I am back from the grave! Life keeps kicking me on the backside so haven't been able to work on this for 4 months but now I can and hopefully I can keep going.
Songs featured:
I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s vs Sector V: "Kitsuon" by Shok Music
Ace The Kid's origin: "Unstopping Unease" by Kazunori Maruyama
S-26 vs everyone: "Sad Duel" by Yutaka Minobe
O.L. Ring connection: "Soul Unison Remix" by Luke Jansen
Transmission 37: Leader's Responsibilities
"This is Numbuh Exa of the Galactic Kids Next and the Commander of Galactic Subjugation Force." the GSF Commander addresses the KND and the TND from the domed bridge of the GSF'S Treehouse. His abrupt appearance stuns everyone but it also infuriates a certain teen agent, who stands on the Moonbase's TND Extension's sub-bridge, clenching his fists.
"Grrr…it's Numbuh Exa…" Chad mutters angrily and Corvus, who floats next to him, is equally incensed.
"They think they've already won." the O.M.E.G.A. Number says as Exa continues his address, while the GSF's Treehouse and the 2x4 ships supporting it hold their fire.
"Your planet has been designated as a target for Planetary Decommissioning. Surrender." he says coldly as Supreme Leader Jacques Duval grabs a microphone from the Supreme Leader's chair and speaks to the Pantherian.
"This is Numbuh 81, Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door. We won't surrender to you, especially after everything you GKND have done to us and the Earth." he says defiantly, but Exa is not moved by Jacques' words.
"You sealed your own fate when you decided to ally yourselves with teenagers. This goes against the GKND's Sooper Important Charter and thus, you will be punished accordingly." then, he vanishes from the screen and is replaced by Numbuh's 74.239 and Infinity, using their human disguises.
Watching from the Teen Extension, Eliza and the rest of the TND become enraged at the sight of their former comrades, who manipulated the KND from the shadows for many years."…74.239…and Infinity…" she mutters, trying her best to not fly into a blind rage while Patton slams one of the consoles next to him in anger.
"They've got some nerve showing themselves here…"
"Grrraaargh! Wait till I get my hands on you, Numbuh 74.239!" an enraged Fanny roars and shakes her fist at the big screen overlooking the observation platform and her sentiment is also shared by Chad on the sub-bridge, who starts shaking his fist at the alien operatives.
"Damn them…do they actually think those disguises are gonna work anymore?! Every KND operative knows who you are!"
Many floor's below the sub-bridge, the members of Sector V minus Nigel have stopped in-front of a lone computer screen near the main tunnel that links the Moonbase with the TND Extension and cannot believe their eyes: beyond the screen is none other than the operative behind the Splinter Cell and one who ordered their framing 4 years ago. "…It's Numbuh 74.239…" Hoagie mutters as Abby lifts the lid of her hat slightly and glares at the screen.
"That's him alright…and his buddy as well…" she remarks as Wally starts cursing loudly next to her.
"You cruddy orange-haired punk!" he yells and keeps throwing insults at the screen while Kuki remains quiet but is equally angered by the former KND Science Chief's appearance.
"He's the one who ruined our lives…and took my friends from me…" she thinks, unaware that her medallion is glowing very faintly, and the ends of her hair are also standing slightly. "I'll never forgive you…"
A few floors above them, Nigel has also stopped to watch the GKND's address from a computer terminal and just like his teammates, he is enraged to the point that his Silhouette Suit covers him briefly. "So you finally show yourselves…" Nigel hisses at the screen and barely manages to remain calm, despite the hatred building up inside him.
Then, the former Earth observers start talking with Jacques. "Greetings Numbuh 81. It's been quite a few years since we saw you. You've come a long way from a lowly Moonbase guard."
"Numbuh 74.239…" Jacques replies, clenching his fists.
"As Numbuh Exa just said, your planet has reached a point where it is beyond saving and thus, it will be Decommissioned. However, we are willing to spare the KND, should you agree to our terms." Numbuh Infinity says to Jacques, to takes a deep breath and looks at the sunglasses-wearing former diplomat in the eye.
"Terms? Oh, so you wanna give us mercy?"
"Yes indeed, because the GKND holds your branch in high regard. Oh, and I'm certain your…teen allies want to have their say in this, but don't bother. We will only negotiate with you, and you alone, Earth KND Supreme Leader Numbuh 81. I'm sure a fellow kid like you can understand why."
"…no, I don't think I do, so why don't you explain to me." Jacques' reply to Numbuh 74.239 makes him twitch slightly but he remains calm and puts his hands behind his back.
"We simply do not acknowledge their position. They are over 13 and as per GKND rules, anyone over the age of 13 is an enemy to our organization. Thus, it doesn't matter what they want to say about this."
"Is that so…well, what are your terms?" Jacques says while remaining cool, ignoring the incoming calls from Eliza.
"Our terms are very simple: you are to denounce your alliance with the teenagers, surrender the Moonbase and all teenagers and fugitives to us immediately and order your forces to stand down. In exchange, we will allow you and the Earth's KND to join the GKND, thus sparing you from certain destruction." a stone-faced Numbuh Infinity explains to Jacques, who lowers his head and does not answer. This plunges the entire Moonbase into utter silence as everyone waits for Jacques' response.
"Need I remind you that while you are the Earth KND's Supreme Leader, that position has always been below the GKND and every leader before has played by our rules. I suggest you do the same." Numbuh 74.239 remarks, prompting Chad, Rachel and Angelie, who is watching the address from Cleve Sector's base back on Earth, to frown, all of them aware that they had served the GKND in one way or another during their time as Supreme Leaders.
Then, after what seems like an eternity, Jacques lifts his head and looks silently around the Moonbase's Command Bridge. He eyes his subordinates, then the big screen from which 74.239 and Infinity are looking down at him before Jacques straightens his back and takes a deep breath.
"I've only been the Supreme Leader for a bit over a year…I'm not as brave as Numbuh 274, not as smart as Numbuh 362 or as calm as Numbuh 78…but…I won't be the Supreme Leader who sold out the Earth! If you want our planet, you'll have to get past me, and every, single, operative and agent, because there's no way I'll accept those terms, after all the pain and suffering you aliens caused us! We defeated your Splinter Cell and we sure as heck will defeat you as well!"
Cheers erupt across the Moonbase while Eliza and the rest of the TND feel relieved that Jacques stood his ground against the GKND when he could've easily fallen for 74.239's taunts. However, his defiant declaration does not sit well with the former Science Chief, but the stoic Infinity stops him from saying anything and looks down at Jacques. "Very well. Then we will simply proceed with our operation. This was your only chance to negotiate so from now on, we will not show mercy." Infinity says coldly before he and 74.239 fade away from the screens, which now begin showing error messages.
"What's happening now?!" Jacques asks, prompting the Global Tactical Officer, Numbuh 150 to run over to one of the consoles, only to come to a horrifying realization.
"Supreme Leader, there's a virus inside the Sooper Big Computermabob! It's not responding to our commands!"
"A virus?! How's that possible? Contact the computer core room, now!"
Numbuh 150 does as she is told but the communications operatives under her command only get static on their headsets. "It's no good, we can't contact anyone in the core."
"Then send a team there now! Without the Computermabob, we can't do anything!"
"Yes, Sir!" Numbuh 150 replies and Jacques tries to call the TND, but he cannot reach anyone.
"No…the GKND sabotaged us…" his face turns pale upon realizing that their entire command structure is about to collapse, exactly as it happened during the Yucatán operation.
This is also noticed by the TND, who are frantically trying to remove virus from the Computermabob remotely. "Dammit…and after all the system updates we did…" Herbie says with a grim expression but Eliza does not waver and crosses her arms, brimming with determination.
"We haven't lost yet! Get the backup systems online so we can at least communicate with the others." she says sternly to Herbie, who salutes her and gets to work. Then, Patton joins her on the observation platform.
"You weren't here back then but this feels like a reverse of how we attacked the Moonbase a year ago, but way faster." his remark is immediately seconded by Keith.
"Ya mon, they're trying to take control of the Moonbase from the inside and the only way they coulda got that virus into the Computermabob is with operatives."
"Then that means their spies are behind this! Numbuh Zeta, take Numbuh Beta with you and head to the sub-bridge to help Numbuh Delta. If they're using the same strategy as we did, then their next targets are the Moonbase's sub-bridges. Get going!"
"Roger that! Let's go, Numbuh Beta!" Patton salutes Eliza and gestures Fanny to follow him but they are also joined by Rachel.
"I'll go too!"
"Numbuh Epsilon, you need to stay here!" Eliza tries to stop Rachel, but she simply gives her a cold glare before turning her back on the TND Supreme Commander.
"I'll be more useful there than standing here doing nothing." she says over her shoulder and runs after Patton and Fanny, prompting Eliza to frown.
"*sigh* Of course you'd say that…okay people, focus! This is where the real battle begins!"
"YES, MA'AM!"
…
Meanwhile, Numbuh Tera's team are looking at a holographic floorplan of the Moonbase and the TND Extension. "Let's begin. Numbuh Shrike, go on ahead. Numbuh Noxious, go with Numbuh Chaff and raid the extension's sub-bridge. Intel says Numbuh 274 has been posted there. The rest of us will head to the largest tunnel between the Moonbase and the extension. Our prey should be arriving there any moment now. Once they're taken care of, we'll move deeper and capture the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, understood?" the others nod back and Numbuh Shrike immediately leaves the storage room while a smirking Numbuh Noxious sneaks out with the robotic Numbuh Chaff.
"Those teenagers better put up a good fight or else this is gonna be super boring." the eager Numbuh Dirus says, earning a glare from Tera.
"Don't get overconfident, Numbuh Dirus. They may be humans, but they are formidable. Numbuh S-26, lead the way."
"Understood. follow me." S-26 replies and leads the others out of the storage room, instantly knocking out a group of KND guards patrolling a nearby hallway.
"Wow…that was fast…" Dirus whispers to A64, who nods back silently, displaying an =o face on her TV-shaped head.
In the TND extension, Libra has met up with the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, Numbuh Vine and Numbuh 9L in the supply tunnel and has given them their respective O.L-Rings. "No matter what, do not lose them. You all know what happens if the GKND acquire them. They already have Virgo's ring."
"What a disaster." Virgo says, trying to act worried while Leo is eager to move on.
"Yeah, yeah, we know. So where do we go now?" he asks nonchalantly.
"We must find Sector V. The GKND have no doubt prepared a trap for them." Cygnus gestures with her metallic wings and Numbuh 9L meows in agreement.
"Mau, meow!"
"That's right! We can't waste any time!" Vine shouts as she clings onto 9L's head but Libra suddenly turns their back on the others.
"You go on ahead. We will find Numbuh 1."
"An illogical choice, Libra. If you go alone, you will increase the risk of getting captured yourself."
"Yeah, Scorpius is right, we should stick together." Vine remarks but Libra refuses to go back on their decision.
"No. If we prioritize Numbuh 1 over the others, or vice-versa, that will increase the risk of getting captured. The rest of you must keep going. We will locate Numbuh 1 and join you after that." their explanation silences the other aliens, before Cygnus pokes Libra with her left wing.
"Alright then, take care of yourself."
"We will. Now go!" Then, Libra starts flying away down the hallway while the rest go the opposite direction.
"Since when did Scales start acting like a leader?"
None of the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers react to Leo's remark, not even Cygnus, who looks back to the dim hallway behind them. "You're forcing too much on yourself, Libra." she thinks as they dash through the empty corridors towards a high-speed tube that takes them to the same floor where the tunnel entrance is.
Four floors above them, Patton, Fanny and Rachel are making their way to the sub-bridge. "You should've stayed in the CO Room, Numbuh Epsilon. You're the second-in-command for crying out loud!"
"Numbuh Alpha and Iota-3 have everything covered, they don't need me." Rachel snaps at Patton while Fanny shakes her head.
"Just admit it, you want to go look for Sector V." Her quip makes Rachel freeze in place, prompting Patton and Fanny to stop as well. "It's written all over your face, don't try to hide it."
"No, you're wrong…" Rachel mutters, clenching her fists but neither Patton nor Fanny believes her.
"Is this about Alpha letting Vine search for Sector V instead of you?" Patton frowns at Rachel, who looks away.
"It's not…" however, Rachel is unable to forget the argument she had with Nigel yesterday and no matter how hard she tries, she can't bring herself to forgive Vine's past actions.
"How long are you going to carry those grudges, Rachel?" Patton glares at her and she can tell he does not approve her behavior at all.
"…they were my responsibility…they're my friends…I just want to make sure they're safe…" Rachel says with a shaky voice when suddenly, Fanny grabs her by the shoulders.
"Get a hold of yerself! Aren't you forgetting what we're dealing with here?!"
"Yes I do! But I..." Rachel bites her lip and lowers her head slightly. "…How am I supposed to just move on…she hurt Nigel…and everyone is acting like it doesn't matter."
"Because it's not important now! I've told you a million times, stop wallowing in the past! Dammit, it's not like you're any better! You've done plenty of crappy things too!" Patton yells at Rachel and she remembers her time as a Teen Hunter. "Look, can you just put the past behind and move on already?!"
Then, Rachel frees herself from Fanny's grip and steps back from her friends. "…shut up…SHUT UP!" Rachel screams as the entire Moonbase shakes from the shockwaves generated by the battle around it. "Sector V…has been MY responsibility for almost 2 years! And I don't care if that…that alien…is on our side, I won't trust her with their lives!" then, before neither Patton or Fanny can react, Rachel turns around and runs away.
"Rachel! Wait, don't go!" a shocked Fanny yells after Rachel who Patton presses his right hand against his forehead.
"Dammit, just what we needed…forget it, we gotta meet up with Numbuh Delta." Patton says, grabbing Fanny's hand.
"Huh? Hey, we can't just let her go by herself!"
"If she wants to be stubborn, let her. We need to focus on our mission." Patton replies and starts pulling Fanny to the opposite direction, despite her objections. Soon, they reach the Extension's sub-control-bridge but their surprise, Chad is not there. "*pant*…Wait, where's Numbuh Delta?!"
"You just missed him. That alien guy left, and Numbuh Delta ran after him just a moment ago. But man, it's a good thing you guys came here." the agent in-charge of the sub-bridge explains, frustrating Patton even further.
"Argh! What the heck is going on?! Why is nobody following the mission plan?!" he throws his arms in the air while Fanny shakes her head.
"Gah, quit shoutin'! We'll take command here." she says to the agent, who nods and salute her.
"Understood, Numbuh Beta!"
…
"Corvus, where the heck are you going?! We're supposed to guard the sub-bridge!" Chad yells at Corvus, who is flying ahead through the hallway.
"This is more important! Didn't you hear what your Science Chief said? We're missing an O.L. Ring! We need to meet up with the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers right now!"
"This isn't the time for that! If someone attacks the sub-bridge, it's gonna make defending this place impossible!"
"If the GKND manage to use that ring and force Virgo or any of the others into an Overlay, they could destroy this entire base from the inside!" Corvus yells over his shoulder, silencing Chad. "And that's why we need to find them!"
"…Okay, I get it. I'll go with you!"
"Of course you're coming with me! My lifeforce is connected to yours!"
"Hmph, you could've just said we're partners…" Chad mutters but Corvus is too deep in his own thoughts to react to his comment.
"If it's not the GKND who took the ring, then we've got a traitor on our hands…"
A bit further ahead, Libra comes across Nigel, who is running at full speed towards an elevator. "Numbuh 1, halt! Don't board the elevator!" the alien yells at him from across the corridor.
"Hmm? Libra, why are you here? I thought you stayed with Numbuh Omicron."
"No, you must listen. We were tricked." Libra says as they come to Nigel's side.
"Tell me something I don't know, the GKND sabotaged the Computermabob with a virus. I noticed it while I was looking for directions.
"You don't understand, that message you received from Numbuh Alpha was a fake."
"What?" Nigel stops in his tracks and Libra nods at him.
"Yes, someone masqueraded as Numbuh Alpha to send your team to the Moonbase. It is a trap."
"No…dammit!" Nigel shouts and kicks the wall. "Then we have to find my team right now!"
"Numbuh Alpha dispatched Numbuh Vine, 9L and our fellow O.M.E.G.A. Numbers to seek them out. We should head to the main tunnel between the Moonbase and the Extension right away."
"All right, then let's move it." but before they can head to the elevator, Nigel hears another familiar voice behind him.
"Numbuh 1!"
"Libra!" Chad and Corvus shouts as they appear from an adjacent hallway.
"Numbuh Delta? Shouldn't you be at the sub-bridge?!" Nigel asks as Corvus grabs Libra by the shoulders.
"Where are the others?!"
"They went ahead to look for Sector V. We gave them their rings already, as planned. But what are you doing here, Corvus?"
"You're going to look for your team, right? Then we're coming with you!" Chad says to Nigel, who lifts an eyebrow.
"No, Numbuh Delta, you need to go back to the sub-bridge and…"
"This isn't the time to argue, human!" a frustrated Corvus interrupts Nigel and points at Chad's wrist. "One of those rings got stolen and if it's used against us, you can kiss your Moonbase goodbye!"
"You're acting as if you know who did it, Corvus." Libra squints at Corvus, who huffs and crosses his arms.
"No, but I've got a hunch and that's why we need to find the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers!" However, their argument is interrupted by frantic screaming from another hallway to their left.
"Gaah! What the heck are those!"
"Urgh! Fall back! Argh!" without saying a word the two teenagers and the aliens immediately make their way down the left-hand hallway and come face to face with a group of television-headed robots made of alien junk, who have knocked out a team of TND guards.
"Wha…where did those things come from?!" Nigel exclaims as Chad activates his gray and dark red B.R.A. instantly.
"I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s. The GKND's remote-controlled infiltration robots. They use them as boarding parties to keep their operatives safe from the Adulthood Virus."
"And somehow, they got inside." Corvus says and unleashes a burst of lighting at the robots, destroying them, only for more to appear from another hallway as well as the hallway behind them.
"One of their spies must have snuck in and let them here. We must destroy them before they cause more damage." Libra points their left hand at the I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s behind them and creates a surge of frigid air that freezes them in place.
"Numbuh 1, use the emergency channel to alert everyone. We'll hold them off!" Chad yells as he slices the frozen I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s with his gun-sword and then goes after the others.
"On it." Nigel replies before pressing a button on his E.Y.E.-W.A.T.C.H.
"Attention KND and TND, this is Numbuh 1. GKND troops have infiltrated the Moonbase, I repeat, GKND troops have infiltrated the Moonbase."
Then, just as he completes the message, four I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s attack from behind but Nigel covers his hands in his Silhouette Suit and crushes all of them with telekinesis before throwing the remains at another group that was about to attack Chad. "*whistle* Nice one."
"I may have been out of action for a year, but I've still got it where it counts."
"Hah-hah, all right then. I can't let you show me up like that!" Chad smirks and they stand back to back as more and more I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s appear from the hallways. However, they do not notice the two figures who sneak past them and head further into the bowels of the Extension.
…
"This must be the tunnel." Hoagie says as he and the rest of Sector V arrive in-front of a large air-tight door.
"Looks like it, Numbuh 2. This'll get us to the Moonbase." Abby replies and uses her E.Y.E.-W.A.T.C.H. to open the door, which slowly opens with a loud screech. As they step inside, they awestruck by the size of the tunnel, which is several stories high and has multiple walkways running through it. Sector V themselves are standing on the biggest walkway, which is as wide as a four-lane motorway.
"It's so huge…" Kuki says silently, and the others nod back.
"Yeah, but we ain't got time for sightseein'. Numbuh Epsilon's waitin' in the hangar." Suddenly, the four teenagers hear Nigel's broadcast through their E.Y.E.-W.A.T.C.H.'s., alarming them. "That was Numbuh 1! How the heck did the GKND sneak inside?!"
"More importantly, where's Numbuh 1?" Hoagie asks as Wally points at the door behind them.
"He's gotta be back there! Let's go look for him!" but before the others can reply, the doors open and Numbuh 9L arrives, carrying Numbuh Vine and they are followed by the four O.M.E.G.A. Numbers.
"W…WAIT!" Vine yells as 9L jumps in-front of the teenagers and she climbs down from her friend's back. "You were tricked!"
"What you on about?" Abby crosses her arms and squints at Vine as the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers come to Vine's side.
"Numbuh Vine is speaking the truth. The orders you were given were fake."
"The enemy intends to separate you from the rest. Proceeding to the Moonbase would be most illogical." Cygnus and Scorpius explain to Sector V, who exchange looks with each other.
"If it was fake, then does Numbuh 1 know about it too? He stayed behind…" Kuki says cautiously, prompting Cygnus to point her left wing at the door.
"Libra went looking for him. And since he broadcast that message, your leader will surely know about it by now."
"Then we're gonna go look for him too. We're just wastin' time standin' here." Abby replies to Cygnus as Numbuh 9L also gestures towards the door with her tails.
"Mau!"
"She says we should all go together." Numbuh Vine says, earning another glare from Abby but she does not protest.
"Fine, whatever, let's just go already." she replies to Vine but then suddenly, the walkway the group is standing on begins to shake before it stars rising up via four vertical rails lining both ends of the tunnel.
"Oi, what the crud is going on?! Why are we going upwards?!"
"I dunno Numbuh 4, but Numbuh 5's not likin' this at all. Brace yerselves!" Abby shouts as the walkway comes to abrupt halt four floors up from where it used to be, followed by the doors on each end opening.
"Enemy signatures detected." Scorpius says whilst pointing at the doors, out of which a swarm of I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s begin pouring out.
"Hold on, those don't look like KND robots!" Hoagie shouts while Cygnus soars overhead and uses her magnetic powers to crush the leading I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s in quick succession.
"They certainly aren't. These I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s were waiting for us! We need to leave this walkway!"
"MRAAUH!" Numbuh 9L jumps over Sector V and attacks the other group of I.N.V.A.D.B.O.T.'s with her large tail blade as more appear out of the tunnel entrances.
"Alright, time to lay the smack down on these cruddy rust buckets!" An excited Wally activates his new B.R.A. but before he can attack, Leo pushes him aside and charges ahead.
"Step aside, human, you're no match against these things!"
"Oh yeah?! Watch me!" undeterred, Wally booster jumps past Leo and uses his new energy-shield knuckles to punch through the head of an I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T. and immediately destroy four more with the B.R.A.'s dual heat laser cannons. "How's that, Fang-Face?"
"Grr, that was dumb luck! I bet I can blow up more of those then you!"
"Fine, bring it on!" Wally grins at Leo, who smirks back and the two proceed to plow through the line of I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s approaching from the east entrance.
"Looks like we gotta fight our way out! Come on Numbuh 2, let's do this!" Abby says to Hoagie and both teenagers turn on their B.R.A.'s and attack the I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s, though Hoagie stays back and covers Abby with the weapon he took from Kieran's armory: a S.C.A.M.P.P.-MK2. rifle, a weapon very similar to the multi-rifle Patton uses.
"Okay Omicron, let's see how your new gun works!" flipping a switch on the rifle's side, the weapon's soda can-shaped barrel starts spinning and Hoagie fires a spiraling laser beam into the oncoming robots, slicing them in half horizontally and giving Abby an opening to attack with her M.A.R.B.L.E.-launchers.
"Nice shot, Numbuh 2!"
"Thanks. Wow, this thing packs a punch. I'll cover you!"
"Right on, baby!" but as the others fight the GKND's robots, Kuki has kept her distance and is hesitant about using her magic.
"What's wrong, aren't you going to destroy those I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s with telekinesis?" Virgo asks her through telepathy as she hovers above the teenagers, ignoring the fighting going on around them.
"It's none of your business." Kuki snaps at the alien and instead fights off two robots with just her hand-to-hand skills, though it takes more effort than she would like.
"You could simply sever this entire bridge and float away."
"I'm not leaving my friends behind!"
"Hmph, that's exactly what makes you weak, human."
"Shut up!" Kuki shouts as she ferociously kicks an I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s head off, only to be jumped by three more, which are quickly crushed under Numbuh 9L claws.
"Mraauu!" despite hearing 9L's feline noises, Kuki can somehow understand what the alien is saying.
"Tha…thanks! I'm fine…" she mutters and turns her back on 9L as more and more I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s appear from the tunnel entrances.
…
As the battle around the Moonbase turns more intense by the minute, The Kid runs through the Teen Extension's hallways, having heard Nigel's broadcast. "Dammit, I gotta find the others. There's no way I'm gonna just sit in the hangar and do nothing." The Kid says under his breath as he runs through a t-intersection, only to come face-to-face with a pack of I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s. "Hmph, so you punks think you can just march through here? Well, you got another thing coming." he quickly turns on his sleek, dark orange and gray B.R.A., unfolds its backpack-mounted wings and easily dodges the robot's laser barrage.
"Come on!" then, The Kid deploys the B.R.A.'s left sub-arm, which mounts an underslung rotary laser cannon and begins shredding through the robots one by one. "Too easy." after destroying the rest of the robots, The Kid flies through the hallway, demolishing any I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s he sees. "This ain't good. Where the heck are all the guards at?!" he thinks, having realized he is essentially the only one in the entire floor fighting the GKND's robots. "CO Room, do ya copy?! CO Room!" he tries to contact Eliza and the others in the Central Operations Room but only hears static at first. "CO ROOM! ANSWER ME DAMMIT!"
"*ZZZZZZTTTTT*…CO…oom here. Who…s…there…*ZZZZZTTTTT*" a heavily distorted voice answers him.
"Finally! Agent Halcón here! Why haven't ya sent any guards here? I'm on the 68th floor and its crawling with GKND's robots! They're gonna overrun this whole place you don't send any guards down here!" he yells into his helmet's communicator but gets no answer. "Did ya hear me?!"
"*ZZZZTTTTT*…Kid, the GKND's virus has shut down the tube transport system." Eliza answers him.
"Then can't ya use the portals or something? I can't hold off all these guys by myself! And if they go any higher, they're gonna enter the Science Tower, for crying out loud!"
"We know that, but our hands are tied! Hold them off as best as you can, and we'll send back up when we've taken out the virus."
"You gotta be kidding me!"
"I'm not kidding! Please, Kid, just hang on a bit longer." Eliza pleads The Kid, who is slightly taken aback by this.
"…fine. I'll do what I can." he replies coldly and hangs up before continuing his way through the floor.
Soon he arrives at a long walkway running across a vertical shaft that connects the 68th floor to the Science Tower's lowest level. As he lands on the walkway and gazes upwards, he notices that the multiple laser grids and turrets lining the sides of the shaft have been turned off. "Oh great, the virus musta messed up the internal defenses too…"
"I was wondering when you'd show up." an eerie voice speaks to The Kid, startling him.
"Gah, who's there?!" he shouts and activates his B.R.A. right sub-arm, which mounts a Stupefier Rifle over his right shoulder. "Show yourself!" he points the weapon's long barrel at the opposite end of the walkway but sees nobody. "I'm not in the mood for hide and seek…URGH!" suddenly, something hits him in the back, knocking The Kid to the floor but he quickly stands and finally sees his assailant.
"You're not a subtle guy, aren't you? Walking around with that fancy armor." Numbuh Shrike says as they step out from the hallway behind The Kid, who immediately points his rotary cannon and Stupefier Rifle at the alien operative.
"Huh? Who the heck are you?"
"Oh, don't tell me you forgot about me already?" Shrike gestures with their three-fingered right hand. "Then let me introduce myself, the name's Numbuh Shrike, of the GKND's Galactic Intelligence Division. I was ordered to pay you a visit, Ace The Kid…or should I say, Ángel Gonzales Vasques."
"Grrr, how the heck do you know about my…"
"Your real name? Oh I know a lot more than just that. Like the fact you hate your given name and use that dumb nickname instead."
"Damn you!" The Kid fires a burst from his rotary cannon, but Shrike presses a button on their wrist gauntlet, creating a green energy shield around the spy which easily nullifies the lasers. "Gah, shoulda known you GKND punks used stuff like that." he hisses at the alien, who stands calmly before him with their hands behind their back.
"When fighting teenagers, you need to be prepared for everything. But, let's talk about you, Ángel."
"Stop calling me that!" angered, The Kid opens fire once more and this time, Shrike dodges the laser burst and somersaults over The Kid's head before landing behind him, only to stare down the barrel of The Kid's Stupefier Rifle "Hold still!"
"Hmph." the moment he pulls the trigger, Shrike ducks and follows through with a swift kick to The Kid's chest, knocking him on the floor.
"Urgh! Dammit…"
"You really don't recognize who I am?"
"Ghh…I don't know any freaks like you!" The Kid replies as he stands up and glares at Shrike, who is a head height shorter than him.
"Says the teenager. Well, you really should recognize me, after all, I'm the only who has shot you down and walked away unharmed." Shrike's mocking tone frustrates The Kid even further, but then, he connects the dots.
"…you flew that black fighter…"
"Exactly!" Shrike spreads their arms and chuckles as The Kid takes a step back. "Now we've established that, let's get down to business. You're a really valuable asset and the GKND want to have a word with you, so they sent me here." Shrike explains but The Kid backs away again, having recalled what the spy had told him in November. "Your face is telling me that you don't want to hear what's coming next, right?"
"…" A chill runs down The Kid's spine and he cannot reply to Shrike, who huffs mockingly.
"You've realized it too, haven't you?" Shrike slowly steps forward as The Kid points his weapons at the alien, only for his hands to start shaking.
"…shut up…I'm…I'm a human…"
"Only half of you is human, Ángel." Shrike's use of The Kid's real name unnerves The Kid as he shakes his head.
"Like I'm gonna believe that!" The Kid pulls the rotary cannon's trigger but yet again, Shrike protects themselves with their shield and continues to approach The Kid.
"You are part extraterrestrial. Did you ever stop to think why you're so good at flying? Why your reflexes are better than anyone else your age?"
"No…stop…" fear begins creeping up The Kid's neck as Shrike continues.
"You don't use a pilot suit when you're flying, because you can resist gravitational forces way greater than any human can."
"…I said stop…" The Kid's lips begin to quiver from fear and his mind races, unable to comprehend what Shrike is saying.
"Getting scared? You should be, especially once your 'friends' find out you're the son of a former GKND operative!"
"SHUT UP!" screaming from the bottom of his lungs, The Kid fires both of his weapons at Numbuh Shrike before using his jetpack and leg boosters to fly up the shaft, leaving a slightly startled Numbuh Shrike behind on the walkway.
"*cough* Running isn't going to save you!" Shrike shouts and takes off after The Kid with his rocket boots.
…
A few floors above and close to the eastern side of the TND Extension, Nigel, Chad, Libra and Corvus have managed to destroy all the I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s that had infiltrated the level. "Gah, finally! Good thing these were only drone versions, not the piloted ones or we'd be in deep trouble." Chad exclaims as he folds back his gun-swords blade while Nigel has to catch his breath.
"*pant* Drone? You mean these were cannon fodder?"
"Basically. They send in the drones first to wear us down and then follow up with piloted ones to finish the job. They're controlled directly by GKND operatives and are way more annoying. But enough about that. We need to head to the tunnel, now!"
"We suggest using the elevator shaft. Since the virus is affecting the Moonbase's systems, we doubt they are functional at the moment." Libra says while pointing at a nearby elevator, its indicator lights blinking red. Nigel then straightens his back and nods in agreement.
"I'm fine with that." he replies and uses his telekinesis to tear the elevator doors open, impressing the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. "Well? Are you coming?"
"Yeah, Delta, what are you standing there for?" Corvus asks Chad, who is taken aback by how much blunter Nigel has become in 5 years.
"It's nothing. I'll take the lead, since I know this place better than you." he says and jumps first, followed by Nigel and the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. However, at the very moment they disappear into the elevator shaft, Rachel arrives, having had to fight her way through a separate group of I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s.
"I have to catch up!" she thinks and jumps after the boys, using her aqua and turquoise B.R.A.'s jetboots to slow down her fall and soon, she sees a bright flash below her. "There!" she exclaims and sees Nigel, Chad, Corvus and Libra go through a destroyed door into a lower floor, and she immediately follows them. "Wait!" Rachel shouts as she lands on the hallway and her call is heard by Libra.
"Halt, we are being followed." they gesture to Nigel and Chad, who look over their shoulders and notice the blond-haired girl running towards them.
"Numbuh Epsilon?! What the heck are you doing here?!" Chad yells while Nigel tenses up and steps back slightly.
"I…I had to find you guys…I couldn't just stand around and do nothing up in the CO Room." she explains, but Nigel is not impressed.
"But aren't you serving as Numbuh Alpha's second-in-command? Why did you abandon your post?"
"I was supposed to meet up with your team after you left the lab but then that spoofed message sent you elsewhere! You guys are my responsibility!" Rachel yells back at Nigel, who frowns.
"I'm the leader of my team, Numbuh Epsilon. They are my responsibility, not yours." his cold remark infuriates Rachel, who clenches her fists.
"Aren't you forgetting who watched over you guys for two years?! I did! And I'm not going to let some trai…" then, Chad grabs Rachel's shoulder, as if he knew exactly what she was about to say.
"Cut it out! You too, Numbuh 1. We've got more important things to do then argue. Numbuh Vine, 9L and the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers went after Sector V as well, so they aren't the only ones we need to find. Now focus on what's important, we're under attack by the GKND for crying out loud!" his stern words silence the teenagers while Corvus shakes his head.
"Man, humans are way too petty."
"If we recall, you are not that different, Corvus." Libra remarks, earning a glare from the crow-like O.M.E.G.A. Number.
"Shut up. Now are we going or not?!"
"Of course we are." Chad replies and starts running ahead with the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers while Nigel and Rachel exchange cold glares with each other before following the former KND Supreme Leader.
Up ahead, on the other side of a sealed door, lies the connection tunnel, where the rest of Sector V and the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, Numbuh Vine and 9L have tried to fight their way out of the bridge but the influx of I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s seems unending. "We're wastin' time here! Where the heck are these stupid rust buckets comin' from anyway?!" a frustrated Abby exclaims as she destroys three I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s with a single shot from her wrist mounted M.A.R.B.L.E. launchers.
"They're sending them here directly from their Treehouse using a L.E.A.P.E.R. Beacon. No doubt a spy planted it inside the Moonbase beforehand." Scorpius replies to her, having just blown up a row of I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s using his scorpion-like tail cannon. However, Wally and Leo seem to enjoy themselves as they tear through the robots coming from the Extension side of the bridge.
"Come on you junk heads! Is that all you got?!" Wally shouts excitedly, having kept pace with the equally battle-happy Leo. "Hey Fang-Face, I already took out 40 of these things!"
"Hah, I'm at 60, Mop-Head! You gotta do better than that!" Leo goads Wally, who responds by jumping into the middle of the approaching wave of I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s but before he lands, Wally deploys his B.R.A.'s shields and lands on-top of the robots, creating an explosion upon impact that destroys multiple I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s in an instant but this also blows a hole into the bridge itself.
"Hey, careful foo! Quit trynna blow up the bridge!" Abby howls over the sound of crashing metal as Wally rejoins the others.
"Uh, sorry…" he replies but quickly turns his attention to a silent Leo. "Beat that!"
"Oh yeah?! Watch me!"
"Leo, this is not the time for silly contest! We're in a hu…" but before Cygnus can finish her sentence, Leo has revved up his arm turbines and charges towards the Moonbase side of the bridge.
"YEAAAHHH!" he roars but before he can make contact with I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s, a yellow energy surge strikes him mid-flight, subjecting him to immense pain. "GUAAARGH!" then, the O.M.E.G.A. Number is struck by an unknown attacker that sends him flying back to his allies. Luckily, Numbuh 9L manages to catch him before he lands.
"Leo!" Cygnus shouts as she and Scorpius rush over to their stricken comrade. "Leo, are you alright?" the swan alien asks as a spasming Leo gasps in pain.
"*groan* *pant* Urgh…dammit…I can't move…" he replies, unable to move any other part of his body apart from his head. "What the heck is this?!"
"It's not one of the humans Stupifier weapons…Scorpius?" Cygnus looks at the purple, one eyed scorpion-like alien, who quickly scans Leo using his large yellow eye.
"He has been hit by some sort of paralyzing weapon."
"You are correct." a gruff voice replies as the I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T.'s halt their attack and four strangers enter the bridge from the Moonbase side. Their arrival causes Numbuh 9L to start hissing at them while Numbuh Vine is frozen in fear.
"No…it's…"
"Numbuh Tera. And he's brought friends." Cygnus says coldly and squints at the approaching four aliens.
"Numbuh 5's guessin' they're GKND operatives. Get ready guys." Abby says to her teammates, who apart from a still hesitant Kuki ready their weapons but then, their expressions change as a familiar face appears among the aliens. "Oh you gotta be kiddin' me…"
"Nu…Numbuh Gamma?!" Hoagie exclaims as Scorpius comes to his side.
"That is not the same operative you knew. He has been Reconditioned."
"A very good observation." Numbuh S-26 says emotionlessly and steps forward, his alien appearance shocking Sector V even further. "It seems we are missing a member. But no matter. The mission will continue as planned."
"Ooh, are these our targets?! Can I beat them up? Can I, can I?!" The eager wolf-like Numbuh Dirus asks Tera and S-26 but this angers Wally, who steps forward and points at her.
"Oi, the only ones getting' beaten up are you cruddy Galactic freaks!" he shouts defiantly, which catches Dirus' attention.
"Hah, that human's asking for it! Please, let me at 'em!"
"Do it. Numbuh A64, support Dirus. We'll hang back to make sure they won't try to escape to the Moonbase." Numbuh Tera says sternly, and Dirus' reveals her sharp claws before taking a hunched stance.
"Yay! I'm gonna run wild!" she lunges forward and, in an instant, covers the distance between herself and Wally before kicking him in the chest, which sends him flying past his teammates in a high arc.
"GUAGH!"
"Numbuh 4!" Abby shouts but before she or the others can react, they are hit by a surge of highly pressurized water, released from Numbuh A64's robotic arms. "Argh!"
"Urgh!" Hoagie and Abby are instantly knocked to the floor while Numbuh Dirus continues to attack the stunned Wally, who falls back towards the bridge.
"Go to sleep, human!" Dirus says gleefully as she appears above Wally and prepares to kick him again, but Wally manages stop his fall and counters her kick with his right shield gauntlet, the impact knocking both backwards. "Ghh, lucky hit!"
"You cruddy…" Wally grits his teeth and flies towards Dirus, firing his B.R.A.s heat laser cannons at the alien operative, who weaves through the attack and prepares to punch him with her right arm, forcing Wally to counter with a left hook. "Grrr!" Once again, their attacks cancel themselves out, but the power behind Dirus' attacks far surpasses even Wally's B.R.A. augmented strength and he is starting to feel the effects as he lands behind Numbuh 9L and Kuki. "Ghh…dammit…what the heck…" he mutters as he falls on one knee while Dirus lands in-front him, a gleeful grin on her face.
"Hah-hah, you're actually putting up a fight, human. I thought you were gonna go down in one hit."
"*gasp*…There's…no cruddy way I'm gonna go down in one hit, ya alien freak!" angered and frustrated, Wally unleashes a hail of laser fire on Dirus, who elegantly evades and knees him instantly, knocking the air out of his lungs. "URGH!" he grunts and falls on his back, but before Dirus can do anything else, Cygnus grabs her with her magnetic powers and throws the alien operative back to the Moonbase side of the bridge.
"Wally!" Kuki runs to Wally's side and helps him to his feet as Cygnus and Numbuh 9L position themselves in-front of the teenagers.
"Mau!" 9L brings up her two tails and points them at the alien operatives standing across the bridge, while Dirus recovers from Cygnus' attack.
"Ow, that hurt! Don't think that's gonna work a second time!" she yells and leaps high into the air and dives feet first towards 9L and Cygnus.
"9L, now!" Cygnus says to the cat alien, who nods and lunges towards Dirus, slamming her two tails at the alien, once again knocking her away.
"UWAAAHH!" but before she can do anything, Cygnus grabs her with magnetism and slams Dirus into the floor. "GUAH!"
Meanwhile, Abby and Hoagie take on A64, who has kept her distance and fires high pressure water bullets at the teenagers. "Hey, hold still! I can't hit you if you keep moving, teenagers!" she says cheerfully, much to Abby's frustration.
"Dammit, these guys are toyin' with us! Numbuh 2, get that TV-head's attention, Numbuh 5's gonna knock her out."
"Right!" Hoagie nods and fires his 2x4 rifle at A64, who spurts out water from her left palm and turns it into a barrier, nullifying the lasers. "Huh?! It's controlling water?!" Hoagie cannot believe what he is seeing as A64 turns the barrier into a whip and swings it at him. "Woah!" he jumps backwards to evade and the whip slams into the floor, where he just stood, leaving a deep gash in its wake. "Yikes, that was too close…"
"Gotcha!" Then, Numbuh A64 jumps up and prepares to deliver a vertical swing from her water whip when suddenly, Abby appears behind her, in mid-air.
"HIYAAAHH!" she screams, ready to hit the robotic alien with a powerful roundhouse kick, but A64's head turns 180 degrees and displays an :O face before spinning the rest of her body and countering Abby's kick with a roundhouse kick of her own. "No way!" Abby exclaims as their legs make contact in mid-air and for a few seconds, they seem to hover in place, before Abby flies past A64, who extends both of her arms and hits her in the back, slamming her into the floor, right before Hoagie's eyes. "GUAH!"
"Numbuh 5! Damn you!" an infuriated Hoagie shouts and boosters jumps towards A64, rapid firing his rifle but A64 gives him a face full of pressurised water, sending Hoagie plummeting back down. "Urgh…*cough* *cough*" he gasps for air as he falls on his back, next to a reeling Abby. "*pant* *cough* ugh…these guys are…too strong…*cough*" Hoagie mutters as he coughs out water while Abby tries to stand up.
"But…we can't give up here…urgh…" she groans and collapses on her knees as A64 lands in-front of them and points her palms at the teenagers.
"Aw, the reports lied to us, you guys are weak. I'm gonna knock you out now."
"No you won't!" then, out of nowhere, Numbuh Vine lunges at A64 and wraps her tentacles around the robot-suit wearing alien, startling her.
"Ahhh! Get off me!" she squeals as Vine restrains her and drags her down onto the floor.
"I don't care if you were Reconditioned, A64! I'm not letting you take them! Not when I haven't apologized properly yet!" Vine shouts defiantly and increases her grip around A64, who panics and screams louder while Abby and Hoagie watch in stunned awe.
"YAAAAHHHH! LET GO! LET GO!" managing to free her left hand, A64 creates a giant hand out of water, grabs Vine's pot and pulls her off, before throwing the plantiform alien away from her, but Scorpius, who had hung back, catches Vine with his smaller arms.
"Tha…thanks."
"Do not mention it. However, our situation is getting very dire. The logical choice would be to retreat back to the Extension." Scorpius says to her before A64 sends another gigantic water fist towards them, only for Scorpius to counter with his oscillating pincers, shattering the fist completely. "I will handle Numbuh A64, you should *ZZZZZTTTT*" then, Scorpius is struck by the same beam that paralyzed Leo, causing him to shake and rattle before collapsing onto the floor.
"Scorpius!" Vine shrieks and tries to lift him up when A64 peppers her with water bullets, knocking Vine to the floor as well. "Guah!"
"Dumb traitor, that's what you get for getting distracted." A64 mocks her former teammate and tries to hit her again when Abby and Hoagie jump between her and the knocked-out aliens.
"Aren't ya forgettin' us?" she shouts and blasts A64 at point blank range with her M.A.R.B.L.E. launchers, stunning the robotic alien before Hoagie sends her flying with a concentrated shot from his rifle. However, A64 recovers immediately and lands next to Numbuhs Tera and S-26 who have so far simply watched the fight unfold.
"Ghh, these humans are tenacious." she mutters as Tera looks on with a sharp but menacing glare.
"They are not pushovers, that's for sure. But we should wrap this up, otherwise we'll fall behind schedule." he replies and eyes S-26, who nods and steps forward.
"Very well. I'll handle them." S-26 says stoically and turns into a beam of light, knocking down Abby and Hoagie instantly, severely damaging their new B.R.A.'s in the process, before striking 9L, who was dueling with Dirus and then he hits Cygnus, stunning her enough so Tera can dispatch her with a paralyzing beam fired from his left gauntlet.
"Ghh, this isn't looking good, I need to retreat!" Virgo tries to flee but S-26 is too fast and ensnares the green energy-based alien with a light net. Trapped inside, she is then hit by Numbuh Tera's paralyzing beam before S-26 slams her onto the bridge, next to Kuki, who has tried to use her magic again but to no avail.
"Look out!" Wally shouts and pushes her aside before he too is struck by S-26 and Kuki is swiftly taken down as well.
"Ugh…no…why isn't my magic working…" she thinks and looks on helplessly as Virgo's eyes turn towards her and she starts speaking to her telepathically.
"At this rate, they'll capture us, human. You need to merge with me if you want to survive!"
"No!"
"Look around you, human. This is why you should've listened to me!"
"Shut up!" Kuki yells at the alien and slowly stands up, as do Wally, Abby and Hoagie, their defiance impressing Numbuh Tera.
"Hmm…interesting." he mutters as Numbuh S-26 lands in-front of him and stares coldly at his former comrades.
"It's pointless to resist, humans. You stood no chance to begin with." not willing to give them a chance to retaliate, S-26 points his right palm at the teenagers and knocks them down with four light bullets. "Dirus, A64, secure them. Tera and I will handle the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers and the fugitives." S-26 gestures towards the Lupine and the Aqua Sprite, who nod and cuff Abby, Wally, Kuki and Hoagie using the same energy cuffs that bound Chad when he was in the Void Prison.
"Ghh…grrr…you cruddy…we're not done yet! Urgh! *cough*" a defiant Wally shouts, before Dirus stomps forcibly on his back.
"Quit running your mouth, human. You're all coming with us and that's that. Hmph, I thought you guys were supposed to be some legendary Sector but you're all a bunch of weaklings." she mocks the teenagers, causing Wally to resist.
"*cough* Shut up! Ghhh…"
"You're all bark and no bite!" Dirus stomps on Wally's back even harder, displaying a sneering, toothy grin while Abby glares at S-26 from under her cap.
"So ya really sold us all out, just like that."
"You can blame yourselves for interfering in GKND business." S-26 replies without making eye contact as Hoagie also glares at him.
"How could you do this? We were comrades!"
"My old self maybe, but that does not matter anymore. Dirus, A64, send them to the Treehouse first."
"Okay!" A64 replies cheerfully and takes out a ring-shaped device from her utility belt and connects the teenager's energy cuffs into it, as they struggle in vain to free themselves. "L.O.G.P.O.I.N.T.E.R. is ready."
"No! This ain't way we're goin' down!"
"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS!"
"Ghh…we can't…lose here…" but as her friends continue struggling, Kuki stays quiet, her head filled with despair.
"I…I couldn't do anything…I'm useless…"
"The GKND has plans for you four. It's a shame really, you were better off without your memories." S-26 says to Sector V callously as A64 prepares to press a button on her left wrist when suddenly, a huge explosion rocks the Extension side of the bridge, drawing everyone's attention.
"Hmm?!" Tera squints his eyes, but they immediately widen as out of the smoke and flying I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T. wreckage appears Chad, Corvus, Libra, Nigel and Rachel.
"They're here. A64, do it now!" S-26 gestures to A64 but before she can send Wally, Abby, Kuki and Hoagie away, Numbuh Vine, having regained her consciousness, once again grapples A64, wrapping three of her tentacles around the alien's wrist.
"KIYAAAH! Not again! Let...go…of…me!" she screams as Vine applies enough force to break the device.
"I told you I won't let you hurt them!" Vine shouts as a stream of thunderbolts fly overhead, destroying every single I.N.V.A.D.O.B.O.T. on the bridge. Then, Corvus flies over the bridge and dives down, only for S-26 ram him in his energy form, creating a horizontal shockwave that further shakes the bridge.
"Ghhh…I knew you'd show your face!" Corvus yells at S-26 before turning himself intangible, causing the Luminosian fly through him. "Delta!"
"On it!" Chad replies and booster jumps across the bridge but before he can destroy the L.O.G.P.O.I.N.T.E.R., Tera catches him in mid-air and punches him with his massive gauntlets. Chad dodges the first punch and blocks the other one with his gun-sword, putting them in a deadlock.
"Numbuh 274! You're finally here!" a wild-eyed Tera says to Chad, having discarded his stoic façade.
"Grrr…still pissed off about the prisonbreak, huh?!" Chad replies and drops below the Kontion, flips his gun-sword's blade backwards and fires at Tera from close range. However, his armor nullifies the laser shots and Tera brings down both of his fists on Chad, forcing him to dodge and land on the bridge.
"YOU'RE MINE!" Tera roars and also lands on the bridge, but his follow-through attack is halted by a recovered 9L, who wraps both of her tails around Tera and flings him across the bridge, smashing him against the Moonbase side's door, engulfing the bear-like operative in dust.
"Numbuh Tera! Damn you teenagers!" Dirus shouts and tries to attack Chad, only for Rachel to hit her with consecutive shockwaves from her gauntlets, staggering the Lupine enough for Corvus to blast her with a lightning burst, sending Dirus to the floor. "GUARGH!"
Meanwhile, Nigel lands next to his team and destroys the L.O.G.P.O.I.N.T.E.R. and their cuffs in quick succession using telekinesis. "Guys!" he shouts and helps them up. "I'm sorry! I should've gone with you back then!"
"Forget about that, Numbuh 1. We gotta get outta here and call for backup. We…we ain't a match for them." Abby says to Nigel while gesturing at her injured teammates.
"Oh no, I ain't gonna run! I'm gonna beat the crud out of that stupid dog-faced alien!" Wally shakes his head and tries to activate his shield gauntlets, only to realize both were destroyed by S-26. "Oh come on!"
"Numbuh 5's right, Numbuh 4…*pant*…we need to regroup…*groan*…" Hoagie says to Wally. holding his right shoulder, his B.R.A. barely functioning. Kuki however does not utter a word, still devastated by the fact the amulet isn't working.
"I'm…I'm just deadweight…" she laments in her head, having forgotten that Virgo can hear her thoughts. However, the reunion is cut short as S-26 dives on Sector V in his energy form.
"You're not getting away!" but before he can hit them, Libra flies in his way and freezes the air between them, creating a thick wall of mirror clear ice, which reflects S-26 away, stunning him.
"Thank you, Libra!" Nigel says to the O.M.E.G.A. Number, who points at their comrades.
"No time for pleasantries. Help us carry them out of here." Libra says and floats over to Cygnus, who is lying closest to them.
"Libra…good timing…" she says weakly, unable to move anything but her head.
"What did they use on you?"
"Some kind of ray…we can't move our bodies at all…"
"A ray? No…it can't be." Libra lifts their head and looks towards the other end of the bridge, from which a frenzied Tera appears.
"274! RAAAARRGHHH!" like a wild beast, Numbuh Tera rampages towards Nigel's group but he is stopped by 9L, who rams him head on.
"GRRRRRR! MRAAAAAUUU!" she growls back at Tera as Chad and Corvus land behind her.
"This peashooter isn't gonna make a dent on that armor." Chad says to Corvus while gesturing with his gun-sword. "You know what we gotta do, right?"
"Kick it up a notch, huh? I'm game." Corvus replies while cracking his knuckles.
"We're gonna have to stretch the time limit as far as possible this time."
"If your body can take it."
"Don't worry, it can. I used to be the best, remember?" Chad replies jokingly and disengages his B.R.A. before revealing the O.L. Ring on his right wrist.
"Right then. Let's do it!"
"Overlay!" both are instantly enveloped in an orange energy sphere and out of it appears Chad in their merged form, his biomechanical wings spewing small sparks as he hovers over the bridge, much to Sector V's awe.
"No way…" Wally mutters as Hoagie starts cheering.
"Woah! Super cool!"
"Well damn, that's pretty slick." Abby lifts an eyebrow but Kuki cannot help but wrap her left hand over the O.L. Ring on her upper right arm and squeeze it, before making eye-contact with Virgo.
"See? Two is better than one in this situation, don't you think?" However, Kuki refuses to give her a reply and looks on in silence as Chad points his orange arm blades at Tera.
"9L, outta the way!" he shouts and 9L does what she is told, leaping aside before Chad fires a combined lightning blast from both blades at Tera, sending him once again flying.
"GUUUUUARRGHHH!" he screams upon impact and hits the already destroyed Moonbase side door's remains before Chad lands in-front of Nigel.
"Numbuh 1, we'll handle him. You get everyone back to the Extension, got it?"
"…Okay." Nigel replies and turns towards his teammates just as Rachel joins them.
"You take the lead, I'll hold the rear." she says to Nigel, who squints at her from under his glasses before nodding back silently.
"W…wait!" Kuki suddenly shouts while pointing at the still fighting Numbuh Vine, who has kept Numbuh A64 at bay using her tentacles. "We can't leave her behind!"
"She can take care of herself. You guys are injured, that's more important than…"
"Like heck we're leavin' Vine behind. She saved our butts!" Abby interrupts Rachel and her words surprise Nigel, who immediately turns his gaze towards the struggling Vine. "Yeah, she screwed over all of us big time 6 years ago, but this ain't the time or place to hold grudges. You guys help those O.M.E.G.A. Numbers outta here, Numbuh 5's gonna go back up Numbuh Vine." however, before she can do so, A64 frees herself from Vine's crushing grip and flings her into the air, before the exhausted Aqua Sprite collapses on the bridge and blacks out.
Vine meanwhile is caught by 9L and the feline alien lands next to Sector V "Mrau!"
"*cough* I tried my best…" a worn-out Vine replies to 9L as Abby and Kuki run to her side.
"Hey, you okay?" she asks, surprising Vine.
"Do…don't worry about me. We have to leave!" she brushes off their worried looks and points at the Extension side's door.
"Yeah, that's her alright. Guys! Get movin'!" Abby gestures to the others, prompting Wally and Hoagie to pick up Leo and Scorpius respectively while Rachel grabs Cygnus and Kuki runs over to Virgo before lifting her up as well, though reluctantly.
"You do realize they'll just follow us there? You are dealing with a Luminosian!" she nags at Kuki, who continues to ignore her as the group starts making their way back to the other side of the bridge when suddenly, they are all blinded by a bright light, followed by S-26 standing before them, his arms pointing straight at them.
"You are not leaving this bridge. We have been ordered to capture you all by the GKND Supreme Leader themselves and we will not fail." he says coldly and fires light beams at his foes, only for Libra to create another ice barrier, causing the beams to bounce back at S-26, who absorbs them immediately.
"We will handle S-26. Go!"
"Libra, you can't beat him in a straight fight!" Cygnus pleads, but Libra shakes his head.
"No. We already took your bodies away from you, we will not make you suffer any further. Getting you to safety, is our responsibility" Libra says without looking back and points their hands at S-26. "The only way we can redeem ourselves is by standing our ground here."
"Libra!" ignoring Cygnus's screams, Libra prepares to face S-26 alone, when Nigel steps in.
"Sorry, I can't simply watch from the sidelines. I've got unfinished business with him." Nigel says to Libra and fully activates his Silhouette Suit. "Besides, I can't call myself a leader if I turn tail and hide while others fight." Nigel says and creates two fireballs from his hands. "We'll do this together."
"Very well." Libra replies and generates cold air from their hands as S-26 attacks, firing a barrage of light bullets at them but Libra counters with yet another ice wall, allowing Nigel to jump over it and throws his fireballs at S-26, but the Luminosian simply lets them fly through his body, before countering with a fist-shaped light blast.
"Ghhh!" Nigel grits his teeth and turns intangible as well, allowing the attack to pass through him, but as it does so, S-26 opens his left fist, causing the light fist to disperse into a shower of light bullets, aimed at the others. "No!" Nigel shouts as the bullets rain down on his friends, only for Rachel to intercept them with her own energy shields.
"Urgh…!" Rachel grunts but manages to block the attack, when suddenly, she is jumped by a recovered Dirus.
"Aren't you forgetting about me?! I'll snatch them for ya, Numbuh S-26!" she shouts and joins the fight, forcing Rachel to turn her attention to the Lupine.
"Damn you!" she draws her Laser Lance and begins to duel with Dirus, leaving the others stuck on the bridge once more.
"There is no escape for you." S-26 jumps forward and launches another burst of light bullets, prompting Nigel to counter with fire bullets, creating a bright explosion.
"You don't decide that, Numbuh Gamma!"
"It's S-26. And yes, we in-fact do decide that. To be more precise, the lives of every single person on your planet are in our hands."
"Raaaah!" angered, Nigel engulfs his right foot in flames and performs a jump-kick on S-26, who covers his right hand in light and grabs Nigel's burning foot. "What?!"
"Give up." S-26 slams Nigel onto the floor with little effort but he quickly gets back up and attacks S-26 once again, but S-26 reels back his left fist and punches Nigel in the gut.
"UARGH!" despite only seeing a single punch, S-26 in-fact struck him multiple times and the impact knocks the air out of his lungs, causing Nigel to collapse on his knees. "*cough*…*groan* Ghhh…*cough*" gasping for air, Nigel is left defenseless as Numbuh S-26 approaches him, his fist glowing bright.
"First you, then the others. I told you; you cannot escape. GKND's authority is absolute."
"We refuse to accept that!" Libra declares and freezes the air around S-26, stopping in his tracks.
"Hmm?" then, seeing his chance, Nigel gathers his strength, delivering a flame-enveloped punch, boosted by telekinesis, right into S-26's abdomen, sending him flying back first into the wall next to the door on the Extension's side. "Urgh…impossible…" S-26 mutters and gets up, albeit slower.
"Are you alright?" Libra asks Nigel, who takes a deep breath and straightens himself, before looking over his shoulder towards Rachel, who is struggling to keep Dirus at bay while Chad fights a rampaging Numbuh Tera.
"Yes…*pant*…but at this rate…we're getting nowhere…"
"You are correct." S-26 says and appears right in-front of Nigel and Libra. "You would all be better off with simply surrendering, don't you agree, Numbuh Teknee-1?" S-26 eyes Libra, and the mentioning of their old Codename causes them to frown.
"That name means nothing to us anymore."
"Why did you turn your back on the GKND, Teknee-1? You are the only one who had something to gain from becoming an O.M.E.G.A. Number." S-26's words sting Libra, who lowers their head slightly and their fists clench. Reminded of how Corvus berated them about their role in Project: O.M.E.G.A., Libra glances at their fellow O.M.E.G.A. Numbers and then looks defiantly back at the Luminosian Operative.
"It is true, we did gain more than the others, but we are also the ones who took their bodies from them and turned them into weapons. That is why, our loyalty lies with them, even at the cost of our own life." Libra replies and attacks S-26 with surge of flames from their right arm and the stream of ice from their left arm but the Luminosian becomes intangible and strikes Libra square in the chest, knocking them backwards.
"Uargh!" then, before anyone can react, S-26 fires light beam through Libra's left shoulder, engulfing them in an explosion.
"LIBRA!" Cygnus screams while the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers can only watch as the former GKND Science Operative falls on their back, smoke and yellow sparks belching out of their left shoulder as Numbuh S-26 slowly walks towards them.
"That amount of damage can't kill you, but I doubt you can continue any further. Now, surrendeUGH!" Nigel interrupts him with a telekinetic blast that hurls him away from the damaged O.M.E.G.A. Number.
"You damn monster!" an enraged Nigel shouts, disgusted by S-26 merciless actions and bombards the Luminosian with more telekinetic blasts that push him away as Abby and Wally help the injured Libra up.
"Man, you ain't lookin' good."
"This is…nothing. You must flee now that you have a chance."
"Nobody's getting' left behind!" Wally says to Libra, who turns their gaze on the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, who notice that Libra's Omega symbol is blinking.
"Libra, you symbol!" Cygnus yells at them and Libra realizes it as well. "You're Resonating!"
"Resonating…"
"Guah!" then, Nigel is sent flying by S-26's counterattack and he lands right in-front of Libra, who eyes the teenager.
"…Urgh…let go of me…" pushing Wally and Abby aside, Libra takes out their O.L. Ring and offers it to Nigel. "Numbuh 1…take this…with it…we might still make it out of here…"
"Huh? What are you…?" a confused Nigel asks when suddenly, S-26 appears right behind him.
"Hand it over!" he shouts, prompting Nigel lunges towards Libra and grab the ring before S-26.
"GUARRRGHH!" he screams as the ring clamps around his left wrist, releasing a blinding light that engulfs the bridge.
"NO!" S-26 shouts but is forced to jump away as everyone's attention is drawn to the light.
"Numbuh 1!" Nigel's teammates scream together as Nigel's mind is bombarded by GKND symbols while yellow lines run along his body and his irises turn bright red. Then, he and Libra are shown visions of each other's memories, their childhoods and their respective careers in the KND and the GKND.
"We must not let them take the others. They do not deserve anymore suffering."
"I won't lose my team again."
Hearing each other's thoughts, Nigel and Libra emerge from the light standing side by side. "This is our last chance. Let's take him on together."
"Yes. We will defeat Numbuh S-26." Libra replies to Nigel, who points his left arm up, the O.L. Ring shining brightly.
"OVERLAY!"
End of Transmission 37
Afterword: A real humdinger of a chapter, even by my standards. Working on my other fics really helped me get back into the groove of things and that's why I was finally able to finish this chapter.
The Kid's alien origins are finally revealed (partly at least) as well his real name. His first name comes from RL football player Ángel di Maria because it's very unique while his first surname Gonzales and second surname Vasques reference two ace pilots from Ace Combat Zero, Suerte 1 (Ramos Gonzales) and Espada 2 (Marcela Vasquez).
Our old friend Numbuh S-26 is back and yes, his powers basically the same as those of Kizaru from One Piece (who happens to be my favorite Admiral), nerfed to some extent of course, he is still a child Luminosian after all. I intentinally had him be absent from OP: Retribution's finale, because he would've made the final battle against Father much easier and this fight demonstrates why I made that choice back then.
Also, the third O.M.E.G.A Number pairing has been revealed, though it was propably pretty obvious who was going to partner Libra by this point. From here on, I'll include an "Overlay theme" in the song list at the beginning of the chapter, picked from the fanfic's official YT playlist, the link to which can be found from AO3 version since doesn't allow links at all. (Honestly the A03 version is the one I recommend, because it has both pictures and music links that enrich the reading experience quite a lot.)
I intend to get back to drawing soon and hopefully I'll have more OP Beyond concept art to show at some point.