Songs used:
Salvaging parts in space: "Cosmic Castaway" by electrasy
Hoagie's dad's song: "Journey Home (Aces Version)" by Keiki Kobayashi
Transmission 42: Cosmic Castaways
Deep inside the GKND's Galactic Subjugation Force's immense Treehouse, two alien operatives arrive before a heavily defended armored door, lined with turrets and laser tripwires. "Enter double-docked Security Clearance Code." a robotic voice addresses the operatives, prompting the short-living tree-shaped alien to spit on his hand and press it against a scanner next to the door. "Code received, access granted." then, the lasers fade away and the door slides open, revealing 6 more doors behind it, which also move aside, allowing the operatives to enter the Treehouse's multi-story prison block.
"So how many prisoners have we caught so far?" the gray furred, weasel-like Numbuh Infinity asks his companion, Numbuh 74.239.
"A bit less than Galactic Command hoped for. We'll have to wait until Numbuh Vile contacts us from the Moonbase. It wasn't fully evacuated."
"Yes indeed but capturing Numbuh 81 is a priority." Infinity replies as a two-headed alien made of mud and vegetation greets the operatives.
"Welcome to the…"
"Prison Block, Numbuh 74.239 and…"
"Numbuh Infinity." the two heads reply, finishing each other's sentences.
"Numbuh Eutrophic, is our special guest still being rowdy?" 74.239 asks the short Swampmuck, who nods.
"Yes, the teenager is…"
"Really aggressive." Eutrophic gestures towards a multi-segmented screen them, which shows camera footage from each cell, and in one of them, stands a furious Patton, kicking the walls and yelling loudly.
"I'm not surprised. Take us to him. We've got some catching up to do."
"Right…"
"This way." Numbuh Eutrophic replies to Numbuh Infinity before leading him and 74.239 to an elevator made out of an alien satellite that takes them down 5 floors. "We're keeping him in the…"
"Isolation Area. This floor is exposed to the Adulthood Virus, so we cannot…"
"Turn off the barriers. Keep your distance from the…"
"Cell."
"Of course. Teenagers are prime carriers of that horrible disease after all." 74.239 gestures with his branch-like hands while the stoic Numbuh Infinity puts his hands behind his back.
"How long can we talk to him?"
"30…"
"Cycles." Numbuh Euthrophic replies as the elevator stops and the two former spies step out, to the maze-like Isolation Are, filled with meandering corridors while glowing green cell doors line both walls. However, all of them are empty, apart from a single cell near the elevator door.
"We'll handle it from here. You can go back to your duties." Infinity gestures to Euthrophic, who stays in the elevator as is goes back up while Infinity and 74.239 approach the nearby cell, where Patton is standing. "Have you calmed down, Numbuh 60?"
"…YOU!" Patton shouts and lunges at the energy barrier, which gives him a stinging electric shock. "Grr…what do you two want?" he growls at the alien operatives, who are not intimidated by Patton's angry demeanor.
"We came to see an old friend, that's all." Numbuh 74.239 replies with a smirk, infuriating Patton even further.
"I'm not your friend." he hisses before taking off his beanie. "Now if you came here to torture me, then get it over with."
"Torture? Now why would we do that? No, no, we're here to talk, Numbuh 60."
"We've got nothing to discuss, Numbuh 74.239. Not after everything you and the GKND did to us. You're the ones who manipulated the KND from behind the scenes and framed Sector V!" the teenager shakes his fist angrily, prompting Numbuh Infinity to step closer to the barrier separating him from the teenager.
"They can only blame themselves. Had Numbuh 1 not refused the GKND's offer, things might've gone differently. But, because he did not join us, he and Sector V had served their purpose. They had become an obstacle." the unflappable Numbuh Infinity tells Patton, but his indifferent tone only makes him more furious.
"But because of that, they went rogue and your lackies turned us against them! You people made them into teen villains! And after all that, you let Numbuh 1000 loose!" he shouts while pointing at Numbuh 74.239. "He swore in your name!"
"Numbuh 1000 was a rogue element that we couldn't control." the scientist shrugs, clearly undeterred by his former comrade's posturing.
"Oh really? Do you have any idea what that guy did, you damn hypocrites?!"
"Hypocrites? Now that's rich coming from a traitorous teenager claiming to help kids." Numbuh 74.239 sneers at Patton, who lunges towards at the energy barrier separating him from the aliens.
"You worked with Father to get Sector V out of the picture! And then you made Numbuh 1000 your puppet, who was a teenager the whole time!"
"Numbuh 1000 had unique circumstances that made him useful. However, he was also a delusional fool who wanted us to spare your planet, when it was beyond saving. That is why he disobeyed the Supreme Leader's orders and rebelled. He went too far." Numbuh Infinity explains sternly, refusing to acknowledge Patton's accusation about the GKND's collaboration with Father.
"Too far?! And what you aliens are doing now isn't 'going too far'?!" an enraged Patton points at the former spies and comes really close to the barrier yet again. "You experiment on your own operatives, destroy planets because of some disease that doesn't exist and brainwash people to do your bidding!"
"The ends justify the means, teenager. But I doubt you could understand our cause. After all, you are infected with the Adulthood Virus." Numbuh 74.239 replies condescendingly and squints his one eye at Patton. "You should face the facts: your planet is too far gone to be saved. It really is incredible how you humans love to resist the inevitable."
"No, it's because you GKND freaks are just scared of growing up. That's it." Patton says coldly and turns his back on the aliens. "I don't care what you do to me, but you won't destroy the Earth. As long they have hope, they'll keep fighting."
"Then the GKND will destroy that hope, Numbuh 60."
"STOP USING THAT CODENAME!" Patton shouts, genuinely scaring 74.239 but Infinity is not bothered.
"You were never Decommissioned so your Codename is valid. We do not acknowledge your teen organization after all. Numbuh 74.239, we're done here,." Infinity gestures to his companion and starts to leave, much to 74.239's surprise.
"What? But we've still got time to…"
"I've heard enough." the Musteloid replies, prompting 74.239 to follow him while Patton glares at them over his shoulder.
"You two are gonna regret this." he thinks before slumping down on the floor, clenching his fists. "Guys…don't give up. You gotta keep fighting…without me."
"Numbuh Infinity, what was that about?" Numbuh 74.239 asks Infinity as they board the elevator once more.
"The purpose of this meeting was to see how loyal Numbuh 60 is, don't you remember? He is far too devoted to his teenager allies to be of use to us."
"Then we'll just Recondition him." 74.239 replies casually, causing Infinity to frown slightly.
"We'll keep him in the cell for now and wait for more teenager prisoners, Numbuh 74.239."
"Yes, yes, of course." the plantiform says as they exit the elevator and leave the prison. "Oh right, Galactic Command wants us to report to the Supreme Leader before the GSF starts the landing operation."
"As expected of them. Let's hope Numbuh S-26 and the others recover before that time."
"Curse those O.M.E.G.A. Numbers for turning against us…We have to find them as soon as possible..." Numbuh 74.239 grumbles before heading to the lab while Infinity looks on with a stern expression.
"Once the landing operation begins, even the two of us might be forced to fight. You're still underestimating our opponents, Numbuh 74,239…and your fanaticism is starting to freak even me out…"
...
Meanwhile, in another section of the GSF's Treehouse, a lone figure is walking through the hallways. It is Numbuh Shrike, who has been released from the medical wing after spending a day in the intensive care. The helmet-wearing alien is still donning their full body suit, but a diagonal tear is still visible on the chest area, and they have a notable limp in their step.
Their presence attracts attention from the operative who pass them in the hallways but Shrike refuses to say a word to anyone while the Treehouse's speakers are once again playing music, which entices many operatives, but Shrike is not one of them. "Morale uplifting music? Gimme a break."
"Numbuh Shrike?" the terramorph operative Numbuh Geo-4 waves at the spy from across the hallway, prompting Shrike to lazily wave back. "You left IC already? Wow, that's impressive."
"Yeah, sure."
"Where are you headed?"
"To see Vermillion's son." Shrike replies bluntly as they walk past Geo-4.
"V…Vermillion's son?! You mean that…human you captured?"
"Did I stutter?" the spy says over their shoulder as Geo-4 comes alongside them.
"No, no, sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to say that. But you need authorization from the Commander to…"
"I already have it."
"Really?" then, Numbuh Shrike waves holocard over Geo-4's orange eyes and increases their pace, prompting Geo-4 to do the same. "Wait! Do the Detainment Operatives know you're coming?"
"Yes." Shrike replies as Geo-4 realizes the spy is not in a talking mood and lets them go.
"…Why did brush me off like that... I'm not a janitor anymore…" Geo-4 mutters as he turns around and leaves Shrike, who looks over their shoulder at the terramorph.
"…" the spy shrugs and heads to the Detainment Center, where the GSF keep all special prisoners that cannot be held in the Prison Block and is operated jointly by the GSF's Science Division for research purposes. There, he is greeted by a short bulldog-headed guard wearing a blue hat, sitting in a control booth next to an armored door.
"Halt. Show me your authorization card."
"Here." Shrike puts the holocard onto a tray under the control booth's window, causing holographic text to appear on the guard's terminal.
"Okay, orders confirmed. We'll shut down all cameras and recorders as per Numbuh Exa's orders. You can go inside."
"Thank you." then, the guard opens the door for Shrike, who walks inside the Detainment Center, it's walls lines with bright, silver metal, in stark contrast to the gloomy Prison Block. "I hope you're awake, Ángel." Shrike thinks as they ride an escalator down to few floors before arriving at another door marked "Decontamination." "These scientists and their germaphobia."
"Ah, Numbuh Shrike, come in." a high-pitched voice speaks to the spy before the door opens, where Shrike is greeted by an alien of the same species as Numbuh A64: an Aqua Sprite who is wearing a much blockier and shorter robotic suit than her, and their head has a round TV-monitor instead of a square one. "Numbuh Grump informed us that you were coming. Subject A is asleep right now, but we can jolt him awake if you…"
"No need. I'll do it myself." Numbuh Shrike interrupts the scientist and heads into the transparent tunnel that leads to a huge white room that has a single pod in the middle. "Close the shudders and all recording equipment, is that clear? Numbuh Exa's orders."
"Of course, of course." the scientist replies while displaying an :o face on their TV-head's screen and begins typing on a keyboard as Shrike enters the tunnel and the door closes behind them.
After passing through it, Numbuh Shrike enters the white room and approaches the pod while the shudders surrounding the room close up. "Hmm, looks like Numbuh Lyrical's had fun with you." Shrike mutters as they stop in-front of the pod, inside which lies an unconscious Ace The Kid. "You're looking worse than the last time I saw you." Shrike gestures at The Kid, but he does not react. "Drew the short end of the stick, didn't you, Ángel? If you were a normal human, they would've just Reconditioned you and sent you off to a resource planet. But you're not normal, are you?"
"…urh…" then, The Kid lets out a weak groan as his head twitches. "…who…" he asks with a raspy voice and slowly looks out of the pod, his pale face showing no signs of his confident personality.
"Ah, you are awake after all." Shrike remarks as The Kid squints at them through his cracked sunglasses.
"…you…you're…that punk who caught me…"
"Come on, did you forget my name already, Ángel? I'm Numbuh Shrike."
"…stop…using…that name…" Despite being barely able to move his body, The Kid still manages to glare at the spy through the pod's glass, much to Shrike's amusement.
"You've still got enough strength to demand that? Hah-hah, hilarious."
"…what do you want…puta…?"
"Insulting me in Spanish now? That's a first. I guess Numbuh Lyrical's sessions haven't broken your spirit just yet. She really is a devious witch, isn't she? That thing you're strapped into, is called a S.A.F.E.P.O.D. The GKND use to heal injured operatives but she likes using it as a torture device instead, which you've probably figured out already, haven't you?" Numbuh Shrike asks The Kid as they pace back and forth in-front of the pod.
"Yeah…it's healing…my injuries."
"Exactly! That way she can keep torturing you as much as she wants. The S.A.F.E.P.O.D. keeps you from going into shock, but it's set up so it doesn't fully fix you either. Pretty gruesome."
"…*cough* why are…you here…did ya just…come to mess with me…?"
"I came to talk to you, Ángel. Because of your heritage."
"I'm…not an alien!"
"You're not fully human either. You saw it yourself back there. How the U.N.M.A.S.K.E.R. transformed you. You're part Orninyxian from your mother's side." Numbuh Shrike points at The Kid before turning their back on him. "But your alien heritage was diluted by your mother's transition to a human. She was a former GKND operative, Numbuh Vermillion." then, Numbuh Shrike taps their left wrist gauntlet, which shows The Kid a holographic picture of a humanoid-bird operative, her arms donned by red, yellow and green feathers and sharp talons in each finger, but her glowing eyes are what cause The Kid to shudder.
"…no…that's not…"
"Yes, that's your mother, Marcela Anya Lopez Vazques. Or at least that's how she looked before she turned 13 and was Decommissioned and changed into a human in all but at the cellular level."
"Ma…Mama…no way…" The Kid mutters in disbelief, but no matter how he looks at the hologram, the Orninyxian looking back at him has the same features as his mother. "…ghhh…" his head slumps forward as tears begin streaming down his cheeks.
"Finally starting to get it, huh? You're lucky that your mother's Orninyxian features were so diluted that you only inherited a portion of them. That's why you…grew up like a normal…kid."
"W…what do you mean, 'normal'?" The Kid asks as Numbuh Shrike turns off the hologram before their helmet visor slides away, shocking The Kid to his core. "*gasp* You…you're…"
"Unlike you, I didn't get to be a normal kid. I'm an unwanted child. Now all I have is the GKND."
"But you…you look like a…" but before The Kid can finish the sentence, Numbuh Shrike slides their visor back over their face.
"My identity is top secret. That's why I'm a spy. But you…you're half-Orninyxian, a freak of nature like me…and yet you got to have a normal childhood…while I didn't."
"But you're still a kid, you can…"
"I'm only a Stellar Cycle away from getting Decommissioned. After that, my life has no meaning. I'd rather die than become an adult. Not that a teenager like you would get it. You have loving parents and lots of friends. So I don't pity you at all, Ángel. Once Lyrical breaks your mind, they'll Recondition you into a Teen Drone and send you to attack Earth."
"Grrr…there's no way I'll become a GKND slave!"
"Your fate's sealed. I just wanted to tell the truth about your mother before Lyrical's done with you. Maybe…if you were still a kid, I'd actually feel sorry, but I don't. This is your punishment for living such an ignorant and a...normal life." Numbuh Shrike says grimly and walks away, but The Kid not satisfied.
"Hey, get back here! We're not done!"
"Yes, we are. I won't see you again, so enjoy what little time you have before they strip your free will from you." Numbuh Shrike gestures over their shoulder and exits the white room just as the shudders slide open again, leaving The Kid by himself.
"…stupid brat…actin' like they're the only one who's life sucks…there's no way I can give up now…I'm not gonna stay in this…stupid…thing…" The Kid struggles in-vain inside the pod but has not noticed that his right hand has transformed into the three-fingered bird-like form from before. "If I'm half-alien, then that makes you…a half-human."
…
"Alright, time for some serious demolition work!" a cheerful voice speaks through a radio in the debris field between the Earth and the Moon. It has now been a day since Sector V and their alien allies found the abandoned O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N. and are now busy at work. Hoagie and Wally, wearing space suits, have begun to tear apart the various 2x4 ships that were left behind by the KND when the Moonbase was captured, while Libra, Cygnus, Scorpius and Leo are helping them move the salvage to the space dock, where the one-winged M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P. is waiting for repairs. "I'm gonna crank up the music!" a cheerful Hoagie exclaims and with a tap of his space suit's wrist computer, he starts blasting music from the W.A.S.P.'s sound system. " A Cosmic Castawayy… " he sings over the radio while cutting off the left shuttle-thruster from a wrecked K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R. using a H.A.I.R.C.U.T.T.E.R. modified with super-heated scissor blades. After a few well places cuts, he separates the thruster from the massive ship, allowing Leo and Scorpius to move it towards the W.A.S.P.
"Excellent, we can use that to rebuild the right wing." Libra notes as their fellow O.M.E.G.A. Numbers bring the thruster to the space dock, where Cygnus keeps it steady while Libra connects it the dock with long magnetic tubes.
"Hah, look at 'em go." Abby says as she and Kuki watch the repairs from the W.A.S.P.'s bridge while Hoagie continues singing in the background. "At this rate they're gonna run outta stuff to salvage."
"…yeah…" Kuki replies silently as she eyes the communications terminal, but her mind is elsewhere. While Wally asked about why she cryed again, she did not tell the real reason and has mostly kept to her herself since then, on the pretext that she wanted to clear her head.
However, no matter how hard she tries to hide it, not even her best acting can fool Abby, who has shot worried glances at Kuki for a while now. "Hey, you okay?"
"Wha…what do you mean? Of course I'm okay, it's all out of my system." Kuki gestures casually but Abby can tell she is forcing a smile.
"You're lyin' Kuki." she says bluntly and turns her chair towards Kuki. "Ever since we got our memories back, somethin's been up with you. Did rememberin' all those memories really hit ya that hard?"
"No, no, it's not...I'm fine, Abby. Just…a bit overwhelmed by everything…"
"Hmm…" Abby squints at Kuki, who fidgets under her friend's sharp gaze. "Just overwhelmed huh? Come on Kuki, how long have we known each other? Somethin's up with you."
"Nothing is up with me, Abby!" Kuki snaps, startling Abby, who throws her hands in the air.
"Hey, calm down girl, I'm just worried about you."
"I'm fine. So don't worry about me." Kuki huffs and puts on her headset, but Abby swiftly walks over to her and removes them. "Hey!"
"Quit dodgin' the subject! Kuki, you're just makin' me more worried if ya act like that! Why can't ya tell me what's wrong?" Abby implores Kuki, who starts feeling guilty about raising her voice.
"Sorry…so much has happened since we got Recommissioned I…I don't…know what to do…" she laments while Abby pats her friend's head.
"Ya don't have to keep things to yourself, ya know that?" she says to Kuki, who remembers how Abby had driven herself into a corner and snapped a year ago, which led to her temporarily leaving the team. "So if ya wanna talk about it, just say. Or ya can talk with Numbuh 4. He's your boyfriend, ain't he?"
"B…boyfriend?!" Kuki yelps, having forgotten completely that she had started a relationship with Wally before the start of Operation: R.E.T.R.I.B.U.T.I.O.N.
"Hah-hah-hah, girl, didn't your memories come back or did ya just forget?"
"I didn't forget! I just…haven't thought about it that way…b…besides, it's not…official…" a blushing Kuki replies to Abby, who smirks back.
"Uh-huh, it did look pretty official a year ago." Abby nudges Kuki and then goes back to her own seat. "Anyway, speak up if somethin's wrong, okay? We'll help ya, just like you'd help us, right?"
Kuki twitches at Abby's words but despite her friend's sincerity, she refuses to tell the truth and simply nods. "…Yeah, of course…"
However, their conversation is interrupted by Nigel, who contacts the W.A.S.P. from the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s command center. "W.A.S.P., this Numbuh 1. What's the status of the repairs?"
"Uh, Numbuh 5 here. The boys are goin' to town on those wrecked 2x4 ships, so they'll probably get all the parts we need by the end of the day, maybe."
"I see…tell them to keep away from the S.T.A.R.W.R.E.C.K. that's got a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. lodged into it's left engine. The station's scanners picked up a temperature spike in it and it could explode and send debris flying everywhere."
"Roger that boss, we'll tell 'em."
"Copy. Carry on." Then, after hanging up, Abby walks over to Kuki again and grabs her headset.
"Yo, guys, this is Numbuh 5, how's it goin' in there?"
"Fine, but Mister Super-Star's singing is starting to get old." Wally remarks as he speeds by the W.A.S.P.'s bridge riding a jerry-rigged S.K.I.D.O.O.D., with the modified H.A.I.R.C.U.T.T.E.R. in hand as Cygnus joins the call.
"Pardon me, but does he do this often?" she asks uncharacteristically cautiously while moving a K.O.L.O.S.S.A.L.I.N.E.R.'s turret barrel over to Libra. "
"Only when he's driving. Okay guys, listen up, Numbuh 1 just called and said to stay away from that S.T.A.R.W.R.E.C.K. over there. It's boutta blow up."
"Affirmative. My inner sensors have also picked up the rising temperatures inside that ship's engines. We will keep our distance." Scorpius chimes in while Wally flies back to the W.A.S.P., pulling a net full of weapons and 2x4 equipment scavenged from a C.O.O.L.B.U.S.
"Right, I'll stick to this side then. Not in the mood to get hit by space junk right now."
"Heh, alright. Numbuh 2, did ya copy that?"
However, Hoagie, who has moved on to a cluster of four E.S.C.A.P.E.R.'s that are missing their ejection seats and cockpit canopies, is not listening, as his thoughts are elsewhere.
…
The Previous Day.
"Oh man, I'm starving…" Hoagie mutters as he arrives to the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s cafeteria and immediately heads to the kitchen to look for food. "I hope nothing's spoiled…" However, he is unaware that Cygnus has followed him and now, the O.M.E.G.A. Number is observing him from the cafeteria's door carefully.
"Okay, now to ask him about his relationship with…oh no, this isn't the right way to do it! Be polite!" she tells herself and starts approaching the kitchen when she hears a loud cheer.
"WOO-HOO! The food's not spoiled!" an ecstatic Hoagie celebrates as he opens a bag of meatballs and starts eating them like candy. "Oooh these are sooo good. I gotta tell the others and…GAH!" he yelps as Cygnus peeks her head from behind the kitchen door.
"Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." she apologizes as a startled Hoagie catches his breath.
"It's okay…I just didn't expect to see you here…uhm…what was your name again?"
"I am Cygnus, O.M.E.G.A. Number 2, at your service." the swan-like alien bows with grace and Hoagie finds it very strange.
"Uhm…okay…so, did you come to check on the cafeteria too or…?"
"Oh no, we O.M.E.G.A. Numbers don't eat." her reply stuns Hoagie so much he nearly drops his food on the floor and he has to take few steps back to recover from the shock.
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, what? You guys don't eat, like at all?!"
"Well, technically we can eat but we do not need to. Our bodies are powered by our in-built G.-N.E.R.A.T.O.R.'s that absorb radiation from the environment. It's the reason why our bodies are made of energy and glow constantly." Cygnus explains to Hoagie, who becomes intrigued instantly.
"Wow, really? So you guys have an infinite power source?"
"I'm not sure, the GKND didn't want us to know everything about our…changes…" then, Cygnus' friendly smile turns into a sad frown as she looks up at the ceiling. "And…we weren't even given a choice to refuse the process…we were just test subjects to the GKND." she laments as Hoagie puts the meatballs aside as he can relate to the O.M.E.G.A. Number's situation.
"…We weren't given a choice either…back then…"
"Oh yes, your team was framed by the GKND, is that right?"
"Yeah, once Nigel refused to join the GKND, they saw us a threat, especially since Numbuh 5 was going to become the next Supreme Leader after Numbuh 362…or Epsilon rather, turned 13. They knew she would've smoked out their whole Splinter Cell operation eventually." Hoagie explains and sits down on a nearby chair. "They even worked together with Father to get rid of us."
"The GKND collaborated with an Adult Super Villain? That's preposterous." a flabbergasted Cygnus shakes her head but when Hoagie squints at her slightly, Cygnus realizes he is not kidding. "But…that goes against what the GKND stand for…They would never work together with adults, especially with a Galactic-level Super Villain."
"But they did. And they tricked everyone into thinking we destroyed the C.O.D.E.-M.O.D.U.L.E. We fled Decommissioning and became Teen Villains after that." Hoagie frowns as the memories of his times as Cheese Shogun Lord Gouda lift their ugly head. "I…did horrible things…back then…" he mutters and clenches his hands together as Cygnus looks on. "But that's in the past. We can't take back what we did, so we can only move forward."
"Well said, Hogarth! I'm glad you're not dwelling on the past." Cygnus declares and points at Hoagie with her left wing with a proud smile, but Hoagie feels awkward hearing someone other than his mother use his full name.
"Ho…Hogarth…uh, just call me Numbuh 2 or Hoagie, okay?" but Cygnus shakes her head sternly before puffing her chest and raising her beak while spreading her wings wide in a graceful manner.
"But it's customary for Orninyxian's to call those they respect by their full first name! Especially if you're a member of the Grand Avian Royal Family…ah…oh…oops, I got too excited…" then, Hoagie notices that Cygnus's confident and gracious demeanor disappears, and she becomes uncharacteristically solemn. "Sorry, I start talking nonsense when I get excited…"
"Hold up, are you saying you're royalty or something?"
"Oh no, not at all…back when my home planet still existed…it had a monarchy and was ruled by the House of Grand Avian. My…father served as a Royal Guard, and I grew up at the royal palace…before I joined the GKND when I was 6 Stellar Cycles old. I went by the Codename of Numbuh Canard."
"Oh wow…that's pretty cool." but then, Cygnus' eyes begin to tear up and Hoagie connects the dots. "Uh…sorry, I forgot that you uhm…"
"Don't apologize Hogarth." she replies and quickly wipes the forming tears away as Hoagie leans against his knees, reminded of his father.
"You know…I lost my dad too, when I was a little kid. Well, I'm not sure if he's dead or alive, but he disappeared over the Pacific. He was a pilot you see, and that's what I wanna be too." Hoagie explains as he takes off his hat and shows it to Cygnus. "This was his hat. I started wearing it after we lost our memories and it's really important to me."
"That's wonderful. The only things left from my family are the memories…that's why I'm so happy Numbuh Delta saved us when he did. The GKND were going to remove our personalities." Cygnus says wistfully before frowning intensely. "When I lost Avialus Proxima, I swore that I'd avenge everyone…and even after Delta freed us, I was still planning to pay the GKND back…but now, after I saw how Corvus changed when he linked with Numbuh Delta and I met the rest of the TND, I realize that holding a grudge isn't going to change anything. That's why I'm going to fight to save your planet. I don't want anyone else go through what we Orninyxians and all the others who lost their planets did." Cygnus says as Hoagie is taken aback by her words, which resonate clearly within him, as Nigel said something very similar a year ago.
"You're right, holding a grudge is a waste of time. But hey, even though I'm a human and you're an Orni…nyxian, at the end of the day we're pretty similar."
"That we are! You are certainly a remarkable teenager, Hogarth." Cygnus nods and pats Hoagie on the head.
"Hey, I told you to use my codename!"
"I will not. I'm keeping my father's memory alive by following proper etiquette." the O.M.E.G.A. Number replies sternly, but she cannot stop herself from smirking a little, while Hoagie sighs and puts his hat back on.
"Oh man…I guess I can't argue with that." he mutters and gets up from the chair when Cygnus remembers why she came to talk to him in the first place.
"Ah, I almost forgot! Hogarth, are you currently in a relationship?"
"Wha…*cough* w…why are you asking me that?! Wait, you're trying to hit on me or something?!"
"Not at all. I simply noticed that you seem to give your teammate very tender looks." she says to Hoagie, who begins fidgeting while his cheeks turn red.
"You mean Numbuh 5? Uhm…well…I uh…"
"Then you two are an item?!"
"Ye…yes, but it's not official! So don't tell anyone, okay? Ab…Numbuh 5'll kill me if the others find out!" an embarrassed Hoagie pleads with Cygnus, who is barely able to contain her excitement.
"My that's wonderful! I knew my hunch was right, you two were in a relationship! How long?" the O.M.E.G.A. Number asks, her yellow eyes glowing from excitement, overwhelming Hoagie completely.
"Uhm…a year ago…but we…unknowingly liked each other for longer than that…C…cut it out with the staring already! You're weirding me out!" Hoagie snaps and takes a few steps back but the starry-eyed Cygnus only comes closer.
"You fell in love as teammates! That is so romantic! Who confessed first? Was it you? No, it had to be her!" Cygnus rambles as she sneaks ever closer, prompting Hoagie jump out of the love-crazed alien's way and prepares to make a run for it.
"I DID! What the heck is wrong with you?! I didn't ask you to stick your beak into my business!" he yells at the O.M.E.G.A. Number, snapping her out of her romance-filled trance.
"A…oh no! I'm so sorry! I always lose myself when I discuss romance, please forgive me…eh?" but before she can apologize, the flustered Hoagie has already dashed out of the cafeteria, leaving Cygnus behind. "W…wait! Please, I didn't mean to be rude, I swear!" however, her calls go on unanswered, and the O.M.E.G.A. Number shakes her head in shame as her Omega symbol blinks. "That was disgraceful…you were supposed to be polite…"
…
Present
Now alone with his thoughts, Hoagie stops in-front of the wrecked E.S.C.A.P.E.R.'s and looks around in silence. Since yesterday's encounter with Cygnus, he has avoided her as best he can, still freaked out by the way she acted. "What the heck was up with that alien? Going nuts like that…my relationship with Abby isn't her business…" he huffs before revving up his H.A.I.R.C.U.T.T.E.R. and prepares to cut off a wing from one of the E.S.C.A.P.E.R.'s, when suddenly, he hears Abby's voice in his ear.
"…NUMBUH 2! Did ya turn off your radio or are ya deaf?! Answer me!"
"Gah! Quit yelling Numbuh 5, I can hear you. What's up?"
"*groan* So ya just weren't listenin'. Look, there's a ship that's about to go critical in that debris field and you gotta keep away from it, unless ya wanna get blasted to bits."
"Wow, really? Where?" intrigued, Hoagie looks around the debris field, only to see a faint glow coming from the crashed S.T.A.R.W.R.E.C.K. engine only about a 100 meters away from the E.S.C.A.P.E.R.'s he was just about to begin salvaging. "Uh…" his eyes widen under his goggles as the engine starts glowing even brighter and its outer cowling cracks, turning Hoagie's face pale.
"It's a S.T.A.R.W.R.E.C.K. at the edge of the field near…"
"OH CRA*ZZZZZZZZTTTTTT*" the transmission cuts off as Hoagie tries to boost away when the engine explodes, generating a huge horizontal shockwave that destroys the ships around it, blasting shrapnel everywhere. "AAARGH!" Hoagie screams as the shockwave easily catches up to him, sending the teenager flying out of control into the void.
Up on the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s control center, Nigel witnesses the explosion, and realizes the severity of the situation. "Dammit! It's going to damage the station!" he exclaims and rushes over to the control panel before calling his teammates.
"Attention, this is Numbuh 1, get to the space dock, now! I'm turning on the barrier!" He shouts over the intercom just as Wally and the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers see the explosion as well.
"Oh crud! You heard him, move it!" Wally gestures to Leo and Scorpius before flying back to the space dock on his S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D. with the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers in tow, while a horrified Abby presses her hands against the W.A.S.P.'s cockpit window.
"HOAGIE!" she screams, unable to do anything but watch as the O.B.S.E.R.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s barrier barely goes online before the shockwave slams into the station. "Urgh…" the impact violently shakes both the station and the W.A.S.P., causing Abby to nearly fall on her back, but Kuki manages to grab her from behind.
"Hold on to me!" she tells Abby, who locks her arms with Kuki's, and they manage to ride out the shaking while the shield vaporizes all the shrapnel instantly. Then, as the blast dissipates, Nigel contacts everyone again.
"Status report! Are you all okay?! Answer me!"
"Urgh…oh man…Numbuh 4 here, I'm okay…that was some explosion…" a shaken Wally responds from the space dock, where Libra, Cygnus, Scorpius and Leo also hid.
"All of us are accounted for. The barrier protected us." the bronze and red O.M.E.G.A. Number replies as Scorpius surveys the damage.
"The explosions must have caused a chain reaction, causing the other ships to shatter when the initial shockwave hit them." he says in a monotone voice as Nigel lets out a loud sigh.
"Okay…that's good. All of you, return to the station and…" but then, a frantic voice interrupts him.
"Nu…Numbuh 2! Where are ya?! Numbuh 2!"
"Wait, Numbuh 2 isn't at the dock?!" an alarmed Nigel asks as Abby continues calling for Hoagie.
"Numbuh 2, answer me dammit! Numbuh 2!"
"Numbuh 5, what's going on? Weren't you talking with him just now?"
"I did, but then his radio got cut off!" Abby's reply sends chills down everyone's spines, causing Wally to mount his S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D. immediately.
"I'll go find him!"
"Scorpius, Leo, Cygnus, go with him. We will go to the control center and interface with the station's computer so we can guide you." Libra gestures to their fellow O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, who apart from a reluctant Leo, nod firmly and follow Wally out of the dock, while Libra heads back inside. Meanwhile, a panicking Abby continues to call Hoagie's name over the radio.
"Numbuh 2, Numbuh 5 knows you're in there! Answer! Don't you dare go die on me! NUMBUH 2!" Abby screams as she punches the cockpit glass, tears streaming down her cheeks, prompting Kuki to come to her friend's side.
"Numbuh 4 and the others will find him. It'll be okay…" she tries to console Abby, but Kuki has a hard time stopping her own tears from coming out. "He's not dead…he can't…"
"Hoagie! Gh…there's no way I'm gonna let you go like this!" Abby shouts and runs over to the ship's navigation computer, startling Kuki. "We ain't got time to cry now, Numbuh 3. Sit down and gimme Numbuh 2's last coordinates! Hurry up!"
"Ri…right!" though shocked by Abby's strong determination, Kuki nods back firmly and puts on her headset before turning her attention to the communications console. "You can do this…you're not useless, no matter what that stupid green alien tells you." she thinks and begins typing on her keyboard as a teary-eyed Abby stares out of the W.A.S.P.'s window.
"We just got back together, so Abby ain't gonna lose you, not again."
…
Out in the shattered debris field, a human figure floats past what used to be intact 2x4 ships. Stunned and with no idea where he is, Hoagie P. Gilligan Jr. begins to regain consciousness. "…urgh…*groan*…" slowly, his eyes open and he realizes he is slowly spinning horizontally. "Ow…wha…where…" he cannot get his bearings and when he tries to move his body, Hoagie feels stinging pain in his left leg. "Argh…" he cries in pain but cannot look down because of his makeshift space suit's helmet, making him unable to see what is wrong with his leg.
However, because he is still breathing, Hoagie knows that at least his space suit is intact, but none of the in-built thrusters respond when he tries to move the two joysticks connected to his suit's utility belt. "Aw man…urgh…they're shot up…" then, Hoagie slowly lifts his left arm and tries to contact the station using the radio on his wrist, but it gives him only static and jumbled human-like noises. "The receiver's damaged too…I can't hear them unless they get closer…" he laments but begins fiddling with the radio's setting to increase the receiver's range as much as possible, when suddenly, a large flat object hits him from behind. "Guah!" Hoagie gasps and comes to a stop, having hit a torn off wing of a C.O.O.L.B.U.S.
"*cough* …keep it together…" he mutters, knowing that if he loses consciousness again, he won't wake up, as his suit only has an hour and half of oxygen left, but he cannot tell if the tanks were damaged. "I…can't go like this…" spurred on by his will to live, Hoagie leans back against the wing and continues to boost his receiver's range, despite the pain in his left leg. Eventually Hoagie figures out that while the receiver is damaged, his transmitter still works, much to his relief. "Alright…I might not hear them well, but they'll sure as heck hear me…Now I'll just turn on the emergency beacon and…aw crap!"
Cursing repeatedly, Hoagie notices that the beacon is also unusable and the only thing he can transmit to the others, is his own voice. However, that presents him with another problem: if he starts screaming, he'll lose air faster but he cannot stay quiet either or else his friends will never find him. "W…what do I do…" Hoagie laments and looks up towards the stars in despair. "I…I don't want to die here…not now…" tears fill his goggles as Hoagie starts to realize he has reached a dead end. He cannot move his left leg at all, his thrusters are not working nor is the emergency beacon and he is running out of air. "Guys…Tommy…where are you…" but then, his thoughts wander to his father, Hogarth Pennywhistle Gilligan Senior. The man who inspired him to become a pilot and from whom both he and Tommy inherited their mechanical skills. He was also the previous owner of Hoagie's innertube, Betsy, after which Hoagie named his Exo-Suits and his beloved van. "Dad…what do I do…" Hoagie asks silently when he suddenly remembers something his father told him years ago.
"Hoagie, I learned a pretty catchy song from one of my pilot pals who used to be in the Navy. He told me they used to sing it all the time on when he was stationed on an aircraft carrier. The fighter pilots loved it! But I gotta warn ya, once you hear it, it'll be stuck in your head for the rest of your life, hah-hah! Here goes…"
Then, the gears in his head start spinning and Hoagie comes with a plan, rejuvenated by the memories of his father. "That's it! My team will hear me, and I'll save oxygen! Thanks dad!" his confidence restored, Hoagie smirks and amplifies his transmitter's range to its absolute maximum and starts humming a tune.
…
Somewhere in the middle of the debris field, Wally, Scorpius, Cygnus and Leo scour through the wreckage, trying to find any sign of Hoagie. "Numbuh 2! Where are ya?!" Wally yells as he darts past the remains of the S.T.A.R.W.R.E.C.K.'s bow section, using his S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D.'s nose-mounted laser cannon to destroy any debris that gets in his way. "Numbuh 2!"
"The debris is interfering with my sensor suite. There are too many small particles in this area to effectively identify organic life."
"Keep looking Scorpius, we must not give up!" a determined Cygnus gestures to Scorpius while a grumpy Leo looks around the area lazily.
"Are you guys sure he didn't just get blown up with the ship?"
"Shut your mouth and look for Numbuh 2!" Wally yells over the radio, clearly angered by Leo's attitude and Cygnus gives the turquoise and orange O.M.E.G.A. Number a disapproving glare.
"Leo, we don't know that!"
"I'm just saying. That blast turned all these ships to scrap, so there's no way a weak human can…GAH!" suddenly, a laser beam flies past Leo's head, destroying a large chunk of debris behind him and the O.M.E.G.A. Number sees a furious Wally pointing the nose of his S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D. at him. "Hey! What the heck was that for?! All I said was…"
"NUMBUH 2'S MY BEST MATE! AND THERE'S NO CRUDDY HE'S DEAD!" a furious Wally shouts at Leo, and his words are also heard by his teammates back at the station. "…you can go back to the station if ya don't wanna help! But I'm gonna look for Numbuh 2 if it kills me! Everyone's waiting for him, especially his little brother! I'm not losing anyone of my teammates again! Never!" he snarls and speeds away, leaving a silent Leo behind.
"He's right Leo. If you came here to complain, then go back." Cygnus says coldly and follows Wally deeper into to the debris field with Scorpius dutifully in tow, leaving Leo by himself.
"…" he clenches his fists and looks on as the trio disappear amongst the destroyed 2x4 ships, Wally' words ringing in his head. "…brother huh?" then, the O.M.E.G.A. Number lets out a roar before flying after others, using his kinetic energy control powers to plow through the debris around him. "GRAAAAAHHH!"
Meanwhile, back at the station, Nigel and Libra are joined by a frantic Tommy, who begins helping the O.M.E.G.A. Number to find his brother. "Hoagie…you better be okay…"
"He will. Trust me." Nigel says with a reassuring smile but Tommy refuses to look back and stares intensely at the computer terminal before him.
"Station scanners are now functioning at maximum capacity. However, the heat and infrared detection systems cannot detect anything accurately due to the amount of debris."
"Then use other systems. We have to find Numbuh 2 no matter what." Nigel replies sternly to Libra, who nods and begins scanning the field again.
Down in the W.A.S.P.'s bridge, Abby and Kuki are joined by a worried Numbuh Vine. "C…can I help?"
"Take a seat and get to work then. Numbuh 5's trynna find where Hoagie's transmission cut off." Abby mutters to the plantiform, eyes glued to her screen while Kuki listens to the radio, blocking out everything else, apart from Virgo.
"My, you're suddenly really determined. It's almost scary."
"Go away." Kuki snaps at Virgo, who is watching everything unfold from the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s lounge, unaware that Numbuh 9L and Bradley are keeping their eyes on her.
"That friend of yours was probably vaporized. So why are you wasting your time looking for him?"
"He's still alive. That's why."
"Hmph, must be nice to be so naïve." the sultry O.M.E.G.A. Number scoffs but Kuki ignores her and continues to look for any sign of Hoagie on the radio waves.
"Where are you Numbuh 2…?" Kuki thinks as she flicks through the various frequencies but so far, she has only heard static and the occasional transmission from Wally and the remaining O.M.E.G.A Numbers. Then, she is struck by the heavy feeling of being useless yet again, just like during the battle in the Moonbase, where she couldn't help her teammates fight the GKND operatives. "I'll find you…count on it, Hoagie…I'm not…useless."
"*ZZZZZTTTTTT*…Hmm hmm hmm hmm, hmmm hmmm hmm hmm…"
"Eh?!" Kuki's heart skips a beat as she hears humming on an open channel and despite it being faint, she immediately recognizes the voice. "I…I HEAR HIM! IT'S HOAGIE!" she stands up and gestures to Abby, who runs over to her station immediately.
"GIMME THAT!" she swipes Kuki's headset and to her utter joy, Abby too hears Hoagie's humming, to the point that she almost bursts into tears but manages to contain herself. "…h…home in on that signal, Numbuh 3! We gotta find out where it's comin' from!"
"On it!" Kuki replies confidently as Abby smiles and gives her friend a slight hug..
"You're the best, Kuki!"
Then, Abby runs back to the navigation computer, joined by an equally determined Numbuh Vine. "Leave the coordinates to me! You contact the others." she gestures to Abby, who nods and puts on her own headset.
"Guys! Numbuh 3 found him! We're gonna broadcast the frequency to ya now!" Abby calls both the search team and the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s control center at the same time, before relaying Hoagie's call to them.
"That's Numbuh 2! Hah-haah! I knew he made it! I just knew it!" an elated Wally yells as Scorpius' eye turns from yellow to red.
"Switching to audio detection mode." the O.M.E.G.A. Number says and scans the area. "Source found. This way." he points at a large cluster of wrecked 2x4 ships near the edge of the debris field as Hoagie's humming is now heard by everyone.
"Libra, Agent Vigilante, relay Scorpius' data here. We'll amplify our range even more." Nigel gestures to Hoagie's brother and the alien, who both nod back firmly.
"Affirmative."
"Leave it to The Tommy!" then, as they get to work, Nigel walks over to the window and clenches his right fist.
"Come on Numbuh 2…hang in there…" he mutters as Hoagie's humming becomes clearer by the minute.
Unaware that his friends have heard him, Hoagie continues to hum gently, trying to save as much oxygen as possible. "…I know they'll find me…they will…" anxiously, he looks around the debris field, but it is too cluttered to identify anything, when suddenly, Hoagie's damaged receiver picks up a faint, but distinct voice.
"*ZZZZZZZZTTTT*…buh 2?!...*ZZZTTTTT*…ere are ya?!"
"Numbuh 4?!" Hoagie's eye lights up as he hears snippets of Wally's voice in the radio, followed by other voices that belong to his teammates, growing ever clearer by the second. "It worked!" Then, with his hope restored, Hoagie starts singing the song's lyrics to make it easier for his friends to hear him.
"Thoughts endless in flight,
Day turns to night,
Questions you ask your soul.
Which way do I go?
How fast is too slow?
The journey has it's time, then ends."
"I hear him clearly now!" Kuki calls everyone on the frequency as Scorpius' data is relayed to the O.B.S.E.R.T.A.T.I.O.N., allowing Libra and Tommy to pinpoint where Hoagie is.
"Got it! Hoagie's there!" Tommy yells as he points at a green dot on the control center's large radar screen, not far from which are the dots representing Wally, Cygnus, Scorpius and Leo.
"Numbuh 4, we're sending Numbuh 2's exact coordinates to you now! Bring him back!"
"Right! Come on, Numbuh 2's over there!" Wally revs his S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D.'s engine and gestures to the right before accelerating towards a thick cluster of debris, prompting Cygnus to fly ahead of him, pushing the obstacles away with her magnetic powers.
"Scorpius, Leo, hang back and keep an eye out for any debris that might hit us."
"Affirmative, resuming surveillance mode."
"Fine! Leave them to me!" Leo replies in an uncharacteristically determined tone that surprises Cygnus, but she has no time to think about it as Wally plows on past her, weaving through the cluster, beyond which, he can see a human shape laying against a C.O.O.L.B.U.S.'s wing.
"Numbuh 2!" he shouts and waves as he approaches the wing. Then, a wide smile appears on Wally's face upon seeing his best friend in one piece.
"…heh…what took you guys so long?" an exhausted Hoagie smiles back as Wally stops in-front of him and connects an emergency 2x4 air tank to Hoagie's utility belt. "*inhale* *exhale* Oh man…fresh air."
"Come on mate, we'll getcha outta here." Wally grins and helps Hoagie on the S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D., only for him to wince in pain upon moving his left leg.
"Uargh…ow…"
"Oh crud, your leg's busted. Don't worry, Numbuh 3's gonna heal it when we get back." but before Hoagie can fully mount the S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D., he sees the severed front half of a S.C.A.M.P.E.R. strike the remains of a S.P.A.C.E.R.-C.H.A.S.E.R.'s hull, sending the bulky ship plummeting down towards them.
"Lo…LOOK OUT!" he yells as Wally also sees the wreckage flying at them, but just as he was told to, Leo moves in-front of the wrecked ship and stops its momentum with his kinetic powers.
"What are ya starin' at? Get movin'!" he yells at the teenagers, prompting Wally to pull Hoagie onto the S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D. and speed away, while Cygnus and Leo protect them from any more debris.
"Look at you, Leo, you did your job. I'm impressed." Cygnus smirks at the former Pantherian, who huffs and looks away, but Cygnus chuckles anyway as they fly back to the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.
"…I wasn't doing it for them…" Leo thinks but Wally's furious words had clearly left an impact in him, especially the fact Hoagie and Tommy are siblings. "…brothers…just like me and…" but the O.M.E.G.A. Number quickly shakes his head, brushing his thoughts aside and continues to guard Wally's S.K.I.D.D.O.O.D. as he calls the others.
"Numbuh 4 here! We found Numbuh 2 and are comin' back!"
"YES!" an overjoyed Nigel shouts while pumping his right fist up in the air. "Good job, we'll see you in the dock."
"Roger that!"
"…tha…thanks guys…sorry about that…" Hoagie says weakly, prompting Wally to shake his head as they exit the cluster and come within sight of the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.
"Ah, don't worry about it, mate. Besides, you should thank Numbuh 3, she heard ya first, ain't that right?" Wally gestures towards the docked M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P., from where Kuki, Abby and Vine watching the rescue team's return.
"Damn straight! Numbuh 3 heard ya loud and clear!" an elated Abby waves from the window as she pats the embarrassed Kuki on the back.
"Co…come on, I didn't do that much…but…I'm so glad you're okay, Numbuh 2." she says to Abby's headset, prompting Hoagie to bite his lip, trying his best not burst into tears.
"…me too…"
Then, Abby, Kuki and Vine leave the W.A.S.P.'s bridge and hurry through the airlock tunnel into the station's assembly area, where Nigel, Libra, Tommy, Numbuh 9L and Bradley are already waiting. They gather in-front of the dock's personnel airlock as Wally enters the air-less dock and helps Hoagie into the airlock, followed by Leo, Scorpius and Cygnus. Then, a loud hiss is heard as the airlock doors open and Wally steps out, holding Hoagie up, causing Abby to tear up.
"HOAGIE!" she screams in utter joy and runs over to him, followed by Kuki, Nigel and Tommy. "You made it! We…thought we lost ya…" Abby rambles as she removes Hoagie's helmet and swoops Hoagie into a hug as Wally steps aside, letting Abby hold him up instead before taking off his own helmet.
"…but I didn't…I'm right here…" Hoagie replies, fighting the pain in his left leg, but then, he cannot hold back anymore and starts crying. "…but I…was so…scared…*sniff* I thought I wasn't…gonna see you guys again!" he says trough his tear-filled goggles, prompting Abby to hug him even tighter.
"Oh Hoagie…"
"YOU CAME BAAAACK!" an equally tearful Tommy screams and also hugs his brother.
"It's alright now, Numbuh 2, you're safe and sound." Nigel tells the crying Hoagie and pats him on the shoulder while Kuki covers her mouth and tries not to break down as well. "We better take him to the med bay. He's exhausted."
"Leave it to me." Abby gestures to Nigel and starts escorting the sobbing Hoagie away, holding his hand tightly, the day's events reminding her of how Cree nearly killed Hoagie a year ago. "Don't worry, baby, Abby's right here." she whispers while Kuki wipes her eyes and takes a deep breath.
"I…I'm gonna go with them! I need to heal his leg." then, followed by Bradley, she starts running after them, determined to prove Virgo wrong, that she is not useless while Nigel and Wally stay behind.
"Oh man…that was way too close." Wally exhales and slumps down on a nearby chair, finally able to relax.
"Indeed…without Numbuh 3, we would've never found him…" Nigel replies and looks up at the ceiling, hiding his blue eyes under his sunglasses, but Numbuh Vine manages to catch a glimpse of faint tears appearing in his eyes, before Nigel shakes his head and turns to face Wally. "You can take a break, you've earned it, Numbuh 4."
"Don't have to tell me twice. I'm gonna get rid of this stupid suit…" Wally says and heads for the changing room, but just like Nigel, he too was holding back his tears of relief, but as he closes the changing room's door behind him, a few tears manage to roll down his cheeks before he wipes them away and glares at his reflection. "That's right…I'm not losing them again…"
Meanwhile, Nigel walks over to Tommy, who is wiping his goggles into his trench coat's sleeve. "You should go see your brother, Tommy, we can handle the rest here."
"Ye…yeah…okay…" Tommy replies silently and leaves as well, while Scorpius lifts his head towards Nigel.
"Has this happened before? Your teammates appear very shaken." the O.M.E.G.A. Number asks bluntly, earning a disapproving glance from Cygnus.
"Scorpius, that is uncalled for! They almost lost their teammate!" However, Scorpius does not react to her words and continues to look at Nigel with his single yellow eye, prompting Nigel to sigh.
"It's okay…a year ago, during the battle against my uncle, Numbuh 5's older sister almost murdered Numbuh 2 in cold blood. I wasn't there to see it, but 5, 3 and 4 were and it was only thanks to Numbuh 3' healing powers that he survived. She also saved Numbuh 4's life two weeks earlier when he was beaten to within an inch of his life by the Teen Ninjas." Nigel gestures to Scorpius and then clears his throat. "Anyway, Numbuh 2's in good hands, so we should focus on going through what you guys salvaged and then plan how we'll rebuild the W.A.S.P. We can't hide here forever."
"I see. Apologies for my bluntness. I will head outside and begin categorizing the salvaged parts."
"I will go as well. Leo, Cygnus?"
"Yeah, count me in. I hate sitting around." Leo nods and follows Scorpius back into the airlock, but he still remains perplexed by what he saw and heard, as his Omega symbol blinks for a split second while Cygnus stares wistfully towards the hallway Abby, Hoagie and Kuki went into.
"Cygnus?"
"Oh…uhm…I will join you later. You've already got one heavy-lifter in Leo."
"Very well. but don't stay too long. You powers are very useful out there." Libra replies while Cygnus sighs and shakes her head.
"I…I'm going to see how he is doing…" she mutters before disappearing into the hallway as a stone-faced Nigel folds his arms and looks at the remaining aliens.
"Right…I'm going back to the control center. Contact me if something happens out there." he says to Libra, who salutes him.
"Understood. I will keep you informed." the O.M.E.G.A. Number replies and enters the airlock while Nigel boards an elevator, leaving behind only Numbuh Vine and 9L, who nudges her plantiform friend.
"Mau?"
"Oh…I'm fine…just…overwhelmed. I'm happy everyone made it back." Vine says, the sight of Nigel holding back his tears burned into her mind, but she is also awestruck by how tightly knit Sector V have become since they were kids. "Now I understand…why he's like this…" Vine thinks to herself while 9L nods back silently, all the while, the sneaky Virgo is watching them from behind a corner.
"…hmph, they're so disgustingly naïve. The whole lot of them. Once we reach Earth, I'll need to split them up, by force. Lyrical's gonna find us sooner or later anyway."
10 minutes later, Wally steps out of the changing room and realizes the assembly area is empty. "Huh? Where'd they all go? *shrug* Ah whatever…" he mutters and then, after a bit of hesitation, heads down the hallway that leads to the med bay, when suddenly, Wally hears someone approaching him behind. "Hmm?"
"Meow!" a smiling Numbuh 9L greets him with her tails and comes to Wally's side.
"Ah…hi…" he replies awkwardly, still not quite used to the giant Feloid and it does not help that he cannot understand what she is saying. "Uhm…I was gonna go see Numbuh 2."
"Mrau." 9L nods and before Wally can say anything, she grabs his hood gently with her mouth and lifts him up.
"Huh?! Hey, what the crud are ya…WAAAAH!" then, despite Wally's protests, 9L starts running through the station's hallways all the way to the med bay before lowering the struggling teenager to the floor. "Gah, warn me next time!" he snaps at the Feloid but then, shakes his head and looks away to hide his embarrassment. "Tha…thanks…I guess."
"Mau!" 9L replies and nuzzles Wally's cheek.
"Cu…cut it out…" Wally jumps away from 9L but the Feloid is not bothered by his tough front, which reminds her of Leo. However, they are interrupted by a loud scream coming from behind the med bay's doors.
"AAAARGH! OW-OW-OW-OW, DAMMIT IT HURTS!"
"Numbuh 2!" Wally shouts and runs inside, followed by 9L, who is somehow able to fit herself through the door. The pair immediately see a struggling Hoagie lying in a hospital bed with Kuki inspecting his leg while Abby and Tommy try to hold him down.
"Hey, stop being a baby!"
"Quit squirming! Numbuh 3 can't fix your dislocated knee if ya keep movin'!" Tommy and Abby tell Hoagie as they keep him pressed against his bed, but the goggle-wearing teenager is not having any of it.
"But it huuurrts! Arrghh!"
"Take it like a man, Numbuh 2! You've survived worse!" Abby says just as Wally approaches the bed, causing her to immediately snap at him. "The heck are ya lookin' at? Give us a hand! This dummy won't stop squirmin'!"
"Ri…right!" Wally replies and comes to their aid, restraining Hoagie's right leg while putting his weight over his torso while Bradley hops down from Kuki's shoulder and clamps Hoagie's left arm with his snow-shovel arm.
"Hold him there!" Kuki shouts as she takes hold of Hoagie's left knee. "Sorry Hoagie." Then, accompanied by a loud crack, she manages to put the leg in place, only for Hoagie to scream even louder from the pain.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
"Shhh, it's okay, Numbuh 2. Yer leg's in one piece."
"NO IT ISN'T! DAMMIT!" Hoagie howls in pain and glares at his friends but Kuki is unfazed as she puts a splint on Hoagie's knee with cold efficiency, which catches Wally's eye, having not seen Kuki show such a serious face since before he was Erased, before a thought pops into his mind
"How the crud does she keep calm while doin' stuff like this?" he thinks as Kuki tends to Hoagie's knee, wrapping it in gauze and then, she gestures to her friends to loosen their grip on him.
"Okay…it's done…" she mutters as Abby, Tommy, Wally and Bradley let go of Hoagie, who is still gritting his teeth, fighting the pain and clenching his bed's mattress.
"Ghhhh…ow…" he groans as Kuki takes a deep breath and eyes her medallion.
"Are ya gonna heal his knee with your magic now?" Abby inquires, causing everyone to look at Kuki expectantly. After all, she had done so plenty of times before a year ago and her healing ability had directly saved both Wally's and Hoagie's lives during the Splinter Cell war so now, it was not going be any different.
"…Y…yeah. Let me concentrate first." Kuki replies hesitantly, all too aware that she has not been able to use her magic properly since Virgo placed the O.L. Ring on her upper right arm and it weighs heavily on her mind. "It's okay…you can do this."
"Oh, you're trying to heal him with the Nebula Crystal? Heh-heh, okay, I'm watching." the ever-condescending voice of Virgo once again rings in Kuki's head, causing her to twitch, but she refuses to let the alien's words deter her. Closing her eyes, Kuki moves her hands over Hoagie's kneecap as her friends watch in silence, especially Numbuh 9L and Cygnus, who has been hiding in the hallway the whole time. However, try as she might, the medallion refuses to glow. "Ghh…"
"Hey, everything okay? Ya don't have to strain yoself."
"I'm fine! Le…let me do this." Kuki snaps at Abby and concentrates even harder, worrying her friends. "Mmmmh…"
"Oh come now, surely you can fix a few broken ligaments. Aren't you supposed to be a medic?"
"Haaah!" angered by Virgo's comment, Kuki's red eyes begin glowing dark purple and so does her medallion while her palms emit a bright, pink light that repairs Hoagie's damaged knee muscles and cartilage, leaving the others in awe.
"Mauu…" 9L's jaw drops from the shock while Cygnus stares at the phenomenon, her eyes wide open.
"That…how is that possible?! Just what is that medallion?" she thinks as Kuki suddenly loses her balance and begins to fall backwards, prompting Wally and Abby to catch her before she hits the floor.
"Woah! Girl, what happened?"
"Kuki?" they ask frantically while Kuki's vision becomes blurry as she stares blankly at the large wall on the other side of the med bay, completely oblivious to her friends calls, lost in her thoughts. Why is she suddenly feeling so drained? It was not like this before. She had used her healing power plenty of times before only a year ago and only lost her stamina when she had to heal extreme injuries but now, just healing Hoagie's knee as left her exhausted. However, through her blurred vision, she sees a figure standing before the wall opposite her. The figure's skin and long hair are bright pink, and it has glowing, green eyes.
"…who…" she mutters as the figure appears to speak to her, but Kuki cannot understand what they are saying. Then, as quickly as the figure appeared, it disappears, causing both her vision and hearing to clear up immediately, snapping Kuki back to reality.
"Kuki!"
"Talk to me!"
"Uh…so…sorry! I…must've blacked out…" Kuki replies to Wally and Abby, who pull her up while Hoagie eyes his knee. "Is…is it better now?"
"It's still sore…but thanks."
"Ke…keep the splint on for now, okay? You can't bend the knee just yet…sorry, I couldn't fully heal it like before…" Kuki laments but her friends quickly shake their heads.
"What are ya talkin' about, Kuki? Ya did great."
"Yeah! We'd be screwed without ya." Abby and Wally tell her while a delighted Numbuh 9L walks over and pats Kuki's head with her left tail.
"Mau!"
"Thanks…" a slightly blushing Kuki replies, feeling relieved she was able to be useful again.
"You really have no idea how use the Nebula Crystal correctly do you? If you're not careful, you might hurt your friends." Virgo taunts Kuki, causing her face to turn pale as she recalls another painful memory from a year ago, when she did lose control and hurt her teammates.
Noticing the color fading from Kuki's face, Abby becomes worried. "Ya really should get some rest, Kuki. Come on, I'll take ya to the lounge and…" but when Abby tries to gently put her hand on Kuki's upper right arm, she swipes Abby's hand away rather violently.
"No! I…I can go there by myself…so…sorry." she replies before bowing and running away from the med bay, causing Abby to squint. Something is not right.
"…Numbuh 4, go after her. Somethin's up with Numbuh 3." she tells Wally, who is at first confused but then, he nods back.
"Huh? O…okay! Leave it to me!" Wally replies and leaves the med bay, while Bradley and Numbuh 9L exchange looks, before the skunk gestures at Abby.
"Yeah, you should go too." she replies, prompting Bradley to hop on top of 9L's head and the duo go after Wally, while Tommy turns his back to his brother theatrically.
"Well, now that your leg's fixed, The Tommy can go back to his duties!" he declares before marching aways as well, which amuses Abby to no end.
"Man, that kid is definitely your brother. I think today was the first time Numbuh 5's seen him drop character like that."
"Ye...yeah, I guess..." but then, Abby's smirk goes away and she turns her now stern gaze towards Hoagie, who leaning back against his large pillow.
"Did ya notice it too?"
"Yeah…ever since we got our memories back…she's been acting strange."
"And she couldn't fight well back at the Moonbase. She didn't summon any ghost hamsters and didn't her magic at all." Abby remarks while Hoagie sits up slowly before adjusting his hat as the pair eye the door Kuki ran out of.
"At least she was able to fix my knee…should we tell Numbuh 1?"
"Yeah, definitely. We don't want her to go nuts like she did a year ago. Numbuh 5 already tried to talk to her before, but she kept dodgin' my questions. Numbuh 3's hidin' somethin'."
"It's like she did a total 180 after our memories got restored. Before that Numbuh 3 was smiling all the time, but not anymore." Hoagie gestures to Abby, who nods before sighing wistfully.
"All we can do is be there for her. If she don't wanna talk about it, we can't force her…"
"Right…" then, an awkward silence falls on the med bay, as the teenagers realize this is the first time since their reunion that they've been by themselves. "Uhm…sorry I made you worry…it was my fault I got caught in that explosion and…"
"Ah, don't sweat it, Hoagie. Ya survived and that's all that matter." Abby smirks and takes Hoagie left hand. "But there better not be a next time, okay?"
"Oh…well, I'll try to keep it that way." a blushing Hoagie replies as the pair get lost in each other's eyes, but before they can go any further, Cygnus reveals herself, interrupting their moment.
"P…pardon me!" she exclaims, completely startling the teenagers.
"Huh?!" embarrassed, Abby instantly jumps up and let's go of Hoagie's hand, who in-turn hits his left foot against the chair Kuki sat in.
"OW! Ow, ow, ow…urgh…Cy..gnus? What are you doing here?" he asks the O.M.E.G.A. Number, who approaches the pair cautiously.
"I came to apologize for my behavior from yesterday, Hogarth." she bows her head in shame while Abby eyes Hoagie from under her hat.
"Hogarth? Did ya tell her to call ya that or somethin'?"
"Nnnno! Of course not! She just decided on her own!" Hoagie pleads with Abby, who huffs as Cygnus keeps her distance.
"Calling one by their full first name was a…custom on my home planet before it was…destroyed."
"Ah, gotcha. Sorry, didn't mean to be rude." Abby apologizes as Cygnus comes to Hoagie's bedside and shakes her head.
"None taken."
"So what's this about yesterday? Did you two have a fight or somethin'?" Abby turns her attention to Hoagie who puts his hands up.
"No, we didn't…it was just…"
"An overreaction on my part. I was being too nosy about Hogarth's relationship with you." Cygnus gestures with her wings, causing Abby to fold her arms and squint at Hoagie.
"Izzat so? And ya squealed?"
"S…she just asked if we were dating, and I said yes! Nothing else!" a panicking Hoagie explains, ready to receive a whack from Abby's hat but instead, she breaks out into laughter.
"BHA-HAH-HAH-HAH! Boy, ya really suck at keepin' secrets."
"Hey!"
"*chuckle* Rest assured; I will keep your secret. And I will try not to overreact from now on. I just love talking about romance so much I lose myself sometimes." Cygnus says to the teenagers, prompting Abby to nod back.
"Don't worry about it. Right now, we ain't got time to think about datin' and stuff. We've got a planet to save."
"Of course! As I already said to Hogarth, I am as determined to save your planet as you are."
"Pfft, 'Hogarth'."
"Come on, can't you just call me Numbuh 2 or Hoagie at least!" Hoagie tells the O.M.E.G.A. Number while Abby chuckles loudly next to him.
"Hah-hah-hah, ya want me to call ya Hogarth too?"
"NO!" a visibly annoyed Hoagie yells at the girls, but it only makes Abby laugh even louder, forcing her to grab hold of the small chair next to Hoagie's bed.
"You shouldn't be ashamed of your full name, Hogarth."
"BA-HAH-HAH-HAH!"
"I'M NOT ASHAMED! Gah…" Hoagie shouts before Abby puts her hand on his left shoulder.
"Calm down, Goggle-Boy. We're just messin' with ya."
"I am not 'messing' with anyone. I am very serious." Cygnus puffs her chest, much to Abby's amusement.
"Okay, okay, well, if it's such a big deal for ya, Hoagie, she can call me Abigail, how's that?" Abby says to a pouting Hoagie while a delighted Cygnus puts her wing tips together.
"I do not mind. Unless it bothers you, Hogarth?"
"Whatever…" Hoagie mutters as Abby starts laughing again, confusing Cygnus.
"Why are you laughing? Is it normal for humans laugh when they talk about how they are addressed?"
"Nah, it's you two who're bein' funny. Hah-hah-hah!" Abby replies to Cygnus while cackling wildly as Hoagie stops pouting and lays down on the bed. His brush with death has left him deeply shaken, but Abby's laughter makes him feel much better and more imporantly, grateful that his dad's song saved him from certain death.
"…I survived…thanks dad…"
End of Transmission 42
After word: This one took longer than I had hoped but it was definitely worth the trouble.
We got more big revelations in this chapter, including some backstory for Cygnus, which may imply something about future events *wink* *wink*. Hoagie also revealed what happened to his dad and the song I used for his rescue is also connected to flying, specifically the video game Ace Combat 5. Journey Home is an amazing song and both versions of it are on the official OP Retribution/OP Beyond soundtrack, which can be found from the AO3 version since doesn't allow links. Speaking of music, this chapter's name comes from Titan A.E., which is one of my favorite animated movies and the song Cosmic Castaway fit the scene Hoagie and Wally salvaging parts perfectly.
We also learned where Patton ended up in and a pretty big revelation about Numbuh Shrike, so there's a lot to look forward to in future chapters. Also, I finally came up with a good name for Numbuh 9L's species, which is Feloid. I've already added the name to her debut chapter and I'll try to sprinkle it into previous chapters over time as well.