Friendly reminder that "Reassignment" is canon in this timeline and the only companion story to this one
Other than that, fuck it. Let's get going and start to wrap this up.
She woke with a scream, her hands grasping for something; anything. It would be in vain, for in her efforts to desperately clutch at something, she would lose her balance and tumble over the side.
"AHH!" Abby screamed as she hit the floor. Her vision was blurred by a field of blue cotton, her comforter trying to trap her. She struggled wildly, more than she really needed to, and broke free.
The girl was terrified, failing numerous times to scramble to her feet, but only succeeding in sending her crawling backwards. This action continued until she hit something, her eyes picking up clatter above her and something falling into her lap.
Her training had finally decided it was done fooling around and kicked in to help her leap to her feet, body tense and limbs in combat-ready formation. She looked down at the object, then blinked in confusion as she knelt to pick it up.
"Wha?" she said as she looked over the magazine. The big bubbled letters were hard to read, but the bright cover and ads were as clear as day. She flipped it over, totally floored by the article. This didn't make any sense. She hadn't read things like this since she was back in…
Abby tossed the magazine off somewhere, her eyes darting around the dark room. The windows were covered with curtains but enough sunlight broke through to reflect off the disco ball hanging from the ceiling. The girl then studied the rest of the room, her muscles slacking as she recognized the pool table, candy bar, and chic furniture décor.
This was her room. It was her room in the treehouse.
"But…what the heCK?" Her hands flew to her mouth, her voice sounding lighter than she remembered. She looked down at her body, almost dizzied by her change in height. A decrease in height, more accurately.
For reasons unknown to her, the confused operative did an about-face, coming face to face with a reflection of herself. She took a step back in shock, then looked down to see her dresser. Candies she had yet to touch and old wrappers littered the desk, and off to the side hanging off a rack was a familiar red hat she's known anywhere.
"I…I don't believe it," she said as she reached for her cap, hands shaking as she held it. She tore her gaze from the hat to her reflection, studying every contour of her ten-year-old face. For some reason she expected herself to be much older. But the longer she stared, the more her preconceived notions and memories blurred.
After a moment, she started to smile.
"It was a dream," she whispered, almost not believing it. When the world around her didn't dissolve, her voice gained volume. "It was just some stupid dream."
"Numbuh 5!"
Abby's heart skipped a beat as someone called out to her. Almost fearfully, she slowly turned to the door, her hopes rising despite her rationality telling her to stay calm. But upon seeing the familiar portly figure in her doorway, any common sense she had left was punted out the window.
There, holding some half-finished weapon, was Hoagie. The ten-year-old boy just stood there, his image the same as always with his cap and goggles. She could see his widened eyes behind them, scanning the room for some threat he thought was close by.
"What's going on?" he asked, his hand fumbling for the light switch and only advancing once the room was fully illuminated. "I heard you screaming and came running! Are we under attack? Did the hamsters set off the self-destruct sequence - whoa!"
"Hoagie!" she shouted as her arms wrapped around him. He was here and he was real and she decided she was never letting go. "You're here. You're really here."
"Uh, yeah. Course I am," he said, confusion laced in his tone. His free hand slowly came down to pat the girl on the back as he awkwardly laughed to ease the tension. "Where else would I be? Is there a doctor's appointment I'm missing or something? Heh heh."
The girl froze, and then he felt her slowly shaking. He dropped his weapon-invention was going nowhere anyway- and his hand joined his twin as he comforted the girl. Then he nearly freaked when he felt a wetness on his shoulder. "A-Abby what's wrong? Why are you crying?"
"I just," she started but choked on her own words. She took a deep breath, calming herself before she gave the poor boy a heart attack. "Abby had a bad dream. Scratch that, it was a nightmare. Abby was all alone, everyone was gone, and you…y-you…"
"Hey now, everything's okay," he tried to soothe. "It was just a dream, right?"
She sighed contently, pulling away from the boy while wiping at her eyes. "Yeah. Just some dream."
"Told ya it was a bad idea to down that case of Red Gush before bed. Those things mess with you like you wouldn't believe," he chuckled, glad that his friend was back to normal. He peered down and reached for her fallen hat and passed it to her with a sly grin. "How 'bout we keep this little scene between us, okay? Wouldn't want the guys to knock points off your coolness, now would we?"
She took her hat, putting it on with a small chuckle. "Like they'd believe you anyway. Abby's just glad you're okay."
"I'm better than okay, I'm a dream come true! Ha ha!" he said, using his hands to stifle his laughs. He stopped when he realized he was laughing alone, and coughed into his mitts to save face when Abby gave him an annoyed stare. "Uh, okay. Not my best but…hey! You should get ready and come to the briefing room. Numbuh 1's mom brought up breakfast and we're finally getting a cool mission after like, forever!"
"Sounds good. Abby'll be down in five, baby," she said. Satisfied with her answer, Hoagie scooped up the remains of his invention and trotted out of the room. Abby stood there, eyes centered on his form until she turned around the corner.
After he was gone, she stood there, still almost not believing that he was there. She then looked around her room and back to her mirror, snickering to herself as bits of her dream disappeared into the fog of her mind. Putting the whole thing behind her, she made her way to her bathroom and went to quickly freshen up.
Five minutes later, Abby pushed back the curtain and walked into the briefing room. She lifted her foot as a couple of hamsters scurried by, carrying a can of Wally's soda and quickly retreating into a hole in the wall. She smiled at their antics, then turned to take in everything and everyone surrounded her.
Seated on the couch in the center were Hoagie, Kuki, and Wally. The latter two were arguing, a box of Rainbow Munchies in between them as they fought over the last bowl of the delicious cereal. Hoagie was at the opposite end, far away from the bickering "love birds" and stuffing his face with oatmeal and bacon. He paused mid-spoon as he spotted her, and smiled as he waved her over, using his free hand to gesture to the assortment of foods and juices on the table.
She then turned her attention to the forefront of the room, her gaze settling on the boy standing behind the podium. Nigel stood vigilantly in his red turtleneck, body relaxed yet somehow poised ready for an attack at any given moment. One hand held a mission dossier, the boy going over it intently while he used his free hand to bite a piece of toast.
He seemed oblivious to the world around him as he read the details, using the pinky of his toast-holding hand to adjust his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. At the sight of his trademark shades, Abby found her hand instinctively reaching toward the rim of her cap before she stopped herself, mind drawing blanks as to why she was doing that in the first place.
She shook her head, perhaps a bit more forcibly than she needed to, and pocketed her hands as she made her way to sit beside Hoagie.
It was just a stupid, horrible dream.
"But you've had two bowls already," Kuki whined as Abby sat down. "That's not fair!"
"Is too! I'm a growin' boy!" Wally argued as he pulled the box towards himself. "'Sides, you got to eat the rest last time!"
"That's enough, you two," Abby interrupted, plucking the box of Rainbow Munchies while they were distracted. The two blinked, and opened their mouths to protest, but were silenced as Abby raised her palm. "Nuh-uh! None of dat. You two either learn to share, or ya ain't getting anything, got it?"
Kuki and Wally crossed their arms as they both slumped and said, "Fine."
Nodding, Abby began pouring them half-bowls of their favorite cereals, ignoring how they were sticking out their tongues childishly at each other. At least they had stopped fussing.
Nigel's head perked up at the new voice. "Ah, good morning, Numbuh 5. I trust you slept well?"
Abby shrugged, kicking her feet on the table as she popped a hash brown into her mouth. "Eh, Numbuh 5 slept alright. Saying she slept well would be a bit of a stretch, though."
"Then I suggest you find time for a quick cat nap later," he said. His face then broke out into an excited grin as he held up the dossier for all to see. "Because we have a new mission! And it has nothing to do with the Delightful Children this time!"
"Finally!" Wally exclaimed between slurps of his bowl. "My feet were startin' to get sore with how much we've had to kick their butts lately."
Hoagie nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I mean, I like messing with those dorks as much as the next guy, but this woulda been, like, the fifth week in a row!"
"Well I am happy to report we're finally getting a change of pace," Nigel beamed. "We've been requested to assist on a joint-sector rescue mission. I've been gathering some Intel about this particular situation, and Global Command agrees that the time to strike is now."
"What sector are we working with? Oh, wait! Let me guess!" Kuki grinned, her tongue jutting out in concentration. "Is it Sector Q? Sector X? Sector P? Sector V?"
"Numbuh 3, we're sector V."
"I know that, silly, I meant negative sector V," she tsked. "Come on guys, tell me if I'm getting warmer!"
Abby lightly laughed as Nigel's lips thinned. He coughed into his hand before saying, "Tell you what, Numbuh 3. You'll get to find out first, as you and I will be heading out to meet up with the sector we're working with."
"Yes! Should I get my coat?"
"Uh, actually, yes. Yes, you should," Nigel slowly said as the girl took off to her room. "Well, that went easier than expected."
"Hey, how come she gets to go with you?" Wally said while standing. "What are the rest of us supposed to do?"
"I was getting to that. You all will be heading to the Egyptian sector to pick up Numbuh Infinity-" he paused to roll his eyes at their collective groan, "I know, I know. I'm not thrilled myself, but we apparently need him to mediate and translate between our sectors."
"Great," Hoagie mumbled, getting up with Wally and making for the hanger. "Playing diplomat babysitter; don't know about you guys, but this is what I signed up for. Sheesh."
Abby stood and found herself unconsciously following Hoagie, but stopping halfway. As the boy disappeared into the shadows, a feeling of dread washed over her. Her fingers came together, fiddling with anxiety. So caught up in her musings, she jumped when a hand grasped her shoulder.
"Easy now," Nigel said, hints of worry in his voice as he quickly pulled his hand away. "Are you feeling alright, Numbuh 5?"
"S-Sure am, boss," she nervously laughed, "Numbuh 5 just had a rough night. That's all."
"Are you positive? This mission could get dicey, and I wouldn't want you to get hurt because you're not mentally prepared."
"Nah, you worry too much, Numbuh 1," she said. She made to pat him on the back, but stopped and slowly put her hand down. She didn't know why, but she felt like if she touched her leader, he would disappear.
Take care of them, for me.
Abby jerked up as she faced Nigel. "W-What did you say?"
"I said I'm counting on you," Nigel repeated, arching a brow at her odd behavior. "What's wrong, Abby? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
Abby opened her mouth, then closed it as she chose her words. "It's just…you'll be there, right, boss? Abby…Abby don't think we can do it without you."
"Of course I'll be there, where else would I be?" He smiled as he approached her, placing his hand on her shoulder to give her a comforting grip. "We'll do this together and then go to Lime Ricky's to celebrate. Okay?"
"Yeah," Abby nodded, forcing down her feelings despite something feeling very off. She turned to the door she saw Hoagie leave through, and suddenly found herself wanting to run to catch up to him before…something happened. "Meet ya there, Numbuh 1."
"Goodbye, Abby."
"Huh? Nigel?" She turned only to find an empty briefing room and her bald friend nowhere to be seen.
The atmosphere became thick, and she quickly made for the hanger, not wanting to linger in the room much longer.
The girl wandered down the hall, the treehouse feeling eerily quiet. She looked ahead, the end of the hall seeming farther and farther away with each step she took. Her lip twitched in irritation, and she made a sharp left, deciding to take the scenic route along the outer balcony.
The sky seemed much darker than it should've been at this time of day, but she made a point to ignore it. She thought the fresh air would help, but it was only becoming more difficult to breathe. She eventually turned, finding herself back on the inside, and stopping to wonder where she had wandered off to.
This part of the treehouse didn't seem familiar at all, so she assumed she must have gotten turned around. Before she pulled a three-sixty, she noticed something on the floor. Abby felt drawn to it, some force pulling her towards the object. She couldn't bring herself to resist the pull, and she soon found herself hovering over the item. Eyes widening, she slowly knelt and picked up a pair of sunglasses.
Nigel's sunglasses.
"Wha–"
TWHACK
"AHHH!"
Abby screamed in pain as something violently connected with her side. She went down on her knees, dropping the sunglasses as she held her searing side. Before she could even think to recover, someone aimed a well-placed kick to her injured side, and she in turn went flying into the darkness. She hit the wall with a thump, muffled groans of pain escaping her as various items toppled all over her. Her arms shook as she tried to lift herself up, but she only fell back down when a broom landed on top of her bruised form.
Her mind was spinning, trying to piece together what happened. She looked around, recognizing her confines as the inside of some storage closet. That didn't make any sense! There were no closets on this level of the treehouse.
"Tag."
Abby froze, looking up to see someone hovering over her.
It was Numbuh Three Sixty-Two; Rachel.
Questions must have flashed in her eyes, as Rachel seemed to smirk darkly at her confusion.
"You're 'It'."
Abby gasped, but it was drowned out as the alarms of the Moonbase blared all around them.
: ATTENTION KIDS NEXT DOOR. OPERATION: I.T. IS NOW IN SESSION:
The screams of panicked operatives combined with the alarms were deafening. Abby clutched her hands over her ears, desperately trying to block out the noise. Nothing was right! She was just at the treehouse, about to go on some mission she was having a hard time remembering the details of.
But that couldn't be right, right? She was on the Moonbase.
It had something to do with them all getting reassigned.
It had something to do with Rachel-
Rachel!
"You start at noon." Abby glared at her leader as the blonde's hand moved across a security panel. Then, with a sickeningly sweet smile and wave, Rachel sealed the door. "Have fun."
"NO!" She scrambled to escape, but it was too late. Her hands pounded on the door, bruises appearing as she kept hammering away. "LET ME OUT! I DON'T WANNA BE THE SUPREME LEADER! I DON'T!"
Then she froze as flashes played out in her mind. Flashes of a sobbing Kuki being shipped off to the Medical Grove. Images of Wally being forcibly dragged to the Arctic Base to train for a job he didn't want. And Hoagie's face as he tried to remain strong for both of them, making empty promises that everything would be alright.
This is all your fault!
She shook her head, trying to drown out the voice that sounded too similar to her own. She teetered to and fro, the voice getting louder and louder, repeating those same words over and over. She had said them in anger before, this much she knew.
But this time, the voice only directed them towards her.
This is all your fault!
"No. No no no…"
This is all your fault!
"Just stop, please!"
This is all your fault!
"SHUT UP!" she screamed, charging into the door-
-it busted open as she finally forced her way through. Abby tumbled onto the balcony, barely remaining on her feet as the wood gave away. She stopped herself and then started coughing as the smoke filled her lungs.
And then the whole world seemed to go up in flames.
Abby stood audience to the horror before her, fire licking up the sides of the tree and screams of operatives –no, cadets- filling the air as the entire foundation started to collapse. Adjusting her shades, Abby ran to the side, peering down to see the destruction below. The whole forest was ablaze, the Medical Grove going up like kindling all around her. She looked to the horizon, assessing the straight, charred path that had ripped straight through the trees right onto their doorstep.
Abby stared into the flames, anger, and fear paralyzing her system. There was nothing here. There was absolutely nothing here worth strategic value. The Medical Grove was a place of healing for injured operatives, a haven for children cast out by cruel parents who made Grandfather seem saintly. It was an unspoken rule among the adult supervillains that the Medical Boo-Boo Grove was to remain untouched no matter the circumstances.
The thought of their rogues gallery caused Abby to look towards the base of the tree, making out the form of Mr. Boss guiding children to safety while at the same time conducting his Ice Cream men to douse the flames. Abby could only stare on transfixed, watching as a man who once had machinations of sending his employee's children off into space was now risking his own life to direct the injured and sick from this hell.
She slowly backed away, her breathing labored as everything seemed to come down on her at once. She didn't know how Father got them all to agree to this. She didn't know what his original intentions were before he snapped –if he had any at all. But as Mr. Boss looked up, catching her gaze with fear and guilt evident in his eyes, she found that she only knew one thing:
Father had finally gone too far.
"Behind you!"
Abby barely reacted in time, the pipe in her hand extending into her ROADSIGN quarter-staff; a class of weapon only Supreme Leaders made use of.
Supreme Leader. Her stomach lurched.
A "One-Way" spear sprung out, sparks flying as she forced it through the Knigtamaton's chest. The knightly robot pressed forward, gripping its gauntlets around the pole and lifting Abby into the air. Its tips flickered, and her eyes widened as its hands exploded into fire.
Dammit, Father brought Sir Toasty?
"Get yer mitts off the Supreme Leader!"
From above dropped Fanny, the blunt end of a scarred Yield sign staff impacting with Sir Toasty's helm. The knight growled, one hand snapping up to swipe, but the redhead repelled back, landing behind the machine. She twirled the sign, then used both hands to swing it at its knees.
Sir Toasty careened backward, both hands flailing to regain balance. Abby snarled, seeing her chance. Wrapping her hands around her staff, she slid down its length, yanking her weapon free as her feet connected with Toasty's armor plating.
The machine finally collapsed, the wood planks of the floor cracking under its weight. Before it had the chance to recover, a "One-Way" pike pierced its helm. Sparks flew as Sir Toasty died with a hum, the sign twisting before tearing the head from the body.
Abby swung outward, tossing Sir Toasty's head to wherever it would go; she could care less. She leaned against her staff, catching her breath as Fanny did the same.
"Thanks, 86. Numbuh 5 wasn't…" Abby trailed off as she got a good look at the girl, her eyes centering on the staff she had used. As her gaze settled on the scar etched into the Yield sign, she snarled. "Give it here."
Fanny blinked, looking down at the staff. Her eyes widened before becoming misty. Her face was weighted with sorrow, obviously struggling to grasp her show of outright disrespect for her leader and her refusal to let the staff go. "I-I'm sorry, ma'am. I jus' thought with the severity of the attack-"
"I'm not asking you, Number 86."
Fanny was silenced, her shoulders slumping as she closed her eyes. She slowly extended her hand, presenting the staff only for Abby to violently tear it from her grip. The action shocked Fanny, and despite herself, she gasped as she watched the girl hatefully toss the staff into the flames. "Abby I'm-"
"I had that thing decommissioned! Burned from the record and told you to destroy it!" Abby raged, fury blinding her as she got right into Fanny's face, and for once in her life, the girl flinched back. "I ORDERED YOU!"
"I'm sorry!" Fanny said, her frame shaking as she looked away. "But I couldn't. I can't. I-I thought if I just kept it and h-hid it where no one would find it-"
Abby opened her mouth to reply, but stopped and dove to the side, taking Fanny with her. Another Knightamaton barreled through, charging its fist went clear through the wall. It ripped its hand free, turning to the girls. Abby and Fanny positioned themselves but paused as a volley of gumballs, ice cream cones, and jawbreakers forced the knight to tumble over the side.
They stood to meet the four children, the operatives of Sector W running up to assist. Sonya and Patrick rushed forward, the blonde helping Abby while Patrick tended to his sister.
"You alright, sis?" Patrick asked, going over Fanny's form. "Here, let me-"
"It's alright, Paddy," Fanny brushed off, though her tone was nowhere near as harsh as the famed Numbuh Eighty-Six's used to be. "I'm fine."
"Numbuh 85!" Patrick flinched, turning to see Harvey glaring at him. "I told you to keep your distance. For all we know, she's on their side!"
"Knock it off, Harvey!" Patrick snapped back. "Now's not the time to-"
"That's Numbuh 363 to you," Harvey growled. He then turned his attention to Fanny, leveling his weapon at her. "And she's thirteen; a teenager! She was supposed to be decommissioned this morning!"
"That's enough, Numbuh 363!" Abby demanded, stepping in between Harvey and the Fulbright siblings. Harvey didn't stand down. His face only darkened as Abby spoke. "This is an emergency, so can it! Numbuh 86 is still your fellow operative, so Numbuh 5 expects you to at least pretend she is until this is over!"
"Numbuh 5 can go shove it! Bringing her was a mistake!"
"It was my decision!"
"Exactly! You being Supreme Leader is a mistake!" Harvey raged, tears in his eyes. "Everything you've done has been one big screw-up! You protected that stupid bald deserter and forced Father to go this far! Look around you, you did this! This is all your fault!"
Abby appeared visibly struck by the words, falling to her knees. The scene around her continued to play, the world oblivious to her agony as she clutched her head in her hands, trying to force out the rising chorus of voices.
This is all your fault!
"I-I tried. I didn't…"
"You're way outta line, boy!" Abby broke from her torment enough to watch Fanny stomp up to Harvey, her face red with classic Fanny-fury. "One more word out of that fat mouth of yours, and I'm taking you with me when we get back to Moonbase!"
"Now you're threatening me? Sounds like a traitor to me!"
"You're one to talk!" Patrick exclaimed, rushing to his sister's aid. "If anyone's a traitor, it's your sister!"
Harvey was livid, Abby thinking he would pounce on the boy. "YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"
"IT'S TRUE AND YOU KNOW IT!"
"SHUT UP!"
"MAKE ME!"
"I'M THE LEADER! ME! I ORDER YOU TO SHUT UP!"
"Harvey! Paddy! Stop this!" Sonya pleaded, coming up to her leader slowly. "Please, calm down. We need to focus!"
Abby could only watch as Sonya's hand came down on the boy's shoulder, her body tensing as she braced herself for what came next.
"Don't. Ever. Touch. ME!"
Harvey snapped.
Abby could only chalk it up to the tension building to a breaking point. The poor boy had been a wreck after Rachel made a show of her departure instead of going into the TND smoothly. Harvey had to deal with the backlash, and she honestly pitied him. Rachel had left him to take her fall, and it was heartbreaking.
But despite it all and no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't ignore how in his rage, his hand clenched Sonya's wrist, and swung the girl to the side, unknowingly sending her over the side of the balcony.
Everyone froze, even Harvey after realizing what he had done. Lee, however, was quick to react, breaking into a sprint and wildly flinging his yo-yos after the girl. Abby saw the strings go taut, and Lee struggled to pull a shaken Sonya into his arms.
Harvey's hands shook as his weapon fell to the ground, slowly backing away as all eyes fell on him. He turned, facing Abby who had just stood. He stared up at her, wetness building in his eyes as he looked at her pleadingly.
"I-I didn't mean to…I'm…please don't…"
Abby's lips went into a thin line as she looked over to Sonya, still trembling as Lee tried to calm her in between sending sneers Harvey's way. She then looked at Fanny, who had also developed a serious look. Abby stared at her long and hard, her look switching to Harvey before relaying a silent order the redhead's way.
It took a moment, but Fanny could only dip her head as she solemnly nodded.
Harvey looked between his Global Tactical Officer and Supreme Leader as he pieced together what was going on, fear seeping into his face. "P-Please…"
Abby was assaulted with images of the aftermath. Fanny walked towards the decommissioning chamber with Harvey falling in line behind her, the boy broken as he marched down the hall.
She saw his sector standing by, torn and flinching as his screams echoed through the hall followed shortly after by Fanny's.
Then they would look at her. They would look up to her with mixed emotions and she could only turn and walk away.
She ended up always walking away.
"I'm sorry, Harvey."
"Numbuh 5! Do you read me? C'mon, answer me for Pete's sake!"
Her hand whipped out the communicator and she pushed Harvey's fate out of her mind. "Talk to me, Numbuh 2. Please tell me you've found Numbuh 3."
"No! She's still inside, and Father followed her!"
Her face paled. "No…no! Numbuh 4! Drop what you're doing and get inside now!"
"I can't!" was the frantic reply she got. "We're pinned down!"
"Father's going after Kuki, we need to move!"
"What!? O-Okay I'm gonna-"
There was an explosion and Abby began nervously pacing. "Wally, move it! NOW!"
"DAMMIT, I CAN'T!" Abby froze, knowing Wally had never resorted to that language in her presence. "They're all over us! I-If I leave these kids then they'll…I-I can't!"
"Numbuh 2, Numbuh 4's pinned down. Get in there and extract Numbuh 3 before it's too late!"
"What? I'm barely armed! Are you sure?"
"Hoagie, if we don't do something, Kuki's dead!"
"You're right. Geez, what's wrong with me? Don't worry, Numbuh 5. I'll get her out if it's the last thing I do!"
At those words, the world fell from underneath Abby. The balcony disappeared as she fell into a void. She screamed as she kicked out wildly in the darkness. The sounds of searing flames, screams, and fighting were deafening. But the crescendo of chaos was only matched by the furious voices screeching at her from all directions.
This is all your fault!
Her body hit something, rolling onto the floor as something crashed atop her. She heaved as she pushed the weight off of her, and she stood as the environment lit up around her.
From her memory, she was within the surgery wing of the Grove. She slowly moved through the smoke, coughing as the flames danced all around her. The further she moved, the clearer the room became as the smoke lessened. She pushed a toppled gunnery aside, then gasped as she noted a body lying still ahead of her.
"Kuki!" Abby knelt down, flipping the girl over, appalled at the scorch marks coating her uniform. But upon further inspection, the wounds and burns were not nearly as severe as she thought. Tears fell freely from Abby's face as she cradled the girl's head. "Kuki, please. Speak to me. Anything! Please!"
"H-Hoa…Hoagie…"
"W-what about Numbuh 2? C'mon girl, is he alright? Talk to me."
"Father…"
"Hoagie! Where is Hoagie!?"
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT."
"AHHH!" Abby screamed, backing away from the girl as Kuki's voice bellowed. The girl fell, clearly still unconscious, but her mouth moved as her voice repeated the words over and over.
"THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT."
"Stop it…STOP IT!"
"WHERE IS HE?"
Abby looked up at the new voice, recognizing Father. Panic filling her system, she bolted down the hall, ignoring Kuki in favor of reaching Hoagie.
She had to reach him. She had to
As she ran, she could hear Father and Hoagie with perfect clarity, and she could also make out new images in the flames. The fires danced and flickered, playing suppressed memories like some cruel movie reel.
"I…don't…know…"
Kuki was wailing, Wally holding her despite his own tears. Abby herself stood shaking, her own tears falling as Fanny shook her head before her. She had tried everything, but despite all her knowledge, there was nothing she could do.
After the redhead performed her final charity before walking into the decommissioning chamber, Sector W arrived with a confused Tommy. The boy scoffed at the seriousness around him, but soon his pseudo-dark hero persona shattered as she delivered him the news she herself refused to hear.
"I WON'T ASK AGAIN!"
She saw herself in her office, the lights dimmed as Wally stood in the doorway. They were arguing, but it seemed one-sided as she sat in her chair, not facing him. His ideas were insane, dangerous, and likely to get him killed but she had no time to deal with him. She was still mourning; they all were.
She dismissed him, making empty promises of later discussion. But later would never come, for when he left, he would be too far gone and she would forever regret not stopping him. She would regret not saving him from himself.
"Have…you tried…Canada?"
The next fire showed her in the Moonbase, her counting down the minutes until her time was up. Kuki joined her at her side, the girl looking far too old for an operative her age. They stood in silence, the activity of the base humming in the background. Heavy thoughts played on her mind, constantly reminding her of the turmoil and disarray the Kids Next Door had fallen into. The Grove was fresh on everyone's mind, but she was running out of time to clean up the mess.
They were all that was left, and Abby couldn't bring herself to voice her request. That was when Kuki came to her, embracing her with one final hug. Abby forced down all emotion and held back tears as she forced herself to utter the last three words she would ever say as Supreme Leader.
"You think this is funny? I'M THROUGH PLAYING GAMES WITH YOU BRATS! You WILL tell me where he is. Because if you don't, then I guess you'll have to take his punishment for him!"
She watched herself as she moved through the TND. She grew more distant and detached with each mission and stayed clear of a certain smug blonde operative as much as she could. Her visits with Kuki grew less and less, and she outright avoided Wally. The boy was keen on playing his sloppy game of double agent, so she would not interfere.
Any bridges her sister tried to build in the aftermath were all for naught. Abby buried herself with her duty, and Cree was simply another body occupying the same house. Her sister's half-hearted attempts at redemption ended when she left for college, and soon enough, Abby found herself finally alone.
"Heh…I feel…sorry for you…having to settle for…the second place prize-ACK!"
Abby closed her eyes, running through the flames and refusing to see what they had to show. All that mattered was Hoagie. She had to move faster. She had to stop what came next. She had to reach him.
She had to save him.
"Enjoy your little joke, Mister Gilligan…"
In the shadows of the fire, she could make out one last scene. Father held Hoagie up with one hand as he brought up a sinister device with his other.
"Because it's the last joke…"
There was a crackle as the flames turned blue, the device whirring with a sound too painfully familiar.
"YOU'LL EVER MAKE!"
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"
Hoagie's wail forced her back, the world fading to black once more as everything went silent.
Abby lay there; on her back, staring up into nothingness. The voices were strangely quiet, but her choked sobs were more than enough to fill the silence. She felt small. Smaller than she ever had felt as she slowly brought her knees up, wrapping her arms around them as she curled into a ball. Tears stung her eyes as she gently rocked herself to and fro, content to stay there and wallow in the darkness forever.
She glanced up, shocked to see she wasn't alone. At the non-existent edge of space was a patch of light hovering over a table. At the table sat two children, herself and Kuki. The bubbly girl sat hugging her "My First Rainbow Monkey" while passing a cup of empty tea to Abby's clone. The other her chuckled, taking the cup and pretending to take refined sips.
Abby slowly stood, timidly walking over to the scene. As she approached the table, Kuki was oblivious to her presence. She was more content to snuggle with the doll she had no doubt just gotten back. Her mouth moved, but no sound came out.
So with that in mind, Abby jumped when her other self started chuckling and she could hear her perfectly.
"Now ain't dat sweet. Look at her, all happy and cute. Went through a lot of trouble to get that thing back, remember?" the other her spoke, continuing to sip at fake tea while motioning to the doll in Kuki's grip. "Shame she don't smile like that anymore. Can't say Abby blames her. You did leave her to clean up your mess, after all."
They both vanished, the only thing remaining being Kuki's first rainbow monkey and her other self's biting remarks. Abby sniffled, slowly picking up the doll, and hugging it to her chest as she slowly moved through the void.
As she walked, she found herself coming upon another memory, this time of her and Wally. The small boy was hunched over his desk, being the epitome of concentration as his pencil scribbled against the paper while her other self looked over his shoulder. Once finished, he looked to her clone expectantly, and when she nodded, he pumped his fist into the air victoriously.
He went to stow his books away, cramming them into his old, worn backpack, only to have the bottom fall out due to wear and tear. He blinked, then threw it off to the side as he pouted. Her other self only laughed, reaching behind the desk to reveal and brand new backpack. Wally was in awe of the bag, noting the slick straps and shiny zippers that didn't stick when he pulled them.
Abby watched as her clone wrapped an arm around Wally's shoulder, leading him out of the room while he fawned over his new acquisition. As they walked past her, other Abby regarded her with a smirk.
"The sport was real excited that day, huh? Was the least Abby could do, after he saved her from being a weredog and all that. Too bad you didn't bother to return the favor and talk him out of going rogue. Now everybody and their hamster is gonna remember him as some two-bit traitor. Not surprised. You don't have the best track record with traitors, baby."
She said nothing as she watched them leave, too stunned to reply. She looked around and spotted the old backpack Wally had tossed aside. Just touching the material reminded her of all the times he came to her for help, and all the times she came to his aid. Yet when he needed her the most, she turned him away. Biting back another sob, she held the doll and backpack together as she moved on.
Upon arriving at the next illusion, she almost turned and ran. But something held her in place and forced her to watch as Hoagie and other self handed a bunny back to a group of first graders. They were close together, relishing in their accomplishment. Hoagie leaned in, a cheesy grin threatening to split his face apart as he told her some silly joke. Her other self rolled her eyes, then began smacking him with her hat, not wanting to hear his lame jokes.
Abby winced every time the hat connected with Hoagie. It had seemed so harmless back then, but with the way her other self was darkly grinning, she couldn't help but wonder if she had ever been too hard on the boy.
"Who do you think you're trying to fool? Of course, you were," her other self answered, continuing to wail on Hoagie with her hat. "He was cracking jokes for you, y'know. Sometimes when you just needed to laugh. You always liked those cheesy puns he made, but you would never admit it. Nah, that wouldn't be cool now, would it?"
Abby shook her head desperately as she wished for it all to stop, the smacks getting louder and louder as Hoagie's yelps burned her ears.
"Well, don't you worry about a thing, girl," other Abby grinned as she raised her hand high. "Thanks to you, he won't be cracking any jokes anymore!"
As her final blow connected, both shadow Abby and Hoagie disappeared, the only thing staying behind being Hoagie's aviator cap.
She scrambled to pick it up, trying to gently hold it in her hands as if were a fragile babe. She hugged it and the other items close, sinking to her knees as she cried into them.
This was all her fault.
A bright light shone down, blinding her. She dropped the items to cover her eyes, trying to make out the sight before her. Not too far down the path was a giant beam of light, a lone figure walking towards it. As her eyes adjusted, her eyes widened.
Nigel, clad in his spacesuit, shrugged a pack over his shoulder as he began his march towards the light of the spaceship. He turned, giving her a sad smile and wave before returning on his final trek into his next big mission.
Abby sprang up, desperately trying to reach the boy. She jumped, her hand gracing the back of his collar just as he disappeared in the flash.
He was gone.
Her fist pounded against the ground. It came down again and again despite the rising pain. Soon her tears mixed with tiny specs of blood as her hand begged her to stop. She heaved with grief, her fist rising to strike the ground again, but only stopping as a pair of sunglasses suddenly appeared.
With shaking fingers, she cupped them up into her hands, staring down into them. In the corner of the lens, she could see her own reflection. It looked back at her, laughing to taunt her further.
" Oh yeah, dat's right! Can't forget about how he left you in charge, yet you still managed to screw everything up. He went and trusted you and look what happened. Man, you just love letting people down, don't ya?"
Abby took steadying breaths, gritting her teeth as she put on the sunglasses. She stood and turned, feeling the laugh move through the air until an image of herself appeared behind her.
"Face it, it's all your fault. You couldn't save Hoagie, Wally, or Kuki. You had one job, and you couldn't even do that."
Take care of them for me.
Abby watched as her clone stepped forward, its shape morphing and twisting the closer it got. She nervously brought up her fists as the space shifted and changed. Once the clone had finished transforming and took the shape of the one she despised the most, she growled and prepared for a fight.
"You couldn't save any of them," Rachel said. The blonde teenager grinned as she strutted around the interior of the SCAMPER. She fixed herself into a fighting stance and mockingly cooed towards the girl. "And you sure as hell won't save Nigel from me."
"Watch me!" Abby screamed as she dove forth.
Rachel ducked to the side, bringing up her knee into Abby's side. She hissed, then went to the ground as the blonde's elbow connected with her back. The sector V veteran would not go down easy and rolled to the side as Rachel's foot came down.
Abby pushed herself up, moving her body into a sweep and bringing her legs in behind Rachel's. The girl jumped, only for Abby to quickly recover and catch Rachel's foot in mid-air. Her other hand quickly joined in, and as she rose, Abby swung Rachel around and threw her into the port-side wall.
With a grunt of pain, Rachel collided with the wall. She planted her feet to avoid falling and rested her hands against the wall. She waited until she felt Abby was close, then reared back and let the back of her head slam into Abby's jaw.
The teen stumbled back, covering her face as she shook off her pain. On instinct, her hand whipped up to catch Rachel's fist. A split second later, and she was sure she would have a black eye. Abby spun Rachel's arm around, throwing her hand away to make an opening for her strikes. Rachel's reactions were just as quick and stopped Abby's incoming fist while folding her right leg in and bringing it upwards. In turn, Abby brought her own leg up, locking with Rachel's.
Back and forth they went, parrying and deflecting each other's blow as the battle reached a fever pitch. Sounds of rain and thunder could be heard in the background, causing Abby to surmise they had flown right into a storm. Not long after she had this thought, the SCAMPER rattled and shook as it ran into heavy turbulence.
Abby was thrown off guard, and it was all the advantage Rachel needed. Acting quickly, she slid her foot back, only to quickly swing it forward, hitting Abby dead on and sending her flying towards the cockpit.
"Why fight it?" Rachel taunted, stalking closer like an animal as Abby used the pilot seat to lift herself. "You can't change a thing. We both know what happens next."
Abby's chest heaved in and out as she fought off dizziness. She would never say it aloud, but Rachel had a point. The fight was going exactly how she remembered it; her getting her ass beat in. However, she arched a brow as she noted that Rachel was veering dangerously close to the open pod-bay door. The girl had no idea when that came open, but as her eyes flicked over to the pilot's wheel, it all came rushing back to her.
She regarded Rachel with a smile.
"You sure about that, Rachel? Cuz if Abby remembers right, you were right here," she said as her hand gripped the wheel. Rachel balked at the sight and was too late to stop what would follow. "And then you did THIS!"
Her hand jerked the wheel downward, and she grabbed onto the seat as the ship violently broke into a spin. The action was so sudden that Rachel had no way to react, losing her balance and unceremoniously falling out of the pod-bay door with a scream.
Abby sighed with relief, ready to laugh at the fact it was all over. It was finally over. Before she could celebrate, she saw Rachel's hand grab onto the side, refusing to die that easily and hanging on to life defiantly. Her eyes narrowed into slits, her hand gripping a blaster that seemingly materialized in her hand out of nowhere. She rose, her sneer slowly morphing into a smile the closer she got to her ex-commander.
This is all your fault!
The voices returned, but she ignored them, her mind centered on the task at hand. Selected pieces of her life flashed before her eyes. Ancient memories of Cree's betrayal to recent memories such as Hoagie's fall played all too clearly, some even distorted. The images continuously replayed, that voice persistent in stopping her. Slowing her.
This is all your fault!
"Maybe Abby didn't try hard enough. Maybe there are some things she could've done better. What's done is done and there ain't a thing she can do about it," she rebutted, nearly reaching the edge. She cocked her blaster, pointing it downward as she prepared to finish this stupid game once and for all. "But one thing Abby can do is finally get rid of you!"
"Numbuh 5! Help!"
Her entire system failed. She stood there, petrified with terror as four pairs of eyes stared pleadingly up at her.
She expected Rachel.
But instead saw her friends.
Hoagie held on, his strength waning, but pushed through desperately for the sake of his teammates. Nigel had one arm wrapped around the pilot's weight, but the bald boy's face twisted with strain as one hand held onto Hoagie, while the other held Kuki and Wally. Wally's grip was deadlocked with Nigel's, and Kuki hugged herself to the Aussie's form, burying her face in the back of his hoodie and silent sobs escaping her lips.
The children looked up to the dumbfounded teenager before noting the weapon she had pointed at them. They paled and Hoagie cried out disbelievingly. "Please! I-I can't hold on! Don't do this!"
"No. No, this ain't happening!" Abby spluttered, backpedaling and throwing away the blaster as if it burned. "This can't be happening!"
"ABBY!"
"H-Hold on!" Forcing herself out of her stupor, she leaped forward the moment Hoagie's grip gave out. She caught the tips of his fingers, and then the rain started and spewed all over as she tried to secure her hold.
He was slipping.
They all were slipping but she refused to believe it.
She had to hold on.
"Abby's got you. Abby's got-"
She let go.
"NO!"
They fell, disappearing into the void. Her arm dangled loosely, her eyes glassing over as they fell into darkness. She slowly stood, heart pounding in her ears as she denied it all. Her hands rose to cover her mouth, and she slowly backed away. What had she done?
What had she done?
TWHACK
Abby didn't register the blow. She didn't register how she fell out of the SCAMPER and descended into the abyss below. The voices had calmed, yet continued in haunting whispers. They scratched at her, surgically tearing at her soul, but she did nothing to block them out. Abby only continued to fall, letting the voices slowly rip at her heart as a fitting punishment for her actions.
This is all your fault.
This is all your fault.
This is all-
"-my fault," she cried, eyes closing as she let oblivion consume her. "All my fault…"
"Abagail? Miss Abagail?"
Abby jerked awake, hands flying to her holster as her eyes went wild. A hand neared her shoulder, and she snarled as she grabbed it, her body still in defense mode.
"Calm yourself, Miss Abagail," said a humble voice. Abby blinked, looking at the teenager at her side. He pulled his hand away, adjusting his brim hat before returning both hands to reigns in front of him. "It's just me here, you're safe. No need to be going and throwing up a fit."
Her heart rate slowed, and Abby eased back into her seat, crossing her arms as she sighed. "Sorry 'bout that, Numbuh Jebediah."
The leader of sector A only smiled, scratching at the peach fuzz collecting under his chin. "Ain't no need to go apologizing either; looked like you were having quite the fright in your sleep."
Abby looked away, gazing out into the fields they passed. The night had fallen, the only sounds being the ones of nature and the wind rustling the hay bales. Jebediah's horse trotted along, the buggy moving at a leisurely pace. After all they had been through, the Amish leader had figured his passengers deserved a moment of rest.
There was a light rumbling of thunder, and Abby frowned as a light drizzle followed soon after. She was thankful the roof of the buggy protected them, but she was growing quite tired of all this rain.
She shook her head before addressing Jebediah, "Nightmare don't even begin to describe it."
"I'm always willing to lend an ear if you need it."
"No. Pretty much a normal night, if dat ain't sad enough."
"Sad indeed," Jebediah murmured. He peeked over his shoulder, his mind wandering towards his other passenger. "Though it seems you're not the only one having a fretful night."
Abby turned her body fully, leaning over the seat to peer into the back of the buggy. There in the bed of the cart, lying in a pile of hay, was Nigel. The poor space-operative exuded exhaustion, even while sleeping. He had opted to take point with Jebediah first, insisting due to a subconscious chain of command they both unknowingly wanted to uphold. She denied him, of course. Ever since he awoke after the crash, he had been up two days straight before they stumbled across Numbuh Jebediah. That wasn't even taking into consideration the lack of sleep he had before the run-in with Rachel herself.
Despite it all, it seemed Nigel was truly to only one among them that had not changed at all. He would work non-stop, running himself ragged until the mission was done. It would be the death of him.
As she kept vigil over him, she noted how his face contorted and how his body seemed to write due to some unseen agony. After what he had endured, there was no doubt in her mind he was dealing with his own demons.
Numbuh Jebediah said nothing as she quietly hopped into the back of the buggy, respecting the girl and knowing a rare moment for his former Supreme Leader when he saw one. Abby positioned herself above Nigel, gently placing his head in her lap before softly stroking his scalp. The action seemed to be working, as Nigel's movements ceased and his face evened out as he fell into a more peaceful slumber.
Abby watched the boy with melancholy eyes, allowing her facade to break if not for this one moment. She had missed him terribly. They all did. But she couldn't afford to coddle him. There were too many mixed feelings brought up with his abrupt return and the situation was too volatile for him to lose focus again. She needed the old Numbuh One; the one that put the mission first no matter what the cost. If she had to be harsh to bring that leader back from the depths, then she would simply endure his objections as she did with everyone else.
Rachel needed to be stopped. No matter what.
But for now, she would allow herself this moment. She would tend to her friend like so many times before. The nightmare was still fresh, bringing up too many memories of better times that brought nothing but pain to her now.
Take care of them for me.
She looked away, ashamed as she was reminded of how she failed to keep her promise.
How she failed him.
"I must admit to be have taken for quite the spin back there," Jebediah spoke up, noticing her figure slumping. Perhaps talking would do some good. "Didn't question the coincidence of running into you out here. Stranger things have happened. Though, finding out Numbuh One's up and about again? Didn't think I'd see the day where I'd run into that fella again."
Abby looked down at Nigel, checking to see if his breath stayed even. "Thanks again for the ride, Jebediah. And for keepin' this on the hush-hush. Numbuh 5 thought she still had connections, but apparently folk don't give a damn about favors and debts anymore."
"And again, no need to be thanking me for doing the neighborly thing. Only thing I'll ask of ya is to watch your language," he joked, satisfied when he caught a ghost of a smile from her. "Don't rightly know what parts he wandered off to, but I'm happy you've found your friend. I imagine he has quite the tales."
"Probably," she said. "He's been through a lot. We both have."
"Which's why I'll be insisting again that you rest up now," he intoned with a wag of your finger. "Don't you be worrying none. Ain't rightly any of my business, but I know you've got important things to do. I'll get you to the Basement, quick as a whip. Should be there on the next morn."
Had it been anyone else, she would have protested. But Jebediah put himself in major risk for nothing in return, heavily insisting he take them the rest of the way at his own expense. Denying him his simple request would be criminal.
Once she was sure Nigel was fine, she moved to another patch of hay, settling down as she tried to slip into a more peaceful slumber. The best she could hope for was a dreamless rest, but as she drifted off, the whispers picked at the back of her mind, their message being relayed clear as it sunk deeper into Abby's mind.
She simply let them talk, them telling her nothing she didn't already know.
This is all your fault.
This is all your fault.
…this is all your fault.
…all your fault.