiting the music store on the 3rd floor, anyone want to come along?"
"We'll go, right, Fanny?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'll come." Fanny says as Hoagie puts his hands into his pockets and shrugs.
"I'm gonna go look for some presents, I guess."
As the others make their leave, Abby puts her hand on a dejected Kuki's shoulder. "Hey, you okay?"
"I'm fine…I…I'll go look around the mall." Kuki replies silently and walks away while Abby shakes her head.
"No ya ain't. Man, that boy is hopeless…"
On the other side of the 2nd floor, Wally has stopped in-front of a small handicraft store, his eyes glued towards a long, green woolly scarf. "I've still got enough for that…but then I'd have to skip the food…" he looks around and sighs heavily before walking into the store.
Meanwhile, Abby has returned once more to her mother's clothes store, where Claire is watching over the counter. "Hmm? You're back again. Did you forget something?"
"Yeah…kinda…"
Another hour goes by and one by one, the teens meet up at the agreed location, with Hoagie being the first to arrive. "I guess everyone's still busy shopping." Then, from the corner of his eye, he sees Kuki approach him, carrying a large shopping bag full of wrapped presents. "*whistle* You're being generous this Christmas."
"I didn't buy that much…I just needed to get something for Wally too." she replies and sits down on a bench, clearly exhausted from the weight of the bag.
"Oh yeah, there's one more of us then last year."
"What did you buy?"
"Oh just some gifts for myself and uh, everybody else of course."
"Hey, buying presents for yourself is not what Christmas is about!"
"But I couldn't help myself. There's no way mom would've bought me a new set of car tools. And I've been waiting months for this game too. " Hoagie replies while Kuki eyes him disapprovingly.
"Aw crud…" Their conversation is interrupted a groaning Wally, who is carrying a shopping bag made of recycled material.
"Hey man, what's up?"
"I'm cruddy hungry…"
"Dude, I thought you went to eat."
"I was gonna but then I ran out of money…" Wally laments and slumps down on a bench next to Hoagie while holding his grumbling stomach.
"I can get you something."
"Nah, I'll eat when I get home…" Wally replies stubbornly as Hoagie shakes his head. However, his grumbling stomach bothers Kuki, and she stands up.
"Can you guys watch over my stuff? I forgot something."
"Oh, yeah, sure. Leave 'em to us." Hoagie replies as Kuki quickly walks away. Then, Abby returns, along with Nigel and the others.
"Hey guys. Did you find anything good?"
"Well, actually yes. They had lots of things on sale." Nigel replies while Abby notices the large shopping bag next to Hoagie.
"Boy, how'd ya afford all that stuff?"
"Huh? No, these aren't mine. Kuki told us to guard her bag while she went looking for something."
"Figures. That girl's way too generous with her gifts…" Abby says just as Kuki also returns, holding two subway sandwiches.
"Hi guys!"
"Wow, you sure you can eat both of those?" Hoagie asks but Kuki shakes her head and walks over to an enervated Wally, and Abby realizes what's going on.
"Here you go." Kuki offers the longer one to Wally, who tries to protest.
"Hey, I said I'll eat when I get ho…" Wally notices the disapproving glares Abby and the others are giving him and takes the sandwich. "…thanks…" he mutters and silently starts eating, but his hunger is so strong he quickly starts guzzling it instead while Kuki smiles and sits down on another bench to eat hers while their friends look on.
"That boy is way too stubborn…" Abby whispers while the others nod while Kuki starts fidgeting slightly.
"Uhm...guys?" she asks everyone cautiously. "Do you...have anything planned for Christmas Eve?"
"Christmas Eve...hmm...not really." Nigel replies while Hoagie also shakes his head.
"Nope, got nothing planned either."
"Mama's going to France to see my brother for Christmas, so Abby's free."
"Then, do yo guys want to come over and spend Christmas Eve with me? My parents are going to Japan but...I'm staying so I don't want to be alone..."
"Oh heck yeah, girl! Abby's fine with that."
"That's a great idea, Kuki." Nigel says but then, Rachel shakes her head.
"Sorry, I'm booked. I've got relatives coming over."
"Same here." Patton says while Fanny starts pouting.
"Dad won't let me." she mutters as Kuki stands up and grabs her shoulder.
"It's okay, I'll send you your present later, and yours too." she gestures to Patton and Rachel, who smile back nervously.
"Ah yeah...thanks Kuki." Then, Kuki turns her attention to Wally, who has completely occupied by his sandwitch.
"Hmm? What?"
"Ya were listenin', right?" Abby glares at Wally, who swallows the rest of his subway quickly.
"Uh...yeah, of course! I gotta ask my parents first though." he replies and Kuki start smiling.
"*giggle* Thanks guys."
Then, Rachel notices something blue inside Abby's shopping bag. "Abby, is that…?" she nudges Abby, who tenses up.
"…not a word, got it?" she whispers back, causing Rachel to smile mischievously but she nods back.
"Not a word." she winks back while Abby eyes an unaware Hoagie, who is talking with Nigel and Patton.
"Guys, I gotta get back home soon. I've still got some work left to do on my van."
"Sure, no problem. Hey, we're heading back. Even though this was out of the blue, it was fun to hang out." Nigel addresses the girls, who nod.
"Yeah, Hoagie got to see Abby wear that dress after all." Rachel says jokingly, causing both Abby and Hoagie to blush.
"Hah-hah, indeed. All right, see you on Monday." Nigel says as the boys make their leave, despite Wally still furiously eating his sandwich. The girls then huddle together.
"Abby says we head home too. She needs a nap after this."
"Fine with me." Rachel replies while Fanny nods, but Kuki seems to be in deep thought.
"Earth to Kuki!"
"Huh? Oh yeah, okay, let's go home!" she replies, and the girls put on their winter jackets before leaving the mall.
…
Later that day, Abby is lying in her bed. Despite having not showed it to her friends, her mind is still filled with thoughts about her sister. She rolls to her side and once again looks at the picture on her nightstand but then, her thoughts drift towards Hoagie, who's reaction to her wearing the dress causes Abby to blush wildly. "Aw man…pull yoself together, girl…it's just Hoagie…but…I'm glad he liked it…" she rolls onto her stomach and presses her face against the pillow as snow slowly floats down from the sky.
…
The next day, Hoagie is hard at work in the garage, putting the finishing touches to his new and improved hybrid van/minibus. "Okay…you go there…and then I'll connect that with that…huh? Woah! AUCH!" he yelps from underneath the van as his hand slips and his wrench lands on his face. "Ow, ow, ow…ouch…"
"Hoagie?! You okay?!" Tommy peeks inside the garage from the laundry room just as Hoagie rolls out from underneath the van, holding his face.
"Ow…hah…I'm fine, Tommy…ow…" he replies as he gets up and walks over to a sink to wash his face as Tommy notices blood.
"But you're bleeding!"
"Ah, it's nothing. It'll heal by itself." Hoagie says as he stuffs paper into his nose to stop the bleeding and sits down on a stool.
"You've been working on that thing non-stop today. Aren't you gonna take a break?"
"I'm almost done with this…then I can take it for an inspection, and it'll be street legal. Man, I can't wait for everyone to see what I've done to Betsy 3." Hoagie says excitedly while Tommy walks over to the van and peeks inside.
"Wow, you actually used those seats we pulled from the junkyard."
"Of course! All they needed was some cleaning and now they're good as new."
"Why did you want make this 'upgrade' anyway?" Tommy's question causes Hoagie to fidget as his cheeks turn slightly red.
"Uhm…so I can go cruising with more than two people. Now it's got enough room for ten."
"Are you sure it's not because Abby kept saying it smells bad?"
"Wha…where did you hear that?!"
"Don't underestimate the abilities of The Tommy!"
"Yeah…right…anyway, it's not that. 100% not…" Hoagie's voice fades as his shoulders slump down and he sighs. "I'm gonna go get something to drink…" he mutters and leaves the garage while Tommy stays behind.
"You can't deceive The Tommy." he says silently as he opens the driver's side door and starts fiddling with the electronic panel behind the dashboard.
…
Two days later, on the edge of the Solar System, the GSF's massive Treehouse has kept its orbit around Pluto. Despite having not made their move, the GKND operatives aboard the Treehouse have constantly prepared for the moment they begin their attack. Up in the Treehouse's command center, GSF Commander Numbuh Exa has just arrived and is greeted by Numbuh Lyrical, his vice-commander. "Nice timing, Commander."
"Have they already arrived?" Exa asks her as he walks over to the observation deck overlooking the bridge.
"We just picked up an incoming L.E.A.P.E.R. Drive signal. They'll arrive here in a few cycles." Lyrical replies stoically.
"Excellent. I would've liked if they had arrived earlier but it's fine. Inform the hangar crew that I'll go meet them personally."
"Understood." Lyrical replies as Exa turns around and leaves the command center. "Did I sense a bit of excitement in your voice, Commander?" she smirks slightly and then relays Exa order to the bridge crew.
Numbuh Exa meanwhile boards an elevator, which quickly takes him down multiple floors before stopping at the Science Lab's level, where Numbuh 74.239 joins him. "They're finally here." the scientist says with a serious voice while Exa crosses his arms.
"I'm guessing you were informed about their arrival before-hand?"
"Yes."
"I hope you remember our deal, right?"
"Of course. I will explain everything once Numbuhs S-26 and A64 have arrived, like we agreed."
"Good." Exa's cold, emotionless reply makes Numbuh 74.239 feel slightly uncomfortable as the elevator stops at the main hangar level. As soon as the duo exit the elevator, they are greeted by an eager Numbuh Geo-4.
"Commander! We just heard that a Galactic Command shuttle is coming here, is that true?"
"Yes, it is. We can finally move on to the next phase once that shuttle lands."
"Ooh, really, Sir? That's great news."
"Don't get too overconfident! Our enemies have had plenty of time to prepare for our attack as well." 74.239 snaps at Geo-4, startling the Terramorph.
"Gah! S…sorry, Numbuh 74.239! I got ahead of myself!"
"Enough. Let's go." Exa silences both operatives and walks past them towards the hangar, where the crews are preparing one of the special docks. Numbuh Exa then leads Geo-4 and 74.239 to the hangar's control room, where they are greeted by saluting GKND operatives.
"Attention!"
"At ease. What's the situation?"
"A GKND shuttle just exited a Space Leap nearby and we're just about to guide them to the hangar."
"Good. Then we'll head to the loading area to greet our guest. Follow me." Exa says to Geo-4 and 74.239, who do as they're told and walk with him through a hallway and finally, they arrive to the loading area, just in time to witness a white shuttle land on a magnetic dock. It has three wings, one below and two pointing diagonally upwards and the cockpit is slightly in an angle. Then, a long tunnel connects to the side of the shuttle and the loading area's airlock opens.
Out of the tunnel, three operatives arrive. Leading them is an alien resembling a humanoid weasel wearing a black bowtie, tuxedo and black sunglasses, followed by a female-looking robot, whose body is see-through and filled with water and while it's face is a computer screen, showing a simple 2-D face. The final member of the trio is none other than the Luminosian GKND Intelligence Agent, Numbuh S-26, who is still wearing his gray trench coat, but apart from that, his body is made of light and he has a humanoid shape.
"Numbuhs Infinity, A64 and S-26 reporting." the weasel alien says as he and his companions salute Exa, who salutes back.
"It's an honor to have you aboard, Numbuh Infinity, even though we weren't informed you'd be coming."
"I am here under Galactic Command orders to oversee that the Earth Decommissioning operation goes off without problems, though I've heard you've ran into quite a few already."
"Our foes are formidable, as you both know. I don't like to gamble with 'maybe's' or 'what-ifs' so we've had to prepare for this operation much more than usual." Numbuh Exa explains as the former Earth KND diplomat and GKND Observer, Numbuh Infinity chuckles.
"Oh, that I can believe." he then turns his attention to Numbuh 74.239. "It's been awhile since we've seen each other, hasn't it?"
"Yes, it has." the former head of the Earth KND's Science Division replies dryly, and Exa can tell there is visible tension between the two former Earth Observers.
"Ohmigosh, this place looks so cool! I've never been in the GSF's Treehouse before! the water-filled robot says with a girly voice as her computer-screen shows an excited face.
"Ah, this is Numbuh A64, an Aqua Sprite from Planet Aurora. She served in the same Sector as S-26 and…274. Galactic Command has assigned her as a Junior Officer to the GSF." Infinity explains while A64 greets Exa and the others.
"I'm lookin' forward to working with ya'll!" she shows everyone a V sign and winks, causing Geo-4 to blush slightly.
"She's cute…"
"A Junior Officer? Then you can take her to the Officer lounge right away, Numbuh Geo-4."
"Uh? Oh, yeah, yeah, right! I'm on it! This way!"
"Okidoki!" Still flustered, Geo-4 stumbles slightly before walking away with the innocent A64.
"She was reconditioned as well, wasn't she?"
"Correct. A shame we couldn't do that to Vine and 9L, those two were useful…Now then, I heard before hand that you want to know the full details behind this operation, is that right?"
"I'd feel much safer knowing what exactly we need to do instead of only getting vague descriptions." Numbuh Exa replies and Numbuh 74.239 immediately feels a chill go through his body before Numbuh S-26 steps forward.
"Is it true that Numbuh 274 and the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers are here?"
"That's been confirmed, yes." Numbuh Geo-4 says to the Luminosian, who clenches his fist slightly.
"So they are here…then that means I can redeem myself."
"You'll get your chance; I can assure you of that. Now, can we get to business?" Numbuh Exa eyes Infinity through his mask, prompting the diplomat to adjust his black sunglasses.
"Of course. Gather your commanding officers and we'll discuss everything in detail."
An hour later, Numbuh Exa has brought Numbuhs Lyrical, Aerook, Geo-4 and Tera to a special briefing room, where they are joined by Infinity, S-26 and 74.239. "Everyone is here and accounted for. Now, speak." Numbuh Exa says with a cold but intimidating voice.
"Very well. The true reason why Galactic Command wants the Earth Decommissioned is to ensure that alliances between adults, kids and teenagers don't spread to other planets." Numbuh Infinity and 74.239 begin explaining their past roles as Earth Observers and the establishment of the Splinter Cell, which led to the formation of the TND and the subsequent war. However, they crucially leave out the fact the Splinter Cell collaborated with Father and the various experiments the Splinter Cell conducted. After half an hour, Infinity concludes the explanation, leaving the GSF's commanding officers vexed.
"So basically, you want us to clean up the mess you guys caused in the first place?" Lyrical says and glares angrily at the former Observers.
"I suspected something like that from the beginning. This whole fiasco happened because you decided to meddle in a KND branch's internal affairs." Numbuh Exa notes and eyes Numbuh 74.239.
"Watch your tongue! We were under direct orders from the Galactic Supreme Leader Numbuh Aleph Zero themselves! Earth was already infested with adults when we arrived and everything we did there was for the sake of saving the planet from the Adulthood Virus! Our experiment would've worked if it weren't for Numbuh 274!" The scientist rants furiously and points at Exa. "I will admit mistakes were made back then, but what matters now, is the present! You do understand if we don't do anything and leave Earth as is, other planets will eventually follow suit! Then the Adulthood Virus becomes truly unstoppable!"
"Oh we do, but it would've made things easier if we had been told before taking on this mission what we were up against. We understand the threat of the Adulthood Virus very well, I can assure you that." Numbuh Exa replies as a faint scowl appears on his otherwise emotionless face and he turns his attention to Numbuh S-26. "You know our enemy better than anyone else here, so I expect that you'll give us all the information you can about your...former allies."
"Of course. I will do whatever I can to correct the mistakes my former self made." S-26 replies firmly.
"However, Galactic Command has insisted that the planet must be stripped of all valuable resources. After all, it is one of the Fourth Flavor's last known locations. They will send a detailed list of targets shortly, Numbuh Exa."
"F…Fourth Flavor? Wow…I've only heard about that ice-cream flavor…I wonder what it tastes like…ow!"
"Focus, Numbuh Geo-4." Numbuh Lyrical whacks Geo-4 with her staff as Numbuh Infinity continues.
"I hope this cleared up any doubts or misgivings you had about this mission."
"Yes. While I still want to discuss some points in detail, I am satisfied for now." Numbuh Exa replies, prompting Numbuh Infinity to nod back.
"That's good to hear. Now, if you don't have anything else to say, I must leave and inform Galactic Command we've arrived safely." Infinity says and leaves, with a silent Numbuh S-26 in tow while Numbuh 74.239 sighs.
"Got something to say?" Lyrical says to the scientist who shakes his head.
"I've said what I've had to say, so I hope we can now focus on dealing with that planet instead of arguing about pointless matters." the plantiform hisses at Lyrical and leaves the room as well while Exa turns to face his command staff.
"Well?"
"Eh, I always figured that guy was shifty, but don't really care, as long as I can get some action. The way those two hyped up this TND makes me wanna fight 'em even more." Aerook replies casually.
"Galactic Command wants us to ransack the planet before blowing it up. Isn't that something adults would do?" Lyrical asks Exa, who does not reply.
"They are throwing all the blame on that teenager, saying if he didn't manipulate S-26, their 'experiment' would've worked." Numbuh Tera mutters as Numbuh Geo-4 puts his rocky hand up.
"So, what should we do now, Sir?"
"Nothing has changed. Clarity is what we wanted and that's what we got. We'll proceed with Operation: R.E.M.O.V.A.L. and do as the Supreme Leader wishes. That is what is expected of a Galactic Kids Next Door Operative." Numbuh Exa says and walks out of the briefing room, leaving his command staff behind, but as he silently walks through the hallways, for a brief moment, he looks absolutely furious.
Meanwhile, Numbuh Infinity has gone to another private room with S-26 and they are soon joined by Numbuh 74.239. "That could've gone worse."
"Numbuh Exa is way too sharp for his own good. Numbuh S-26?"
"Yes, here." S-26 hands Infinity a data disc, which he immediately puts into his tuxedo's pocket. "All our targets are listed there."
"Good. Resources aren't the only thing Galactic Command wants from that planet. Not to mention, the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. They must be retrieved before our enemy learns their secrets." Infinity replies as Numbuh 74.239 turns on a large computer and the trio start going through the Earth KND's and TND's member files one by one.
End of Transmission 31
Note: Man, I'm really pumping out these new chapters quickly, aren't I?
Originally, I was going to remove the mall scenes completely but then decided to keep them, because the world needs more 2x5 and the mall scenes were all about that. This chapter also brought back Numbuh Infinity, who I didn't plan to include in the story at all, but in the end decided to use him. I'll talk about Numbuh A64 in detail in later chapters, so look forward to that.
The next chapter will be very special for me, because I've wanted to write it since 2016.
