Songs used:
-Escape the Void Prison: Departure (Mythos Remaster) by Ippo Yamada
Transmission 10: The Second Chance
One year ago, at the GKND Void Prison
"Commander on the bridge!" an alien operative resembling a humanoid pill bug wearing purple armor shouts as Numbuh Tera, the Void Prison's gray-furred, red eyed warden enters the large, circular-shaped command bridge. He is a Kontion, a race of aliens that look like anthropomorphic bears and hails from the forest planet Arctos. He is taller than anyone else on the bridge, making him an intimidating sight.
"As you were." he says with a gruff, commanding voice and walks to the center of the bridge, inside a ring lined with a railing. "Anything new to report, Numbuh Grub?" he gestures towards the pill bug alien, who straightens his back and shakes his head.
"No sir. All prison levels are showing green."
"And how is our newest inmate doing?"
"He's sitting nice and quiet in his cell. Hasn't moved a bit since you threw him in there."
"As he should. That teenager is a real pain in the neck. He took out four of our best guards before I subdued him."
"Well, he'll be Decommissioned within a few Mega Cycles and then he won't a be problem."
"Indeed…" Then, another alien with green-ish, scaly skin and three snake-like heads enters.
"Numbuh Noxious reporting in, Sir." the alien's middle head speaks with a cold, hissing voice. He is wearing green and black armor and his fingers and toes end in sharp claws.
"Ah, Noxious, I was wondering where you were."
"I was asked to take an operative to the Teenager Hold."
"Who? I wasn't informed of any visitors."
"It was Numbuh S-26. He had special permission from the Galactic Subjugation Force. Here." Numbuh Noxious hands a holo-pad to Tera, who reads the holographic text projected by the device and sighs.
"They love stepping over others, don't they."
"Well, they are the best GKND Sector, and they serve directly under Galactic Command."
"I know that, but I don't like how they flaunt their position around."
"Better not let Numbuh Exa hear about that."
"Hmph, I've known him since we were cadets so I can handle him. So why is S-26 here?"
"He wanted to speak to Numbuh 274. Maybe to say goodbye."
"A pointless gesture. Considering his…condition."
"Sir, we're getting a message from Galactic Command." an octopus-like alien says to Tera.
"Put it through." Numbuh Tera and Noxious turn their attention to the large screen, on which an alien resembling a humanoid tiger, wearing gray and red armor and a gray mask with three green eyes, appears. "Speak of the devil…" Tera whispers to Noxious and salutes the alien. "Greetings, Numbuh Exa."
"No need to salute me, Numbuh Tera. I won't bother you for long." Exa replies coldly. "I received a message that Numbuh S-26 just arrived there, correct?"
"Yes, Numbuh Noxious just showed him around."
"Once he has finished his business, relay these orders to him. Galactic Command has changed our schedule. Also, prepare the O.M.E.G.A.-Numbers for transport. They will be reconditioned aboard our Treehouse."
"That so? It's going to take some time to prepare them though."
"I don't want to hear your complaints, just do it. Numbuh Exa out." as the screen turns blank, Tera clenches his fist angrily.
"Gah, I don't know whose head is bigger, Exa or 74.239. They both think they can just boss the Void Prison around."
"Hmph, indeed. Getting the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers here was already hard."
"Once S-26 has come back, we'll prep the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. I don't want to get yelled at by that fang-faced hot shot." Tera says as the bridge crew get to work.
…
Down in the Void Prison lower levels, the operative known as S-26 exits an elevator. He is wearing a gray trench coat and orange goggles, but his skin and hair are glowing yellow. As he approaches an armored door, he is stopped by a ghost-like alien. "Halt! Before you enter the Teen Hold, show me your ID."
"Here." Numbuh S-26 replies and hands a holo-card to the guard, who eyes it for a second and then, steps aside.
"Alright, you're cleared to pass. However, you're only permitted 20 cycles, is that clear?"
"Yes." S-26 replies as the armored door slides away.
The aptly named Teen Hold contains only teenagers, most of them being either captured villains or Decommissioning escapees but some of the inmates are more infamous than most. The Hold has four floors, each one lined with cells, which have energy bars and behind those, an armored shudder, making it impossible for an inmate to escape. On the fourth floor, at the very end of the hallway lined with cells, is a lone cell that is kept separate from the others and within, sits a teenage boy.
He has scruffy blond hair; his face and hands are slightly bruised, and he is wearing a dark blue shirt with a hood. His arms are chained into the wall with energy chains and his only companion in the cell is a simple toilet bowl. The inmate is Chad Dickson. He had been placed in this cell soon after his show trial ended and now, he feels utterly defeated. The words of Galactic Decommissioning Commander Numbuh Nominal's poisonous words still ring in his ears. Earth, his home planet, has been marked for Planetary Decommissioning and there is nothing he can do. The organization he had secretly served since he was twelve has cast him aside, but he has no regrets. Chad had become disillusioned with the GKND after learning about the Splinter Cell's actions on Earth and how the GKND treated it as nothing. How could they justify ruining so many lives and destroying planets? His resentment is aimed especially at Numbuh 74.239, who had been his recruiter after all. He had been the one who told him about the GKND and how he could join them if he did as he was told, taking advantage of Chad's desire of becoming an even bigger legend.
Chad had burned his bridges with the KND when he cast the Moonbase into the sun and subsequently became a Teen Ninja. Now, he has nothing left. His Sector had been disbanded and its members detained. "Dammit…dammit…" he curses silently as he stares at the cold floor. Then, his cell's shudders flip open, causing Chad to lift his head but when he does so, his eyes widen: Standing behind the green energy bars is Numbuh S-26, his old teammate and the GKND operative who helped establish the Teens Next Door, under the fake codename of Numbuh Gamma. However, upon noticing that S-26 is not using his human disguise, Chad frowns. "…S-26…"
"Numbuh 274."
"What do you want…?"
"I came here to say goodbye."
"Then you wasted your time. I don't wanna talk to a fake. You're just a personality the GKND planted into you after they Reconditioned you…"
"So, you heard."
"Nominal implied it during the trial."
"I see."
"…why did you let them do this to you?"
"Because I had broken protocol and my old self was punished for it."
"'Old self'…you're not S-26."
"It doesn't matter what you think and neither does it matter what I used to be. My loyalty will always lie with the GKND."
"They're going to Decommission Earth and you're just gonna let them?!"
"The Earth has been overrun by the disease of Adulthood and it must be dealt with. That is the will of the GKND, and it must be upheld."
"Listen to yourself!" Chad stands up and stares furiously at his former friend, who does not show any emotion on his face. "Don't you care about the TND? They treated you like a friend! And you're going to betray them just like that?!"
"They were not my friends. I do not associate with teenagers and that includes you." S-26's words enrage Chad, who walks up against the shudder and glares at the Luminosian.
"They'll never forgive you for this!"
"It doesn't matter."
"They owe everything to you, they accepted you! You're not S-26 to them, you're Numbuh Gamma!"
"…gh…urgh…" Suddenly, S-26 twitches violently and staggers backwards. "Argh…gh…*pant*….*gasp*…uargh!" he lets out a painful cry while covering his face but then, Numbuh S-26 stops and slowly lifts his head as his appearance changes to his human disguise. "…I knew…I knew you would use that name…" Chad freezes from shock as he realizes what happened.
"…you…you're back to yourself…how did you…?"
"I tampered with the Reconditioning Module before Numbuh Nominal used it on me…I placed a trigger word backdoor into my psyche and put all my bets on you to say my fake codename to me."
"And that overwrote that fake personality…dammit…why did you let them do that…"
"The other me said it already: It's my punishment."
"Why?! You didn't deserve that!"
"Yes, I did. Not only did I expose the GKND to the TND but because of my mistake, my…friends suffered at the hands of Numbuh 1000 and I'll never forgive myself for that. Omnius got in my head and…"
"But why Reconditioning?!"
"It was part of the deal…"
"Deal? What deal?"
"To save you from execution. The Galactic Commanders wanted your head, Numbuh 274. I had no choice." Chad steps back from the shudders and grits his teeth.
"…no…you didn't…have to go that far for me…"
"You still have a chance to redeem yourself, Numbuh 274. You can save your planet, unlike me. I don't have a planet to protect anymore."
"What?! How? I'm locked in this cell and I'll be Decommissioned any time now!" Chad shouts but then, he sees S-26 reach for his pocket before phasing two objects into the cell: a data disc and a small remote looking device with a blue antenna on it. "…a S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R. What are you…?"
"That disc holds the cure for Erasure. I managed to steal it from Numbuh 74.239's files after I arrived from Earth. I also left message in it. Show it to the TND, it holds the key to defeating Omnius."
"You're not serious…"
"Deadly serious. Use the S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R. to escape this cell and free Numbuh Vine and 9L. They are still here and haven't been Reconditioned."
"What about A64?"
"It's too late for her and me." S-26 shakes his head and looks Chad in the eye. "Also, free the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers and take them to Earth."
"What?! You gotta be kidding me, the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers are never gonna…"
"They will understand…even Corvus. Just get them out of here. If they end up like me, the GKND will be unstoppable. They don't deserve such a fate."
"…Okay, I'll do it." Chad nods and looks at S-26 with determination but then, the Luminosian starts groaning.
"Urgh…my time's up…one more thing…don't use the S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R until the antenna lights up, understood? That will signify when I've left the Void Prison. If you escape while I'm still here, you'll fail."
"Right."
"This is…gah…all I could…do…please…when you get to Earth…tell Numbuh Alpha and the others…that I'm sorry for failing them…please…UARGH!"
"I will…that's a promise!" Chad nods and looks S-26 in the eye, who smiles weakly under his collar before the Reconditioning comes back.
"Hide those things from me! You can't let my other self see them!" Chad quickly stuffs the disc and the S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R. into his pockets as S-26 writhes in pain while covering his face again. Then, he calms down and the emotion from his face fades away completely. "…"
"If you don't got anything else to say, get out of my face. We're done." Chad snaps at S-26, who lifts his head.
"Yes, we are. We won't see each other again, nor will you see your friends on Earth either. I will make sure of that." S-26 replies coldly as the shudders close, plunging Chad into darkness.
"…goodbye…old friend." Chad mutters and sits back on the steel bench next to the toilet bowl, eyeing the two items S-26 gave him. "…I promise, I won't fail. Even if this kills me."
…
Soon, Numbuh S-26 enters the Void Prison's bridge. "Numbuh S-26 reporting. You wanted to see me, Numbuh Tera?" he says, and the warden turns around to face him.
"Yes. Your new boss, Numbuh Exa called. Said he wanted you to depart immediately to the Galactic Subjugation Force's Treehouse. They've changed their schedule."
"Understood. Orders received; I'll leave immediately."
"We'll send the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers to Exa in two Mega-Cycles."
"Roger that." S-26 replies and quickly leaves while a visibly disgusted Noxious' all three heads gag.
"Urgh, he's even creepier now that they Reconditioned him."
"Says the operative with three heads."
"Hey, at least I don't sound like a Mechacon." Noxious snaps at Tera, who chuckles and turns around.
"Alright, let's get this show on the road. We've got 2 Mega-Cycles to pack the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers up for Exa."
Meanwhile, in the Teen Hold, Chad stands up as the S.C. .B.L.E.R.'s antenna lights up. "Okay, it's show time. Time to ditch this place and get some backup." he presses a blue button on the device, causing the chains binding him to the wall to disappear. Then, with the press of another button, he turns invisible. "Gotta love the gear Galactic Spies carry." he smirks before pointing the S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R. at the shudder, causing it to slide away and the energy bars are turned off as well. Peeking into the hallway, Chad points the device at the camera that is just about to point at his cell, stopping it in its tracks. "That should buy me some time." he runs under the camera and finds a ventilation shaft to the left of his cell. Cutting the shaft's hatch away with the S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R's laser torch, he crawls inside before putting the hatch back in place. "Okay, let's find Vine first…" using a miniature map generated by the S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R., he quickly locates his teammate. "Two floors below me. Good."
A few minutes later, Chad cuts open another vent hatch and drops into another hallway. This one is also lined with cells, but their inhabitants are all non-humanoids. Soon, Chad stops in-front of a cell with the same energy bars and shudder as his one had. Before he turns them off, he disables two cameras on either side of the cell. "Vine?" he whispers as the bars and shudder are disengaged.
"…huh? Wha…who's there?" a girly voice asks as Chad enters the cell and turns himself faintly visible.
"It's me."
"…nu…Numbuh 274! What are you doing here!" the voice shouts as an alien made of vines appears. Resembling a squid with vine tentacles that grow from an upside-down ceramic pot, the alien has a pitch-black head and white blank eyes. She was one of the three observers the GKND sent to Earth, along with Numbuh Infinity and Numbuh 74.239. Vine's job was get close and test Numbuh 1, the GKND's preferred Earth Representative canditate and to do that, she disguised herslef as Lizzy Devine, Numbuh 1's girlfriend.
"Shh! Quiet. I'm getting you out." However, Chad's changed appearance shocks Vine even further.
"They…they removed your Dilation Lock."
"Yeah, they did, so now I'm 18, not 14. You still have yours since you haven't sprouted any flowers yet."
"Ye…yes, I do have mine! Anyway, how did you escape?"
"…S-26 gave me a S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R. Told me to free you and 9L as well."
"But…he's Reconditioned."
"Not completely, but let's talk about that later. Grab onto me, so you'll be inside the cloak field as well."
"Okay." Numbuh Vine nods and wraps her leafy tentacles around Chad's back. "Where's 9L?"
"She in the Beast Floor."
"How are we getting her out without anyone noticing? The cloak field isn't big enough for her."
"I'll figure something out. Now let's get outta here." Chad and Vine turn invisible and escape the non-humanoid floor. After 10 minutes of crawling through another vent, they arrive at the second most heavily guarded section of the Void Prison, the Beast Floor. As its name implies, this floor's inmates resemble beasts and monsters, some of whom by themselves are capable of massive destruction. Unlike the previous cells, these ones do not have energy bars but instead, feature massive, armored doors with multiple reinforcements and a laser grid. "She's in that cell in the back." Silently, Chad and Vine sneak through the floor and stop in-front a slightly smaller cell.
"These doors have automated alarms if they're opened without a level-G keycard. How do we free her without getting caught?" Vine asks as Chad looks around.
"…then we've got no choice…let's make a detour." Then, Chad runs to the nearby control booth, protected by an armored see-through wall and the same laser grid as the cells.
"Wait, you're not seriously going to…?" a worried Vine asks as Chad uses the S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R. to disable the laser grid.
"The only way we can get 9L out of there is the cause a mass breakout. We'll use it as a diversion while we escape with 9L."
"But…these inmates are super dangerous; you're not seriously going to…"
"I don't give a damn about the GKND anymore, Vine. I say we let these beasts cause as much trouble for them as possible." Chad replies coldly and opens the small side door.
"Hmm? Who's there?!" the four operatives staffing the control booth see the door opening but see no one. "…must be a malfunction. Close it GUAH!" one by one, the operatives are knocked out by Chad, who then swipes the leader's keycard and uses it to unlock the cell control panel, which has every individual cell labeled.
"Are you sure about this?"
"It's the only way, Vine." Pulling the lever above the panel, Chad unlocks every single cell in the beast floor, causing the general alarm to go off immediately. "Okay, let's get to 9L!" Chad shouts as they rush out of the control booth and back into the cellblock but are immediately confronted by a massive centipede-like alien with 3 heads, each one sporting a pair of sharp pincers.
"Gyaah! It's an Arthropluran!" Vine screams as Chad realizes that the creature can sense their presence despite being invisible.
"Aw crap…" he mutters as the creature rears its heads back and lunges forward. Thinking quickly, Chad runs towards the monster and rolls under it just as its heads slam into the floor.
"We're not gonna make it out of here alive!" Vine shouts angrily but Chad ignores her complaints and sees a purple paw sticking out of a cell.
"Yes, we are! I see 9L, she's over there!" Chad runs towards cell but as he is about step inside, a massive tail slams him in the face before it wraps around his abdomen and drags him and Vine inside. "Ghh…hey, 9L! Let go! It's me, Numbuh 274 and Numbuh Vine!" hearing his voice, the unknown creature releases him and steps into the light. Before Chad and Numbuh Vine sits their Sector's old Weapons Expert, Numbuh 9L, a large cat-like Feloid with purple striped fur and two long tails. Her expressive, curly eyebrow's rise as the alien recognizes Chad and starts licking him. "Gah hey, cut it out! We need to get out of here." Numbuh 9L tilts her head and lets out an inquisitive growl but Chad and Vine can understand her despite not speaking the same language. "I'll explain later. Come on." Chad gestures to the door but 9L hunkers down and points at her back with her tails. "Oh, you wanna give us a ride? Thanks." Chad and Vine then climb on the cat-alien's back and in flash, they escape the cell, and she takes them through the beast infested hallway as guards rush in, trying in-vain to stop the out-of-control inmates.
…
"Numbuh Tera! There's been a major breakout at the Beast Floor!" Numbuh Grub, the pill bug alien shouts as Tera and Noxious turns their attention to the main screen.
"What?! How can that be?!" The shocked warden shouts as Grub types frantically on his console.
"We lost contact with the control booth a few cycles ago and then every single cell was unlocked all at once!"
"Grr…dammit! Issue a general alarm, isolate the Beast Floor at once!"
"Yes Sir!" Numbuh Grub replies as Tera grits his sharp teeth.
"Should we send a distress signal to Galactic Command? Those beasts are going to tear this prison apart if we don't…"
"I know that, Noxious! Fine, do it. I'll take responsibility." but then, the octopus-faced alien waves frantically at him.
"Sir, we've got another problem!"
"What kind of problem?!" Tera roars, startling the operative.
"Uh…the…the teenager…Numbuh 274…he's escaped."
"No…you're kidding me, right? Tell me you're kidding!"
"His cell is empty and so is Numbuh Vine's!" A loud bang is heard as Tera slams his large first against a steel table.
"Gaaah! Dammit! How did he escape?! He was in a separate cell for crying out loud!"
"…maybe Numbuh S-26 let him out…" Noxious mutters and immediately receives a furious glare from Tera.
"That's not possible, he's been Reconditioned. And the scans didn't detect anything on him when he entered and left the Teen Hold."
"Then how do you explain this, huh?!"
"It doesn't matter how he escaped, we have to capture him no matter what! Lock the hangars and secure all connecting tunnels between floors!"
"Yes, Sir!" as the operatives get to work, Tera clenches his fist angrily.
"I am NOT letting you get away again, not after all the trouble you put me through."
…
Meanwhile, somewhere deep within the Void Prison, Chad, Numbuh Vine and Numbuh 9L stop in a side corridor as Chad views the prison's map on his S.C.R.A.M.B.L.E.R. "So, what do we do now?! They've locked down the whole prison, including the hangars!"
"Mrrau!" 9L nudges Chad with her big paw but he remains unflappable.
"We'll get out here like I said but first, we need some help."
"Help? From who?"
"…there. I found it. Okay 9L, follow my directions." Chad hops on the unimpressed Feloid's back while Vine rolls her eyes and climbs on her back.
"Mmau?"
"Trust me, I know what I'm doing." Chad nods to Numbuh 9L, who can sense he's serious and starts running again. Thanks to her superior speed and agility, they quickly make their way to a special floor right before the armored doors behind them slam shut.
"They've locked us in!"
"Calm down. We're fine." Chad snaps at Vine as Numbuh 9L stops in-front of a sealed door, protected by a dense laser grid and energy bars. As they dismount, Vine realizes where they are.
"Wait, this is…this is where they keep the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers."
"Exactly. And they're not Reconditioned yet."
"You…you're going to free them? But you know Corvus would never…"
"Yeah, but they're our only hope. So, we need to put our faith into them, just like S-26 placed his hopes on me." Chad frowns as he disengages the door's security, and the trio walks in. Before them is a large room with six, green cylindrical containment cells and a control panel in the middle. As a precaution, Chad closes the door behind them in case they are spotted. "Okay…let's figure out how we can open these…" he walks over to the control panel with a cautious Vine and a serious 9L in tow.
"Mau!"
"Yeah, they might attack us…"
"Not if we explain everything to them." Chad says over his shoulder as he types on the control panel and then uses the keycard, he swiped from the head of the Beast Floor but it doesn't work. "Oh great, should've known this wasn't gonna be easy…"
"Let me try." Vine floats over to Chad, who steps aside, allowing the former spy to type on the panel. "Give me the card." Chad nods and hands her the keycard as he and Numbuh 9L wait silently. "Just a little bit more…aha, got it!" Vine unlocks the sealed lever above the panel, but Chad grabs it.
"I'll do it." Without saying a word, Vine watches as Chad pulls the lever, causing red alarm lights to go off while the containers are covered by gray armor plates. Then, a draining sound is heard, and the armor plates slide away, revealing six alien creatures within the containers. They are slightly bigger than Vine and none of them have legs. Instead, they float in the air. The first to open their eyes is the dark gray and dark red colored alien with a sharp bird-like beak and a body made of orange energy, covered by a layer of armor over the arms, chest and shoulders. The alien also has gray wings protruding from its back. However, the moment its glowing orange eyes sees Chad, it reacts angrily.
"…274…YOU!" it lunges out of its container and is about to strike Chad with its sharp, black claws but then, a larger, bronze, yellow and red alien appears from another container and intervenes. Its body resembles a large hourglass with arms that seem telescopic. Both hands have a bronze gauntlet and three round tipped fingers while the alien's head is robotic with a line resembling a mouth and blank, blue eyes.
"Corvus! Control yourself." the bronze alien says with a robotic, echoing voice.
"Out of my way, Libra! I've got unfinished business with that human!" The alien called Corvus says angrily but Libra refuses to move.
"Corvus, must you always resort to violence? Look around, there are no guards here and Numbuh 274 is clearly wearing prisoner's clothes." a silver, swan-like alien says with a lady-like voice. It has no legs and its wings, each one sporting 7 steel feathers, are not connected to it's sleek body and simply float above it.
"Cygnus' suggestion is logical. Perhaps we should hear them out before making any decisions." a purple and yellow, scorpion-like alien gestures with its short arms protruding from its abdomen. It also has larger arms with sharp serrated pincers and its body is covered in chitin armor while a curved tail grows from its lower back, ending in a mechanical, three-bladed pincer with a gun-like device inside it. Looking around with it's single, glowing yellow eye, the alien crosses its smaller arms and eyes Chad. "Why did you free us?"
"…" Chad lowers his head as two other aliens appear from their containers. The other one has turquoise and orange armor covering a body made of yellow energy and its armored face has cat-like features and its wrists have cylindrical, turbine-like devices.
"Grr…I say we just take 'em out and get outta here." the cat-faced alien gestures with its sharp claws while the last alien, appearing as an amorphous mass of green energy with white-green eyes and three gold rings inside it, takes on a slender, feminine shape and crosses its arms which now have the rings and the third is below its "neck"
"Hmph, hate to say it but the Pantherian is right."
"Leo, Virgo, Wait! There is no need to resort to violence. Numbuh 274, answer Scorpius' question." the robotic Libra gestures to Chad, who clenches his fists and takes a deep breath.
"Hear me out!" he begins explaining what has happened since he was brought to the Void Prison, had his trial and what happened to S-26, silencing the six aliens and his two friends as well.
"My, that is simply horrible!" swan-like Cygnus laments as a visibly saddened Numbuh 9L goes over to Chad and gives him a lick.
"Another planet faces the fate of ours…" Corvus mutters as Libra approaches Chad.
"Your situation is unfavorable, but why have you freed us?"
"That was S-26's wish. He didn't want you guys ending up like him and A64. They were going to Recondition you in a manner of cycles." Chad says grimly while the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers look at each other.
"He freed us in the nick of time." Libra says to the others but Corvus glares at Chad with suspicion.
"Maybe, but I don't trust him, and you can't make me." he snarls but Chad isn't fazed by the bird-like alien's attitude.
"I know you won't forgive me for what happened to you, but right now, we have to work together."
"Hah, as if I'd ever work with you!" Corvus says sarcastically.
"But you do owe me one, right?" Chad glares back at the alien, who raises his black eyebrow.
"I owe you nothing!"
"You're wrong, Corvus. If Numbuh 274 hadn't freed us, we'd have been Reconditioned into mindless slaves for the Galactic Subjugation Force to use." Cygnus says sternly while Libra and Scorpius nod.
"Cygnus is right. We owe our lives to you, Numbuh 274. What do you want in return?"
"Come with me to Earth." Chad's suggestion startles not only the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers but also 9L and especially Vine, who twitches.
"To Earth? That doesn't seem logical at all." Scorpius squints his eye as Chad frowns
"The GKND's next target is Earth! They're going to destroy my home planet and I won't let that happen!" Chad shouts with determination burning in his eyes. "I'll do whatever it takes because I'm responsible for this as well! My Sector helped create the Teens Next Door on Earth and now the GKND want them destroyed! They're my old comrades! Please, with your help, Earth might stand a chance." Then, Numbuh 9L places her tail on his shoulder and nods sternly.
"9L lost her home planet and you two know how that feels like, don't you?" Vine points at Cygnus and Corvus, who lower their heads.
"Yes…all too well…" Cygnus laments but the anger Corvus is feeling towards Chad isn't subsiding.
"…"
"Corvus, think for a moment. Have you forgotten how you felt when our planet was…"
"Don't say it!" Corvus lashes out at Cygnus and then glares at Chad.
"Our chances of escape are much bigger if we have Numbuh 274, Numbuh Vine and Numbuh 9L on our side." Scorpius says as Libra looks at their fellow O.M.E.G.A. Numbers.
"We may have been transformed into weapons of war but now, we have a chance to take a different path."
"Grargh, I don't care as long I can fight the GKND." Leo, the cat-like O.M.E.G.A. Number cracks his knuckles while Virgo remains indifferent. Then, everyone's eyes turn towards the angry Corvus.
"…fine…I'll go with your suggestion, but don't think for a moment I'll let the past go." Corvus hisses at Chad, who grins back.
"Thank you."
"So, what's the plan then?! Are we just gonna bust outta here?" Leo says as Scorpius eyes the closed door behind them.
"By my calculations, the GKND has already noticed our awakening and will most certainly send troops here."
"I released all the inmates in the Beast Floor, so they've got their hands full. All we have to do is get to the hangar, steal a ship equipped with a L.E.A.P.E.R. Drive and we're home free."
"Hmph, it's not going to be that simple. Only one person has ever escaped Void Prison."
"Then let us change that! I believe our best course of action is a swift charge!" Cygnus gestures with her left wing as Numbuh 9L lets out a loud, confident meow.
"Okay, that's our plan then." Chad puts his hand forward, prompting 9L put her tail on top of it and Vine does the same with her tentacle. Then, one-by-one, the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers join, though Corvus does so reluctantly. "Thank you. I promise I'll pay you all pack for this."
"Consider this our repayment for freeing us but before we leave, we have to take that case over there." Libra points at the sealed safe below the control panel.
"But you need the Warden's keycard to open that." Vine says as Scorpius approaches the safe and after a bit of fiddling, he unlocks it.
"Numbuh 274, having you hold onto this is a logical choice. Do not lose it, no matter what."
"Right, I'll keep it safe." Chad replies as Libra points their right hand at the door.
"The prison break begins now." the door starts to warp and glow red before Libra causes it to melt completely. Chad and Numbuh Vine hop on 9L's back and the feline alien dashes out while the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers fly overhead.
…
Up in the Void Prison's bridge, Numbuh Tera and his subordinates are trying desperately to contain the out-of-control beast inmates, who have begun tearing the Beast Floor apart. "Sir, the guards are getting overrun!"
"I know that, Numbuh Grub! Send in the M.E.C.H-G.U.A.R.D. units!"
"They've already engaged the beasts. It's not looking good!"
"Ghh…why couldn't the Galactic Command have just executed that teenager…"
"No point complaining about that, Noxious! Concentrate on your duties, Vice-Warden!" Then, another alarm goes off, frustrating Tera further. "Grr, what now?" but then, he notices Numbuh Grub's face contorting as the operative turns his chair towards Tera.
"The...the…the…"
"Quit stuttering and speak up!"
"…the…O.M.E.G.A. Numbers…they've…they've been…released…"
"WHAT?!" Tera shouts as the bridge falls silent from shock. "No, that can't be…!" Tera marches over to Numbuh Grub's console and just like his subordinate said, the alarm indicates a breach in the O.M.E.G.A. Number's containment cell.
"It was that teenager! He knows some of them and he freed them!" Noxious shouts as Tera clenches his fists and lifts his furry head but before he can say anything, another operative gestures to him.
"Uhm…sir? The Galactic Subjugation Force is contacting us."
"Grrr, just what we needed. Put them through." Then, a group of operatives appears on the big screen: standing in the middle is Numbuh Exa and next him is a light blue, black and yellow alien operative resembling a humanoid bird with metal feathers in their wrist and a silver beak. To Exa's left is a feminine-looking alien wearing black and pink armor and they have purple, glowing skin, menacing orange eyes and is wielding a gold staff with an ornamental head. Lastly, the tree-like Numbuh 74.239, former KND Science Chief and GKND Earth Observer, is also among them.
"Hello again, Numbuh Tera. Galactic Command has received your distress signal and dispatched us. Explain the situation."
"…Numbuh 274 escaped and has caused a riot in the Beast Floor. He's also managed to free Numbuhs Vine and 9L and worst of all…we just learned he has released the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers as well." Tera lowers his head in shame as the Subjugation Force leader crosses his clawed hands.
"You musht be joking! How could you let that traitor eshcape?!" Numbuh 74.239 yells angrily with a lisp while gesturing with his branch-like arms. "Do you have any idea what this means?! Numbuh 274 knows too much and if he were to…urgh." then, the bird-like alien pokes his left-hand's steel feathers at the former observer, silencing him.
"Thank you, Numbuh Aerook, that plantiform just doesn't know when to keep his mouth shut." the purple skinned alien says while gesturing with her gold-colored staff.
"Quiet you two. We'll worry about how he escaped later. However, we're still a fair distance away from Void Prison, so we can't help you right now. Until we arrive, do not let anyone escape. You can at least do that, right?" Exa asks coldly and Tera immediately salutes him, as does Noxious.
"We'll do whatever it takes."
"Good. Once we arrive, I'll dispatch Numbuh S-26 to deal with 274 personally. We'll handle the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. Numbuh Exa out." as the GSF leader hangs up, the purple-skinned alien huffs loudly.
"Gah, those prison guards are useless. No wonder Tera hasn't been promoted since he was 8 Stellar Cycles old."
"Enough, Numbuh Lyrical. I don't like this situation either, but Tera is from my old Sector and I won't let this be the end of his GKND career."
"Hmph, tell that to Galactic Command."
"Oh, trust me, I will." Exa replies coldly to Lyrical as he storms out of the GSF's Treehouse's communications room.
"What's his problem?"
"Lyrical, have you forgotten who the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers are? They're all villains that were turned into living weapons by Galactic Science Chief Numbuh Negative-Umpteen. I heard those nerds have been breathing down his neck about them for a while now. Hah, I can't wait to test my talons on them." Numbuh Aerook gestures with his blue claws while Numbuh 74.239 moves past him.
"Grr, to think they'd transfer me from the Science Division to here…" he mutters, and his snobby attitude doesn't sit well with Aerook and Lyrical.
"Hey, you do realize this whole fiasco happened because 274 and S-26 got wind of your little experiment on Earth?" Aerook points at the former observer while Lyrical frowns.
"Yeah, if you'd just left normal observers there and not meddled in their business any further, this could've all been avoided."
"Silence! Foot soldiers like you have no idea of the possibilities my project had! And I will not let 274 get away with this! He's interfered too much already." Numbuh 74.239 declares and leaves, causing Aerook to shakes his head.
"And we're stuck with him for how long?"
"Until Earth has been dealt with. So, let's hope they won't fight back too much." Lyrical smirks as she and Aerook also leave the communications room.
"Personally, I want them to fight to the bitter end. Makes Decommissioning planets way more fun."
…
Back in the Void Prison, Chad and his motley crew of aliens have managed to break through multiple floors on their way to the main hangar. The O.M.E.G.A. Number's presence has made the escape much easier, due to their powers. "We're getting close!" Chad shouts as Numbuh 9L jumps over a line of remotely operated guard robots.
"Good, because these guys are starting to bore me!" Leo, the cat faced O.M.E.G.A. Number replies as he tears a robot into pieces with his energy claws.
"Incoming GKND operatives!" Scorpius shouts as prison guards appear ahead, their weapons pointed at the escapees.
"I shall deal with them!" Cygnus flies over head and spreads her wings, creating a surge of energy from them that pulls the weapons off of the operative's hands and crushes them to scrap. "My, my, these magnetic powers are quite useful."
"Probably the only GOOD thing this process did to us." Corvus says while releasing a burst of electricity from his arms, frying a robot instantly.
"Well said, Corvus." Libra remarks as they touch a robot, instantly freezing it. "Virgo, clear the way, Leo, break through the door."
"…fine." Virgo replies silently and enlarges her arms into gigantic size before pushing aside the operatives in a flash while Leo flies past her.
"Coming through!" increasing the kinetic force of his dash, Leo plows through the armored door easily, revealing an elevator shaft behind it.
"Our goal is two floors above us. I suggest we use this shaft to reach the hangar floor."
"Way ahead of you, Scorpius! Numbuh Vine, take us up!" Chad gestures to Vine as Numbuh 9L reaches the edge of the shaft.
"Hold on!" Numbuh Vine wraps two of her tentacles around both Chad and 9L and sends two up the shaft. "Urgh…here we go!"
"Cover them!" Libra shouts as Numbuh Vine pulls Chad and 9L up the shaft while the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers hold back the pursuing operatives and guard robots. Soon, the trio reach the hangar floor's closed elevator door, which Leo easily destroys.
"Alright, we're almost home free!" Chad rejoices as the group rush through a hallway and arrive in-front of the hangar doors, which are closed.
"The hangar is behind this door, however…" Scorpius is interrupted by an eager Leo, who prepares to use his kinetic force amplification again.
"Hah, let's just break through and get this over with!"
"Wait! It's logical to perform a pincer movement here, in-case they have an ambush waiting for us. I will go in and secure us a ship." Scorpius gestures with his large pincers and starts to vibrate before passing through the door like a ghost.
"Wow, how did he do that?"
"Oscillation, Numbuh Vine. He can vibrate his body down to his molecules, which lets him pass through solid matter." Libra explains as Virgo turns herself flat and slips under the door.
"Hey, she went there too!" Leo points at the door while Libra shakes their head.
"Virgo is no team player. Alright, let us go in as well. Leo?"
"Hah, thought you'd never ask!" the eager O.M.E.G.A. Number replies and plows through the door but inside, like Scorpius predicted, the hangar is filling with operatives and leading them is none-other than Numbuh Tera and the vice-warden, Numbuh Noxious.
"It's the end of the line for you, Numbuh 274!" Tera shouts as Chad hops off from 9L's back gestures the feline alien and Vine to find Scorpius and they dash away.
"No, not today. We're escaping and you can't stop us."
"I can and I will! You've humiliated me enough already! Attack!"
"Here they come! Hold them back until Scorpius secures a ship!" Libra shouts but Leo flies past him and rams into the line of operatives.
"Doesn't mean I can't have fun! Come on you brats!" Leo shouts as he takes on the operatives by himself while Tera jumps over everyone, his eyes locked on Chad.
"You're mine!" he closes his right fist and reveals a 2x4 weapon that resembles a knuckleduster, which generates a large energy fist around his arm. "I'm dragging you back to that cell if it's the last thing I do!"
"Gah!" Chad grunts as he jumps out of Tera's way just as the bear operative slams his fist into the hangar floor, creating a quake that shakes the entire hangar.
"Argh, you idiot! Are you trying to send us all into the vacuum?! Don't use that thing here!" Noxious shouts but Tera is so enraged that he can't hear him at all. Meanwhile, Virgo has snuck into an untended GKND fighter.
"As if I'd go to a planet I don't care about. Especially not if that Pantherian is coming too." she fiddles with the controls but then, she remembers something. "Dammit, 274 still has the O.L.-Rings. I should've snatched the case…" peeking out of the cockpit, she sees her fellow O.M.E.G.A. Numbers fighting against the guards while Chad is being targeted by a furious Tera. "…I guess I can stick around a bit longer." she mutters as she exits the fighter and joins the battle, launching a volley of energy spheres that instantly knocks out a dozen guards.
"Grrr, where were you? I thought ya crawled under a rock or something." Leo sneers at Virgo, who glares back with her white eyes.
"Shut your mouth, Pantherian. If we weren't in this situation, I would've been long gone by now."
"Hah, spoken like a true coward!"
"What did you say?!"
"Focus, you two! Fighting amongst ourselves won't get us out of here!" Cygnus snaps at the arguing aliens while Corvus notices that Tera is about to corner Chad, who is still holding onto the case.
"Gah, he's useless." Corvus flies past Libra and zaps Tera with a burst of electricity, staggering him and forcing him to back off.
"Corvus?"
"You humans are deadweights. Can't even defend yourselves. Go, I'll handle Tera." Chad glares at the bird alien and then runs away while Tera regains his composure.
"Gargh…You…Numbuh Ventus. Never thought you would protect that teenager."
"Do not use that name! I am Corvus and don't you forget it, Numbuh Tera!" Corvus shouts and charges electricity into his talons but Tera counters his attack with his energy fists, creating a vertical shockwave. Looking over his shoulder, Chad sees two aliens clash but keeps running as he hears a familiar voice ahead.
"Over here! Scorpius got us a ship!" Vine waves from the rear ramp of a GKND transport shuttle.
"Alright! Guys, let's get outta here!" Chad shouts, prompting Libra, Cygnus, Leo and Virgo to pull back from the guards but before Chad can do the same, something wraps around his right arm.
"I don't think so, teenager!" Noxious shouts as his long, stretchy arm has ensnared Chad's arm and he starts pulling him. "It's my time to shine now!"
Noticing what is happening, Corvus breaks away from Tera and blasts the cackling snake operative with electricity, causing him to glow. "GAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" he screams and loses consciousness but upon letting go of Chad, he loses his balance and falls on his back, dropping the case on the floor. The impact causes it to open slightly and a silver-colored ring slips out before the case closes again.
"Urgh…thanks…"
"I wasn't protecting you; the case is more important." But then, Corvus and Chad come under fire from the GKND operatives, while Tera jumps and prepares to use his energy fist attack again. "Gah, we've stuck…huh?" Corvus notices the ring that fell out of the case is blinking near kneeling Chad. "…274! Grab that ring!"
"Huh?! What are you…?!"
"We can't let it fall into their hands!" Seeing Tera diving on them, Chad does as he's told but upon touching it, the ring clamps into his right wrist, causing a blinding light to burst out from it. Enveloping them whole hangar, the light blinds everyone while Chad is subjected to immense pain.
"ARRRRGHH!" he screams as his mind is assaulted with words and information. It feels like somebody is forcing something into his brain as more and more GKND letters fill his eyes before they start glowing in a faint orange hue and his iris also turns orange. "Gah…*pant*…what…is happening…to me…" he gasps in pain as orange lines start running through his body before disappearing along with the light. As his eyesight clears, Chad looks to his left and sees Tera standing over him.
"Game over!" he brings down his fist but Corvus gets in the way, blocking the attack with his electrified claws.
"Grr…what are you standing around for? Get to the ship!" but Chad stands up and closes his fist as he is recalls how S-26 and everyone else had helped him get this far. Then, he looks up at Tera and glares at the warden angrily.
"No! I'm done with running and being protected. Aren't you forgetting something, Corvus?"
"Huh? This isn't the time for…"
"I'm the best there is!" Chad points his right fist at Tera and Corvus, looking over his shoulder, realizes the ring has fused into Chad's wrist.
"Hey, wait, don't!"
"OVERLAY!" Chad shouts as orange energy is released from the ring, enveloping both him and Corvus in it while Tera is blasted backwards.
"Guah! Grr…what the?" Tera looks up as an orange, swirling sphere of energy floats above the hangar floor. Seeing this event unfolding before their eyes, the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers are left speechless.
"No way, they…" Leo's jaw drops as Virgo's eyes squint.
"So that's what we were designed for…"
Then, the sphere fades away and from it emerges Chad, wearing Corvus as a suit of armor. He has large techno-organic wings on his back with red and yellow metal feathers in them and orange blades connected to his dark red arm gauntlets. His legs are also covered in armor and they end in sharp orange talons, with two pointing forwards and one pointing backwards. Lastly, his eyes are hidden behind a red, V-shaped visor and everything under his armor excluding his head is pitch black. "…huh? Wha…what the heck happened?"
"Grr…I can't believe you forced me to merge with you of all people…" Chad hears Corvus' voice in his head while the orange Omega symbol on his chest plate blinks.
"Merge? Are you saying we combined?"
"That's the gist of it. We O.M.E.G.A. Numbers were created for this very purpose. But enough talk, we've got incoming!" Chad looks down and sees Tera jumping towards him, energy fists ready.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU ARE, I AM NOT LETTING YOU SLIP NOW!" acting on instinct, Chad counters with his right arm blade, which immediately overloads Tera's left knuckle weapon and sending him into the floor, which cracks from the impact.
"Wow…did I…"
"Quit standing around and move! Because you forced this merge, we'll get separated soon." Chad nods and turns around towards the ship but Tera has not given up and tackles him from behind.
"RAAARRGH!" he roars as Chad manages to stay aloft but Tera's tenacity is starting to annoy him and he hasn't forgotten that Tera was the one who beat him up before he was brought to his trial.
"Time for some payback!"
"No you idiot!" Corvus shouts but Chad won't listen and dashes towards Tera, transforming his body into electricity which makes him intangible. "Eat this!" Before the furious Tera can react, Chad strikes his palm into the bear-alien's chest armor plate, blasting him with electricity to singe some of his fur and causing his chest plate to shatter.
"GUUARRGH!" he screams as his is fried by the electric attack before it knocks him out cold while Chad stands before him.
"*pant*…that was for…locking me here…"
"Are you done? Our merge is already falling apart! GET TO THE SHIP!" Realizing that his body is becoming unstable, Chad spreads his wings, grabs the case and makes a beeline for the shuttle, where the other, stunned O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, Numbuh Vine and 9L are waiting.
"Such incredible power. They broke through a refined Cosmo Metal plated T.E.C.T.O.R. suit with just one attack." Cygnus says while Leo and Virgo are unable to say anything.
"Perhaps our future doesn't look so bleak after all…" Libra mutters as Chad lands on the ramp just as his merger with Corvus ends and they are separated.
"Gah, finally." Corvus gags and floats his fellow O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. "What are you waiting for? Let's get out of here while we have the chance." he snaps at them while Vine has to help the exhausted Chad inside. "Everyone's in, start this thing up already!" Corvus yells through the intercom to the cockpit, where Scorpius has taken the helm.
"Understood, commencing take-off." the purple alien replies and the 2x4 shuttle takes off, despite being pelted by ineffective small arms fire from the guards, who are unable to organize due to Noxious and Tera being out cold. Then, Corvus and Libra make their way to the cockpit.
"We'll have to blast our way out. Corvus, take the gunner's seat."
"Yeah, yeah…" he replies and uses the shuttle's hull-mounted heavy laser cannon to blow a hole into the hangar doors. As the automatic vacuum protection kicks in, the shuttle flies through the hole before it is sealed. "Hah, looks the Void prison has 9 new escapees."
"We're not safe yet, look." Libra points out of the window and all three O.M.E.G.A. Numbers fall silent from shock as a menacing, flying GKND Treehouse looms ahead. It is covered in the same alien plant structure that forms the trunk and branches of Earth KND's Moonbase but it completely symmetrical with a ring of small towers surrounding it. "…the GSF…they got here."
"Scorpius, ready the L.E.A.P.E.R. drive and set our destination as Earth." Libra says sternly as Chad climbs into the cockpit, aided by Vine.
"Dammit, they're here…" he mutters as Corvus notices a yellow sphere exiting the Treehouse.
"and your old friend's coming too…" Chad's face turns pale as he realizes who Corvus is referring to.
"It's not over yet!" Libra shouts and heads back into the passenger hold. "Leo!"
"Hmm? What do ya want?"
"Increase our velocity! The GSF and S-26 are approaching." Libra's words cause the normally laid back Leo to turn serious and he presses his hands against the hull.
"Right, I'll give us a push!" using his kinetic force manipulation, he makes the shuttle fly faster as S-26 flies straight towards them.
"He's not gonna let us get away…" Corvus grimaces as Chad clenches his fist, angry that he can't do anything about their situation. Then, the shuttle is enveloped in green energy, which diverts S-26's ramming attack away from it. "Huh? Did he miss us?"
"No, I just made him bounce off." a sultry Virgo says coldly over Corvus' shoulder. "I wasn't going to let this breakout fail at the last nano cycle. You can all thank me later." she says and floats back into the passenger hold.
"Sweet as a rose, isn't she?" Corvus says as Scorpius grabs both control sticks.
"L.E.A.P.E.R. Drive is ready. Commencing Space Leap in 3…2…1!" Just as the shuttle is about to be hit by the Treehouse's turrets, it accelerates beyond the speed of light and disappears, leaving the GSF and their superiors, the GKND licking their wounds. Chad's improbable escape from the most secure prison in the galaxy had succeeded and now, he and his rag-tag crew where on their way to his home planet, Earth.
End of Transmission 10
Note: Oh man, I've been waiting so long to release this chapter. Because Numbuh 1 didn't join the GKND in this AU, I needed someone else to take his place and Chad fit that role perfectly. From now on, he's going to be a part of the main cast and I can't wait write more about him. Also, other important characters get their debut here, including the GSF's 3 leading officers, Numbuh Exa, Numbuh Lyrical and Numbuh Aerook. Numbuh Vine and Numbuh 9L (whose appearance here is based on UnGenesis' and KicaCris's designs, all credit to them.) will be joining the main cast and finally, we have the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. My main inspiration for them were the FMians and Amians from Mega Man Star Force and their names and designs reflect that. I won't go too deep into that Overlay thing yet, but it is based on Cross Fusion from Mega Man Battle Network and EM Wave change from Star Force.
The concept art the GSF is available on my DeviantArt and I'll release concept art for Chad, 9L, Vine and the O.M.E.G.A Numbers soon as well.