The afternoon was humid as the dimming sun shone down upon the pavement. It was quiet on the old road, the hardened tar radiating with heat and the yellow lines almost faded. No one ever really traveled down this path anymore. The only location it led to was the abandoned dock on the coastline, and no one had any reason to go there.

On the side of the road, a tiny gray kitten poked its head out of the overgrown weeds in curiosity. Its whiskered twitched as a paw stepped out, placing it on the pavement lightly. It reared back the limb and made a discomforted sound as the heat burned its skin. The kitten repeated the motion several times before it adjusted to the temperature. Then it trotted out, intent of crossing and seeing what was on the other side.

Behind it, a larger feline appeared, most likely the mother. Her silted pupils locked on her youngest and moved to secure it. Her jaws opened to clasp its teeth around the kitten's neckline, raising the smaller one up as the kitten twirled around waving its paws. The mother cat adjusted her hold more tightly then turned to head back into the grass.

Suddenly, her ear twitched as she caught wind of the noise further down the road. She snapped her head to the left, the kitten playfully dangling, and her eyes filled with surprise as some armored vehicle sped down the lane. Her instincts kicked in and she leapt out of the way and the bike served to the right to avoid hitting the animal. Once safe, the cat placed her kitten down and hissed at the retreating object as it tried to keep a steady pace.

"Look at that! You almost made that cat roadkill!"

"Ah, pipe down! I know what I'm doin'!"

"So you were trying to kill it then?"

"...Shut up."

"Ugh." Nigel groaned as he crossed his arms and leaned back, trying to get comfortable. But that was near impossible. The bald teen fidgeted as something prodded his back, and his eyes flicked to the driver under his shades. "I still think I'm more qualified to drive."

"First off: You don't even know where we're goin.'" Wally stated as he rose a finger up. His head turned and Nigel could make out his eyes and his cocky smirk. "And second: I beat ya in rock-paper-scissors, fair 'n' square."

"Best two out of three?" Then Nigel's eyes bulged as he frantically pointed to somewhere in front of them. "TREE!"

Confused, Wally gazed back at the road, then his expression filled with shock as he saw the oncoming oak. "AAH!" He yelled as his hands moved to handles and steered them away, the sides scrapping against branches. As the Aussie steadied the bike back on the road, he let out a sigh. However, he frowned once he heard a grunt behind him. "I haven't killed us yet, haven't I?"

"Yet being the key word." The space operative mumbled as he lowered back into his seat. Or what he had made into a seat. An armored Teen Ninja bike wasn't meant for two people.

The weekend had come, and with it, the time of truth. After spending a week with the Beatles and rattling off completely ridiculous facts about England, Nigel and Wally had suited up to go to the teen trade off where hopefully the traitor would be. The Brit couldn't help but look forward to getting back into the field. Not only because he was that much nearer to completing his mission, but also because it would be a lot easier then trying to talk with his blond friend. If he could even call him that anymore.

Try as he might, he just couldn't get Wally to open up to him. About anything. The blond only spoke with him when need be. And that was mostly in front of his parents. Other than that, nothing. Nigel brought up every subject he could think of. His work, what kind of things have been happening, what happened to the old gang. But every time he mentioned any of these things, Wally just batted him off, growling he wouldn't care either way. He would just leave again.

Nigel craned his head to peer out the armor plated glass encasing the bike. Watching dully as the clouds zoomed by. It was true. He was going to leave once the person he was after was brought to justice. But it wasn't like he had a choice. It wasn't like he could tell off the Important Ones and run back to his friends. It wasn't that simple.

Or was it?

He clenched his teeth as he shook off those types of thoughts. Now wasn't the time to be dwelling on silly personal struggles. He had far more pressing work to do. They were mere minutes away from their destination, and the mission was finally getting underway. Besides, as soon as he caught this person, what Wally thought of him and what happened to the others wouldn't matter to him anymore.

He ignored the stab at his heart once he finished that line of thinking.

"Okay, we're just about there." Wally stated from the front. Nigel looked up to the teen to see his eyes dead set, his hands gripping the handles, and his feet rapidly peddling the bike to keep it in motion. "So now I'm gonna fill ya in about the Teens."

"You're telling me this now?" Nigel questioned with a raised brow. The Teens have made some new changes, and Wally decides to inform him about them right before they head into their truff? "Don't you think that this sort of information should came to me a bit earlier? Like, say during the whole week I've been with you?"

"I was busy, okay?" Wally heatedly grunted, not daring to look back at the bald teen. "But it doesn't matta. Do ya wanna hear what I hafta say or not?"

"Go ahead."

"Alroight. The first thing ya should know is the Teen Ninjas don't work for Father anymore." Wally began as he scrunched his brows to think. "They work for themselves. They've gone... crud. What was that word?"

"Independent?" Nigel guessed. When the blond nodded, Nigel stroked his chin. "I suppose it makes sense. With how adults talk about 'teen rebellion' and that sort of junk." He lowered his hand as he asked his own questions. "But why wait until now? They've had the opportunity plenty of times."

"Guess they weren't too keen on bitin' the hand that feeds 'em." Wally added. "Father gave them all that fancy tech and training they needed to get their power. Ova the years, they learned how to do it all themselves. They really didn't need Father anymore, and with all the traitors coming out of the KND, their weaponry was up to snuff ta match 2x4 stuff." The boy went silent as he contemplated a bit more. Finally with a huff, he spoke again. "I guess they only followed him 'cause he would give all that free tech. But when the crazy bloke snapped, they had no problems going out on their own."

"Hmm." Nigel's eyes filled with interest at that last part. "How is my dear old uncle these days?"

"Can't really call him much of a villain anymore. I mean yea, he's still bad. More than before. But he manages his time between running his lousy company and burnin' down treehouses lookin' for you." He explained as he made a sharp turn; the bike shaking as it went off road. "You gettin' away with his pipe musta really pissed him off."

Nigel frowned at Wally's language, but said nothing about it. He was more concren with staying stable while the bike tumbled down the rocky path. "What about the- OW!- Delightful Children?" He grumpily asked as he rubbed his head. Mangy one seat piece of-

"They ain't bothering anyone. Unless they come back as zombies."

The Brit tensed at the implication. He slowly turned his gaze to the back of Wally's head. "...You don't mean...?"

Wally caught the unasked question and solemnly nodded. "I guess they weren't good swimmers."

Nigel looked down as remembered his old foes. He remembered every single detail of that day. Rachel taking him and his team off the cake mission. The massive scavenger hunt for the Delightfuls' most yummylicious cake. Facing his uncle for his pipe. Then the Delightfuls themselves as they followed him to the Rainbow Monkey Let's Learn about the Lavatory Amusement Park. The last he ever saw of them was the five screaming as they were flushed down that giant toilet bowl. And apparently that was the last anyone saw of them.

The boy clenched his eyes shut as he warded off the guilt. He...he didn't mean to...

"Let's get back to the Teenagers." Nigel mumbled sulkily, trying to turn his mind away from where it was straying.

"Ain't really much more ta get back to." Wally stated as the bike seemed to slow. "That's why I didn't say anything 'til now." Conversation dulled as Wally pulled in behind a set of trees. "We're here."

Nigel snapped up at that. The hatch of the bike opened and he jumped out once Wally did. That's when he got a clear look at the location. They had reached the old dock. Nature had seized control of the area as wildlife began to flourish. Across the road from where they had parked was the old dock itself. Two unkempt piers stretched out into the ocean backdrop, the waves crashing lightly against the worn wood. In the center of the complex was a large two story warehouse that covered most of the area itself. It's falling planks, cracked broken windows, and fading paint job certainly did fit the deserted look.

But with all the teens flocking around outside, he never would have guessed the place was deserted. Nigel glared as he took in the forces moving around the place. They had set up all around the pier as they all did different jobs. Some were standing guard by the doors, a few were loading large crates into the warehouse, and others were huddled together, chatting it up as they waited for the deal to go down.

Nigel tugged at the strapping of his carrier, just to reassure himself it was there. He patted around his pockets and other compartments to make sure all his hidden weaponry was well placed. Once he was satisfied that he was set, he turned to the blond teen that was putting up his bike. "So what's our game plan?"

Wally clicked a series of buttons on the bike's panel. After that, he stepped away with his backpack as the bike's armor folded itself in, reducing the vehicle's appearance to nothing more than an ordinary bicycle. "Here's what we're gonna do. Your guy ain't here yet and won't be for an hour."

"That should give us plenty of time to prepare." Nigel added as he secured his carrier bag. "But what do you suppose we do when he arrives? I can't just stun him and just waltz right out of here." He doubted those teens would be happy about him stealing away their biggest break yet.

Wally rolled his eyes as he waved him off. "I knew you would say that. So since yer not gonna just barge in there, I got a distraction planned."

"A distraction?"

The blond smirked as he conveyed his master scheme. "Yea. I gave the Kids Next Door a tip about this deal 'fore we left. So that means they're probably here now checking out the place."

Curious, Nigel rose a finger to his S.H.A.D.E.S. and clicked a switch. The yellow tinted lens glowed as readings scrolled across the tiny screen. His eyes widened a tidbit as he relayed the readout. "According to this, the Decommissioning Squad is in the area." Then the teen smirked as he figured out Wally's plot. "I get it. The Kids Next Door will bide their time until the Teens begin the deal. Once it starts, they'll blast in and cause a commotion. While they fight it out I'll go in, take down the agent, and slip away during the crossfire."

Wally chuckled as dusted off his knuckles. "Betcha didn't expect me ta come up with something lioke that, huh?"

"I'm impressed." Nigel praised lightly. Suddenly, his smile dropped as he thought of something. "Wait. If the D.O.H-D.O.H squad is here, then does Kuki know about this?"

"Nah." Wally uttered as his eyes went to the sky. "She had ta go to her stupid sister's recital tonight." The blond then swung his backpack over his shoulders as he unzipped it. "Besides, she gave me access codes to Global Command in case I had to use something lioke this. It ain't the first time it's happened."

"So you have KND resources at your disposal? And she allows you to use them even without her permission?" He bluntly asked as he folded his arms, staring at Wally in a scolding manner. When Aussie shifted his gaze, Nigel grinned, his eyes eyes twinkling knowledgeably. "Wow. You two must really be close then?"

Wally fumbled with his things as he pulled them out. He tried to hide his face as his cheeks reddened. "W-Whateva." He lowly grumbled. His green eyes quickly glanced up to see the older boy still grinning. The boy hmphed frustrated. Wasn't the Brit happy enough with what he knew? Why did everyone still have to tease him about it? "Do ya wanna yap about mushy crud, or do ya wanna get this ova with?"

"I'm ready when you are." Nigel backed off as he turned back to the dock. His shades lowered and his coal blue orbs scanned the area again with utmost seriousness. "I'm going to need to find a suitable position when the time comes to strike. But how am I going to get in?"

Wally halted in his search through his pack and innocently glanced at Nigel confused. "Whaddya mean? We're just gonna walk in there."

Nigel groaned as he slapped his face. At least some things haven't changed. "You can. I can't. I'm not a Teen Ninja."

"... Oh." Wally let out as he sheepishly looked to the ground. Then a light bulb lit up as he quickly thought of something. "I know! I'll take ya in as a recruit!"

"Will that work?"

"Course it will. They're always lookin' for new meat." The blond closed his eyes as he smirked. "As long as you're with me, no one'll mess with ya."

Nigel switched his gaze from the Aussie to his bald head. The sunlight gleamed off his naked scalp and he frowned. "I still can't just go in like this. I can't take the risk of being recognized."

"Kooks told me that." Wally stated. His brows furrowed as he continued to rummage through his sack. Where the crud was that thing? He suddenly stopped as he smiled. At last. "When people think of ya, the first thing they think about is yer baldness," He paused to pull the item out as Nigel shyly rubbed at his head. "so, ta make sure people don't recognize you, we've gotta give you some hair!" He exclaimed as he showed his project to the Brit.

Nigel jumped back as Wally pushed some hairy object into his hands. He rose it up and gave it a scrutinizing eye. It was some brown shaggy material. His fingers roamed across it, feeling the frizzles between layers. "What in the world is this?"

"It's a wig." Wally answered dully. "Y'know? That fake hair thing you bald people buy?"

Nigel frowned as he continued to analyze the 'wig'. "I know what a wig is. But I've never seen one like this. It looks like it was made out of...!" He suddenly snapped towards Wally with an unbelieving expression. "This a piece of your carpet!"

"I was low on cash. I had ta improvise!" He yelled out as he slipped something over his shoulders. "At least you don't hafta wear this stupid thing!"

Nigel looked up from the 'wig' when Wally said that. "What are you talking about..." His voice trailed off as he watched as the blond was encased with Battle Ready Armor. Metal spread out from the chest piece and continued on from there. Ebony steel covered his torso, feet, and wrists, as red leather cloth hugged the remaining body. Finally a helmet began to wrap itself around his head, until an annoyed Wally pressed a button and the armor receded.

The Brit covered his mouth as some light chuckles erupted. Wally was wearing a BRA! He coughed to hide his laugh as he went a little further. "I don't see what's wrong with it." He giggled.

"Oh you don't?" Wally asked sarcastically. "Well for starters it has pink." He spat as he tugged at the colored shoulder straps. He then moved his hands down as he scratched at his body. "This red stuff itches, the armor tries ta choke ya, and this metal is a real pain in the-"

"WALLY!"

"What? I was gonna say neck."

Nigel sighed as he pinched his nose. "Never mind, let's just go." The boy then placed the 'wig' atop his head, resisting the urge to itch at it, and he and the blond informant began their trek across the deserted road, smelling the salty sea air around them. Still, something was bothering the bald teen "Are you sure we shouldn't contact Kuki about this?" He asked reffering to the Decommissioning Squad in the vicinity.

Wally fumed. "I told ya, she ain't gonna mind!" He then crossed his arms. "It ain't lioke she had something else planned here."

Nigel tuned out Wally's grumbles and set his mind on the mission. He was to go in there, wait for the KND to charge in, then secure the traitor and get him and the evidence out of there. Simple as that.

Of course, things are never that simple.

Parked further down the road, and out of sight of kids and teens alike, was a cerulean Chevy. The engine was humming, the windows were tinted, and the man inside just sat there. Waiting.

Low music filtered out the radio and feet were crossed as they were propped up on the front. The man wasn't really paying attention to the lyrics. He was lazily strewn out waiting for his moment. His eyes flicked out the window and stopped as he saw two figures walking out of the bushes. He knew who the blond was, but he was far more focused on the serious operative beside him. Nigel. So little miss Supreme Leader wasn't fooling around after all.

He let out a grunt as he reached into his pocket. He still couldn't fully believe he was here. He had gotten tired of this silly game and ditched them years ago. He left and moved away from it all. He wanted to move on and have a normal life and get somewhere. But of course you could never truly leave. The game would just keep pulling you back in.

That girl thought she was being so secretive. But he knew who it was before he picked up. She thought bringing up Nigel's name would rally him, but it didn't. The boy had his own life. He didn't need to worry about some old grudge. Then she basically pleaded. He still doesn't know why he caved. He didn't owe her anything.

He didn't owe that whole organization anything. He served them well enough, and got nothing in the end. They picked someone else over him, barred him from certain rights, and even the girl he cared for didn't bat him an eyelash. She was too dead centered on the bald teen walking towards the warehouse at the moment. It seemed the Brit was becoming the cause of all his woes.

But was he upset? At first very much so, but he got over it. No use crying about it. So in the end, he owed them nothing. He was neutral.

He glanced back at the warehouse, then to where he guessed all those Kids Next Door agents were hiding. He could leave. Leave and let it all play out. What Kuki had asked him to do surprised him. She wanted him to stop Nigel from completing his mission. Let the traitor get away. That sort of thing went against his personal code. So he should leave.

So why couldn't he? He let out a sigh as he bore into the ceiling of his ride. Perhaps he did owe them something. But he, for the life of him, didn't know what that something was.

Since he wasn't going anywhere, his finger dialed a number into his cell, then pressed it to his ear as it started ringing. Kuki wanted him to make sure the traitor got away.

"Hello?" His rugged voice rung out. "Who am I? Consider me a... interested third party." He smirked as the teen on the other end tried to sound intimidating. "If that's how you feel, then I suppose I won't tell you about those spies coming in." His smirk grew as the other guy sputtered. "Say you're sorry." He let out a snigger when the guy did.

"There's two of them. A tough looking blond and guy with some yellow shades. Ya can't miss 'em." He informed carefully, cheekily biting down on his bottom lip as he watched Nigel and Wally enter the compound. "It's been nice talkin' to ya... oh, and one last thing. I'd advice that you wait until the deal starts. They're after the seller and the information up for grabs." He then hung up as he smirked. Kuki wanted him to make sure the person Nigel was after got away.

But she never said how.

So with a contented expression, Chad folded his arms behind his head as he continued to wait.

Just my way of starting off the weekend. This sets the stage for the next chapter, which will be a long one I assure you. R&R!

Later.