Here we go, the second arc begins now! I was supposed to release this earlier but caught a cold and lost a week to that. Wanted to make a poster and more concept art before releasing this but alas, they'll be made a bit later.
Phase 2 Prologue
Three months ago
A lone figure sits on a bench inside a small room. Leaning against his knees, the person does not move a muscle and is in deep thought. Not long ago, he was the Head Warden of the GKND's Void Prison. However, after a major break out that led to the prison sustaining heavy damage, he was demoted and now, having lost his rank and authority, the large, bear-like alien operative Numbuh Tera is onboard a massive GKND Treehouse, heading towards a distant planet. He has no idea how much time has passed since the Treehouse executed a Space Leap and it doesn't matter to him, as he only seeks revenge against the perpetrators of the breakout. Numbuh Tera had been very close to be prematurely Decommissioned due to the prisonbreak but thanks his reputation, he was simply demoted to the rank of Junior Officer and transferred to this Treehouse.
Suddenly, his silver-colored communication bracelet starts blinking, snapping him out of his thoughts. "Numbuh Tera here."
"This is the bridge. Commander Numbuh Exa wants you up top right now."
"Understood." Tera replies with gruff voice and stands up. He is wearing a standard, red GKND T.E.C.T.O.R. armor suit that covers his chest, shoulders, wrists, waist and feet and he has a visible scar on his snout, a memento left behind by the perpetrator. Then, the tall Kontion walks out of the dark room and heads down a hallway. Passing by a few operatives along the way, who all salute him, Numbuh Tera enters an elevator and as it starts moving up, he hears music coming from the intercom system. "Numbuh Vocal must be doing another live performance…" he thinks as the music accompanies him out of the elevator and Numbuh Tera can tell that the other operatives are totally enamored by the singing. However, Tera himself isn't interested one bit. Ignoring the trance inducing music, he arrives in-front of a large door guarded by two laser gun turrets. Immediately, both turrets point a red beam at Tera, but upon recognizing him, they slide back into the wall and the door opens. Beyond it, is a massive amphitheater-shaped room filled with computers screens, each staffed by an alien operative while an observation deck is located above it. Opposite to it is a massive window which is covered by an armored shudder. The moment Numbuh Tera enters the room, he is approached by an operative made of light brown and beige rocks with a large "4" sloppily painted on its chest.
"Hi, Numbuh Tera. The Commander's been waiting for you." the rock alien replies politely while saluting Numbuh Tera.
"You don't need to salute me, Numbuh Geo-4. I've been demoted, remember?"
"I didn't salute your rank, I saluted you. You're still my senior after all."
"Sure…" Numbuh Tera replies coldly but Terramorph operative from Planet Sediment Minor, Numbuh Geo-4 isn't put off by his behavior at all and the former janitor leads Numbuh Tera to the observation deck, where an alien resembling an anthropomorphic tiger stands. Like Tera, he is also wearing T.E.C.T.O.R. armor, but his is more ornamental and colored red and gray. His legs are covered by large, armored boots and he has gauntlets in his arms.
"Junior Officer Numbuh Tera reporting, as requested, Commander Numbuh Exa." Numbuh Tera says firmly, causing the alien to turn around. He is Numbuh Exa, the commander of the GKND's elite Galactic Subjugation Force. A Pantherian from planet Vega Nova, he eyes Numbuh Tera through his dark gray mask, which has three green eyes.
"Prudent as ever. Good, now we're only missing Numbuh Lyrical and we can begin."
"But I'm a Junior Officer, why am I needed here?"
"Only in name, Numbuh Tera. Galactic Command used you as a scapegoat for that prisonbreak and that's why they demoted you. But aboard this Treehouse, under my command, you are treated the same as everyone in my command crew." Exa gestures to Tera, who huffs back.
"It was my responsibility! And I failed to…"
"Enough. We've been through this already, Numbuh Tera. I don't want to hear anymore complaining." Exa snaps at Tera, silencing him. Then, a female operative enters the bridge, catching everyone's attention.
"Vice-Commander on the bridge!" immediately, everyone except Numbuh Exa salute the newcomer, who turns out to be Numbuh Lyrical, the GSF's vice-commander and head interrogator. She is a purple skinned Cyrenian also from Planet Vega Nova and she is wearing black and purple T.E.C.T.O.R. armor. Her most noticeable feature are her glowing orange eyes, which makes other operatives uncomfortable. Then, as she walks over to the observation deck, she slams the blunt end of her ornamental gold staff to the floor, startling the bridge crew and earning a glare from Exa.
"Do you always have to do that?"
"I was just checking that everyone's awake." Lyrical replies nonchalantly, causing Numbuh Exa to roll his cat-like eyes under his mask.
"Right. Numbuh Aerook, stop lounging in the rafters and come down here. We're starting the meeting." Exa glances up towards the dome-like ceiling, where a blue feathered Orninyxian, wearing black T.E.C.T.O.R. armor, is sleeping.
"*snore*…"
"*sigh*…Numbuh Geo-4, wake him up."
"Yes, Commander." the stone alien Numbuh Geo-4 replies promptly and launches a big pebble at the Orninyxian, hitting him squarely in his silver beak.
"OW! Grrr, What gives?! I was having my beaty sleep!"
"Save your beaty sleep for later, Numbuh Aerook. We have a meeting." Exa says coldly to Numbuh Aerook, the GSF'S Air Commander. Squinting his orange, sharp eyes at his superior, Aerook stands up and hops down, landing next to Numbuh Tera and is surprised by the ex-warden's presence.
"Huh? So why's he here?"
"Because I said so. Numbuh 70+90, contact the lab and put Numbuh 74.239 on the line." Numbuh Exa points at the scaly, lizard-like operative in-charge of the Treehouse's internal communications, who nods back. Then Exa has the officers join him in the very center of the observation deck, which is then sealed by an energy bubble that blocks all sound. Finally, as the operatives gather around a hovering holographic projector, a voice with a noticeable lisp is heard.
"What ish it?! I am very busy with my work!" a grumpy Numbuh 74.239 yells as his face appears on a floating screen between Exa and Aerook. The tree-like alien was the former Science Chief of Earth's KND 5 years ago before he left. He is also the creator of the Splinter Cell.
"Did you forget we have a meeting regarding our target?"
"Hmm…must've shlipped my mind. Regardless, why is Numbuh Tera here? He ish not an officer." 74.239 squints his single eye at the brown furred Kontion, who does not react.
"He's here under my orders. Now let's begin." Exa presses a button on the projector and it shows a hologram of the Earth and the Moon. "As per Galactic Supreme Leader Numbuh Aleph Zero's orders, our objective is Earth, a G-class planet from the Virgo Supercluster."
"So, what, do we just go there and blow it up, like we always do?" Numbuh Aerook asks, showing very little interest towards the meeting.
"Not immediately. Earth is the planet Numbuh 274 fled to with the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. We'll first need to complete a set of objectives before Decommissioning the planet. Numbuh 74.239, you were an observer on that planet, so explain." Numbuh Exa gestures to the former KND Science Chief, who huffs and takes over.
"As you know, that planet's adulthood balance has gone negative and based on the Galactic Science Division's calculations, 44% chance of being overrun by the Adulthood Virus and thus, it must be Decommissioned. However, according to Galactic Intelligence, the Earth's KND is aware of the GKND's existence and more alarmingly, they have allied themselves with…*gulp* teenagers…" Numbuh 74.239 recoils physically as the word "teenagers" escapes his wooden mouth, as do the officers.
"Ugh, teenagers…if there's one thing I hate more than adults, it's those freaks…" Aerook gags while Numbuh Geo-4 shakes his head in disgust.
"No decent kid would ever work together with a teenager…"
"Numbuh 274 was a teenager too. How did we let someone like that join our ranks?" Numbuh Lyrical asks Exa, who crosses his arms.
"He was a remarkable operative, there's no denying that. Maybe the Galactic Supreme Leader saw something in him…"
"No! The only reason we allowed 274 to join the GKND was because my original Earth Representative refused to join us!" Numbuh 74.239 interrupts angrily and remotely changes the hologram to that of a 10-year-old Nigel. "Numbuh 1 was supposed join us, but he turned my offer down and recommended Numbuh 274 instead. So many Stellar Cycles wasted…"
"That's the son of Numbuh 0? Interesting…" Numbuh Exa looks at the hologram while Numbuh Geo-4 takes a small 2x4 tablet from a fabric pouch on his back.
"They say he is one of Earth's greatest operatives! He defeated Grandfather and holds many records that haven't been broken, not even by a GKND operative. I even have his set of holo-cards. Look!"
"Save it for later, Numbuh Geo-4." Aerook snaps at the Terramorph, who stutters and apologizes before putting the tablet back into his pouch while Numbuh Tera takes a closer look at Nigel's hologram.
"He recommended 274 for us? Why?" Tera turns to face Numbuh 74.239 who sighs.
"Because Numbuh 274 was his mentor and he had been working under us on Earth before. That's the gist of it."
"Are you kidding me? THAT Numbuh 274 trained Earth's greatest operative?" Aerook rolls his eyes while Numbuh Lyrical chimes in.
"It does make sense. He may be a traitor and a teenager, but Numbuh 274 was the real deal. Even though I don't want to admit it."
"None of us would, but it's a fact. Earth's KND has always produced excellent operatives. I saw it myself firsthand while I was on Earth. But Numbuh 1 is now a threat to us, as is his entire family. After all, Numbuh 1 is Grandfather's grandson, and his uncle is Father." 74.239 shudders again as he is reminded of what happened when Grandfather was resurrected.
"But Numbuh S-26 said that Grandfather is dead and both Numbuh 1 and Father were Erased. Do they still pose a threat without their memories?" Exa tilts his head slightly as 74.239 frowns.
"Normally they wouldn't, but that teen faction is no doubt trying come up with a way to reverse Erasure's effects…and you all know who is also on Earth, right?"
"Omnius…" Aerook grimaces and hits his three-fingered hands together. "That guy's there…"
"Indeed. And apparently, he is aiding the Earth's evil adults in some way. Our spies have reported an increase in evil adult activity, especially from those who were Erased by your subordinates, Numbuh 74.239." Exa says and glares at the scientist who stutters.
"That fiasco wasn't my fault! And I assure you, I did not provide them with any way of reversing Erasure." he shouts frantically.
"Then how is Omnius doing that? Did he steal the cure from the GKND or something?"
"Possibly, Numbuh Lyrical…regardless, we must bring down Omnius as well." 74.239 gestures with his clawed hands, to which Exa replies with a nod.
"That's obvious. Now then, what about this teenager faction? What do we know about them?"
"They were formed by Numbuh 274 and S-26 4 Stellar Cycles ago…the faction boasts many of Earth KND's best former operatives…and they are allied with the KND…" Numbuh Geo-4 goes through a small list as Aerook grunts loudly.
"Hmph, so what? We've brought down tons of teenagers before. These guys don't seem like a problem to me."
"Don't be too sure, Numbuh Aerook. Like Geo-4 said, they have many first-rate former operatives in their ranks and they are led by former Numbuh 10, Numbuh 1's cousin." Exa brings up a hologram of a 11-year-old Eliza and Numbuh Geo-4 becomes excited.
"Wow…the leader of Earth's second most prestigious Sector…OW!" not impressed by his fawning, Numbuh Lyrical smack Geo-4's rocky head with her staff.
"Stop drooling, you idiot. That's an old picture and the girl in it is a teenager now."
"I know but…"
"Second? What's the most prestigious then?" Aerook asks, prompting 74.239 to remotely change to hologram to that of Sector V from 6 years ago.
"Sector V." he says silently as the officers inspect the projection.
"Numbuh 1's Sector. Earth's best Sector…or they were before they betrayed the KND." Exa's words shock the others bar 74.239, who's expression becomes stoic.
"Yeah…they fled the KND and became Teen Villains…and then they joined that teenager faction…" Geo-4 explains as 74.239 clears his throat.
"Indeed, but now, they have no memories and it would be best that they stayed that way." he quickly changes the hologram to that of a list. "Moving on. This is the latest report from our Earthbound spies. They've identified at least 40 kids and teenagers whose origins aren't from Earth. All had relatives or ancestors who served in the GKND in the past."
"Hybrid humans…have the spies made contact with them?" Exa asks 74.239, who nods vaguely.
"Yes, with some of them. However, there are two special cases that still haven't been confirmed."
"And those are?"
Lyrical squints at the former Science Chief, who brings changes the hologram once more, replacing the list with two alien operatives. The first one is Cyrenian like Lyrical, but her skin is dark green, she has blue eyes and she is wearing an archaic GKND outfit. "Numbuh Siren, a member of your race, Numbuh Lyrical."
"But Siren disappeared over 200 Stellar Cycles ago. What's she got to do with Earth?" Then, Lyrical's orange eyes widen as she realizes something. "Wait, you don't mean…"
"Yes. She fled Decomissioning before disappearing and as you know, she had the other half of the Nebula Crystal in her possession."
"So you're saying she fled to Earth?" Exa crosses his arms once again while Numbuh Lyrical grips her staff and eyes the purple crystal held inside a glass sphere at its tip.
"Exactly. And she seemed to have disguised herself as a human and faded into the Earth's population. However, Numbuh S-26's report mentioned a teenager using a crystal amulet to conjure lighting, use telekinesis, heal others and summon undead animals. Does that ring a bell?" Numbuh 74.239 glances at Numbuh Lyrical, who's face takes on a devilish visage, which freaks out Aerook and Geo-4.
"Of course…the other half is there…"
"Numbuh Siren was a former keeper of the Nebula Crystal and only those of her bloodline can use it, which means this teenager is related to you, Numbuh Lyrical, albeit very distantly."
"*whistle* damn…she's related to a human teenager…" Aerook remarks as Lyrical grins.
"*chuckle* It doesn't matter who they are. Now I can finally reunite the two halves…hah-hah-hah…" she cackles to herself while admiring her staff but then Numbuh Exa nudges her on the back.
"Snap out of it. You've got that look again."
"Uh…sorry. I got carried away."
"And who's the other operative?" Numbuh Aerook asks and the reply stuns not just him but the others as well.
"Numbuh Vermillion." 74.239 switches the hologram to that of an Orninyxian female operative who has long red, yellow and green feathers in her arms, sharp talons in her arms and eyes that seem to glow. She is however wearing a similar T.E.C.T.O.R. armor as Exa and the others.
"WHAT?! NO WAY! Vermillion's on Earth?"
"…makes sense…She did save that planet from a Galactic-level adult super villain 30 Stellar Cycles ago when she herself had barely turned 10 Stellar Cycles old." Numbuh Exa scratches his chin while Numbuh Geo-4 shows his tablet once again.
"Yeah! She's one of the best GKND operatives of her generation! Did you know she and her Sector took down an entire fleet of Teen Space Pirate "Blackhole" Jock's ships? And that she is one of only 50 GKND operatives in history who have an over 60% mission success rate? By the way, hers was over 80%!"
"We were taught that when were Cadets, Geo-4. Calm yourself." Exa gestures to Geo-4, who frowns slightly, disappointed that he was cut off again. "So why is she on Earth then?"
"Apparently it was her last wish before she was decommissioned. She must've liked the planet. We don't know for sure where on Earth she is and even if we did, she had requested to be reconditioned and changed into a human. The only valid way to identify her would be to match her GKNDNA with our records. However, she's not the one Galactic Command is interested in. It's her offspring."
"She had a kid? That's super weird." Numbuh Aerook rolls his eyes as Numbuh 74.239 continues.
"Our spies are still trying to identify Vermillion's kid but they have some leads. We should be receiving more news once we arrive to Earth's Solar System."
"Very well. Anything else?"
"Obviously, Numbuh Exa, we can't forget the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers. They are our biggest priority once we arrive to Earth's solar system. Numbuh Tera, you saw firsthand what they are capable of, right?"
"I was on the receiving end." a stoic Tera replies as the projector shows all six O.M.E.G.A. Numbers and their O.L. Rings.
"We already know that Corvus has bonded with Numbuh 274, so it is imperative that we prevent any of the others from doing the same."
"That's obvious. The last thing we want is to end up fighting all six O.M.E.G.A. Numbers in their Anti-Adult Soldier forms." Numbuh Exa gestures with his left hand but Lyrical notices a faint twitch on his normally emotionless face.
"Hmph, I almost forgot you had emotions."
"And it is precisely because the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers are there that we need approach this operation with care. They by themselves are a serious obstacle." Exa continues as they go through each of the living weapon's profiles but their original identities are not included.
"*whistle* You weren't kidding. They're pretty strong looking."
"Our only advantage is that we know their strengths and weaknesses, so we should be able to deal with them. Was there anything else to discuss, Numbuh 74.239?"
"Nothing for the moment, Numbuh Exa. I'll leave the planning to you and Numbuh S-26 once he joins us. Numbuh Negative-Umpteen wanted to make sure there isn't a trace left of his old personality in his psyche. Now if you'll excuse me." Numbuh 74.239 hangs up, causing the GSF Commander and his officers to squint their eyes.
"I don't know about you guys, but the moment we mentioned Sector V, he turned pale." Aerook says as Numbuh Exa turns off the projector.
"It must have something to do with his stay on Earth and what happened there a Stellar Cycle ago. Galactic Command hasn't given anyone access to the files regarding those events. They're hiding the truth from us." Exa says quietly, surprising his subordinates.
"I'd be careful about saying things like that, Commander."
"Don't worry, Numbuh Lyrical, Galactic Command doesn't care what a lowly Commander like me says. I just don't like how Numbuh 74.239 was forced upon us and made into our new Science Chief. He has an ulterior motive, and it has something to do with Earth."
"So, what, do we grab that scrawny piece of tree bark and interrogate him?"
"No we won't, Numbuh Aerook. For now, we'll just watch. Don't tell anyone about this, understood?"
"Yes, Sir!" the officers reply together as the sound-proof bubble shuts down and everyone disperses, but Numbuh Tera stands still, having not said much during the meeting,
"Hmm? Numbuh Tera, is something wrong?"
"No…nothing, I was just thinking that's all…"
"Just focus on what's ahead. I want you at your best once we arrive to our target, okay?"
"Yes, Sir. I won't let you down."
"Hah-hah, we've known each other since we joined the Galactic Cadets Next Door, so I know you won't let me down." Exa pats the frowning Kontion, who shrugs and walks away while Exa looks on silently.
Down in the Treehouse's massive laboratory, Numbuh 74.239 is watching a multi-screened display, which shows the profiles of every single identified TND member. Squinting his single eye, the former KND Science Chief focuses his attention at Nigel's profile. "All this, just because you refused to join the GKND when you had the chance, Numbuh 1. But it doesn't matter now. You all can blame yourselves for interfering in the matters of higher powers. I'll make sure of it."
...Transmission Interrupted...
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...Resuming Transmission...
Phase 2: End of Illusion
Three months have passed since Sector V began their sophomore year in high school. Now aware of their shared past, they have started to rebuild the relationships they once had. However, all of them are plagued by continuous nightmares that never seem to end.
Unknown to any of them, the conflict between the TND and the Teen Ninjas has taken a new turn. In the aftermath of the battle at the Ice Cream Factory, both sides have suffered losses and now both aware of the identity of their foe's sponsor and the GKND's infiltration, the TND have a decision to make, to prevent the rift between them and the KND from turning into a deep fissure.
All the while, the GKND's Galactic Subjugation Force is rapidly approaching.
Transmission 20: Aftermath
It is now Sunday evening. Following the previous day's battle at the Ice Cream Factory, both factions have retreated to lick their wounds. However, some wounds are deeper than others and none more so than what happened to Eliza. By now, everyone in TND has learned what happened to her and they are all deeply affected. She is still unconscious and is kept under constant watch by Kieran and the other members of the Global Science Section. But now, someone else is also watching her. It is The Kid. He had isolated himself in space for a good while before he dared to show his face to his friends, who did not blame him for what happened. "Hmm? Agent Halcón. I was wondering when you were going to show your face here." speaking in his distinctive Scottish accent, Kieran greets The Kid from behind the armored window while speaking through the intercom.
"I figured I should swing by. How's Miss Commander?"
"Her vitals are fine, but now we're just monitoring the…you-know-what."
"So, she really had that thing inside her the whole time?"
"Aye…and I didn't notice it. Father was pretty smart, bonding S.I.N. directly into her DNA."
"Can you remove it?"
"No idea…and even if we could, we'd have to flush her entire system. We don't have that sort of technology…" Kieran laments as The Kid silently clenches his fist against the glass.
"Damn…huh?" Suddenly, the boy's attention is turned to a small alarm coming from Eliza's capsule-like pod. "Hey, what's up with that alarm?!"
"Chief! She's waking up!"
"Really? Open the pod!"
"Lemme in!" The Kid shouts from behind the window and upon seeing his expression from under his black aviators, Kieran nods and has one of his subordinates open the sliding door. Then, as The Kid rushes inside the examination room, the pod's canopy slides away, and everyone gathers around it just as Eliza slowly opens her eyes.
"…uhm…huh…wha…"
"Numbuh Alpha, can ye hear me?" Kieran asks and Eliza reacts to it by moving her head towards the sound.
"I…wha…where…what happened…" she mutters as she sits up and looks around, the haze fading away from her eyes. "…nu…Numbuh Omicron…what am I doing here…?" a confused Eliza asks, causing The Kid to frown slightly as Kieran adjusts the lens on his 2x4 headpiece.
"You don't remember?" he asks cautiously as Eliza looks at her hands.
"I…the mission…we were in the factory and…" suddenly, she puts her left hand over her blank, blue Delightfulized left eye and starts shuddering. "The…the…Suit…it…" now fully remembering what happened, her eyes start filling with tears as the memory of the Silhouette Suit trying to over her flashes in her mind. "No…no…" she buries her face in her hands and starts shaking her head as The Kid puts his hand on her shoulder. "It's not gone! The Suit is still inside me! I knew it!" Eliza cries as Kieran gestures the other scientist to follow him out of the room, leaving Eliza alone with The Kid, who remains quiet. "…I could've…hurt somebody…"
"…I wasn't there but…the others told me the only one you hurt was that guy you all fought against." he mutters as Eliza lifts her head and looks at The Kid, who has to avert his gaze as her distraught expression is too much him to handle.
"Wha…what am I supposed to do now…I'm…I'm a…monster…they'll…they'll never…"
"No you're not!" The Kid shouts, silencing Eliza. "Just cuz you have that thing inside you doesn't make any different from us. Aren't you forgetting Uno had that too?"
"…I…"
"You can get through this. I know you can." seeing the sincerity in The Kid's eye, Eliza breaks down and hugs him, much to his surprise. "Wow, wow, come on, don't…" but Eliza's painful cry hits him in the heart and reluctantly, The Kid hugs her back and tries to calm her down. "…no matter what anyone calls you…I won't abandon you, count on it. I owe you that much."
…
Meanwhile, Patton and Rachel have taken Chad to the TND's Memory Vault and like the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers and Numbuh Vine before him, Chad too is shocked by what he sees. "Wow…all these belonged to Erasure victims…"
"Yeah. Numbuh Gamma told us to gather irradiated items from the victims and store them here. We don't know why…but this place also reminds us why we're fighting and for who's sake." Rachel replies solemnly while Patton nods. "Is…Is there really a way to reverse Erasure?"
"That's what he told me. He said the cure's inside that disc." Chad's reply makes Rachel sigh silently.
"…and we still haven't been able to decipher it."
"I know. Would've helped of he had told me how to do it…"
"That guy was always so damn mysterious…what was he like in the GKND?"
"Well Numbuh Zeta…he was different than any operative I'd met before. He was the first operative in the GKND to accept me and work with me. I was fourteen when I became Earth Representative, remember?"
"That's still crazy. I thought those guys hate teenagers."
"They do, but I was a special case." suddenly, Chad's expression changes as he is reminded of something. "Before I was assigned to a Sector, the GKND put me through all kinds of tests. They said it was for Adulthood Virus research. I got treated like a lab-rat."
"Just what the heck is that 'virus' anyway? Do they really think that growing up is a disease?" Rachel frowns and remembers the fanatic Splinter Cell who tried to Erase everyone on Earth to cleanse it from the said disease only a year ago.
"Honestly, I have no idea. Maybe it is real, or then it's just a thing the GKND thought up to keep their operatives loyal. Either way, all the operatives I met fully believed it. They have entire planets dedicated to researching that 'virus'." Chad replies and crosses his arms as Patton chimes in.
"Maybe they've been telling themselves it's a disease for so long they fully believe it."
"Could be but they're still kids and they don't want to grow up. We've all been through that."
"Exactly, Numbuh Delta. Growing up is a part of life…" Rachel nods as Chad clears his throat and gets the conversation back on topic.
"Anyway, sorry I got sidetracked there. About S-26, he wasn't that different than what you've told me. Liked being by himself and didn't want to be the center of attention. Also, he always had this look on his face, like something wasn't right with him."
"Yeah, he always seemed like he was looking over his shoulder. But he was a good comrade. We owe a lot to him. I just wish I could've taken back what I said to him before…"
"What do you mean Numbuh Zeta?"
"Forget it Numbuh Epsilon, it's nothing." Patton gestures to Rachel as Chad's expression turns serious.
"You guys might just see him again…if what he said was true…" Chad frowns as he presses his hand against the thick armored window and stares into the glowing blue vault. However, their conversation is stopped when Rachel receives a short message to her 2x4 wristwatch.
"Hmm? *sigh*"
"What's up?"
"She woke up." a relieved Rachel say to the boys. "We should go see her and catch up."
"Yeah, I agree." Chad replies and steps away from the window while Patton turns the shutter on.
"But you know, I'm surprised." he says as the trio leave the vault.
"About what?"
"You, Numbuh Delta. You mellowed down so much I almost forgot you used to claim to be the best all the time."
"That's what 5 years in the GKND does to you…and I'm not a kid anymore…" Chad replies solemnly as Rachel pats him on the back.
"*chuckle* Not mellow enough. You're still a reckless hothead."
"Somebody's gotta. You guys are way too cautious sometimes." Chad smirks back while scratching the back of his neck, unintentionally drawing attention to the square-shaped scar right in the middle of it.
"Huh? What's up with that weird scar?"
"Uh, I'll tell you later, Numbuh Zeta. Let's just go see Numbuh Alpha." Chad replies quickly while they board an elevator but neither Patton nor Rachel press the issue further.
Down in the TND extension's hangar number 10, where the shuttle Chad had escaped in sits, the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, Numbuh Vine and Numbuh 9L have gathered around one of the workstations the Science Section had brought there. They have been discussing Saturday morning's events. "So, you guys didn't have it easy either, huh?" Corvus says to Libra, who nods.
"Indeed and now, we know that the GKND have eyes here too. But why did they try to destroy the vault? That puzzles us." Libra gestures with their light gray telescopic arms as Scorpius' attention is solely drawn on the disc S-26 gave Chad.
"The only ones who know the answer to that question are that spy, who Decomissioned themselves and GKND Galactic Command. The logical answer is that they are somehow aware that the humans want to recommission their comrades." the robotic scorpion alien says to the others.
"Don't tell me, you have some sort of a plan?" a grumpy Leo says to Scorpius, who shakes his head.
"Negative. At this moment, I am unable to come up with any 'plans'. However, I fully intend to focus all my efforts into deciphering this disc."
"Have you gotten any closer to cracking it?" Virgo asks, showing unexpectant interest towards the disc.
"It is written in GKND code language, that much we know. However, no matter what method we try, neither me, Libra or Numbuh Omicron haven't been able to make any progress since we arrived to this base."
"Why did he make it so hard to decipher? Was it because he didn't want the GKND to have it in-case he failed?"
"Perhaps, Cygnus. But I believe it is because Numbuh S-26 trusts the TND and knows they can decipher it. Otherwise he would've told the method to Numbuh Delta."
"We agree, Scorpius. It is thanks to him and Delta that our personalities weren't removed so we must do everything we can to help."
"You've said that a million times, Libra." Corvus hisses at Libra, who ignores the comment but turns to face the scowling Orninyxian.
"Corvus, you fought against the Ninja's leader. Was he really as strong as we were told?"
"Yeah. He took out Cygnus, 9L and Leo by himself."
"Mraau!" Numbuh 9L lets out a frustrated growl and nods.
"Exactly. Whoever he was, he was extremely powerful. I only heard stories about the Silhouette Suit when I was…still an operative and they matched. We would've been killed had Numbuh Delta and Corvus not used Overlay to drive him away." Cygnus explains as Virgo nudges Corvus.
"And I thought you swore never to merge with him again? What, you heart grow a bit or something?" her sarcastic tone angers Corvus, who glares back.
"Shut it. It was a life-or-death matter and I had not intention of dying back there."
"Regardless, we need to know every detail you can us about it, Corvus." Libra says sternly but Corvus is not amused.
"Huh?! And why should I?"
"For research purposes. The Overlay process is still a total mystery to us and if we can learn more about it we…"
"Oh, so not even Mister Project Assistant doesn't know everything about us?! Or did the GKND remove those memories from your central processor?!" Corvus shouts at Libra, prompting Cygnus to intervene.
"Corvus, stop it. We all know that Libra was apart of Project: O.M.E.G.A.'s development team. There's no need to twist the knife."
"Hmph!"
"It's alright. We understand." Libra replies but behind their emotionless face, the former Mechacon was hurt by the comment.
"What we did in the past doesn't matter now, Corvus. The only logical path from here is to plan for the future and that includes knowing about the Overlay process."
"Easy for you to say. You haven't lost your planet, your friends, family and…OW!" Suddenly, Cygnus strikes Corvus' beak with her left metal wing, knocking him to the floor.
"I said that's enough! I am getting tired of you always acting like you're worse off than the rest of us, Corvus! All you've been doing since we escaped is complain and wallow in your own anger. You need to get over yourself and let go already!" the normally calm Cygnus yells at Corvus, who gets up and glares at the swan-like alien with his orange eyes.
"Let go? There's no way I can let go. They took everything from me, Cygnus! Avialus Proxima was your home planet too! I hate the GKND and I hate anything even remotely related to them! The only thing that's left in this mechanical body is hate!" he roars at the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers and even the feisty Leo does not say a word.
"You're going to end up dead if you keep living in hate. And you'll drag Numbuh Delta down with you. Your life isn't just yours anymore, don't you understand?" Cygnus yells back while poking at the Omega symbol on Corvus' chest. "Believe me, I can't forgive the GKND for destroying my home along with my family, but unlike you, I refuse to let the hate consume me. There are bigger things to worry about now. Did you forget what Numbuh Delta said back at the hangar?" Cygnus squints her yellow eyes at Corvus who looks away as Libra separates them.
"Let's calm down. Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere."
"Oh shut up!" Corvus pushes Libra aside but before their argument gets out of hand, an alarm goes off inside the GKND shuttle.
"Hey, what the heck is that?" Leo asks as Scorpius's head turns towards the shuttle.
"Impossible." Scorpius squints his big yellow eye and quickly floats inside the shuttle, followed the rest, though Corvus keeps his distance from the others. "This is too early." Scorpius mutters to himself as he types on the ship's computer but Leo remains confused.
"What's he on about?"
"*gasp* No…they…they're here." Numbuh Vine says with a shaky voice as Libra comes to Scorpius' side.
"It is the GKND, isn't it?"
"Indeed. They arrived sooner than I thought."
"Oh great…" Virgo frowns as 9L points at the large screen.
"Meow?"
"No, I disabled the ship's 2x4 transponder before we escaped Void Prison. They cannot locate this shuttle…but it is still connected to the GKND's Intergalactic Ship Detection Network. That's why the alarm went off. In simple terms, they cannot detect us but we can detect them."
"So where are they?"
"Well, Virgo, they are currently at the very edge of this Solar System, near a dwarf planet."
"Why would they exit a Space Leap all the way there? Wouldn't it make more sense to just exit near this planet?"
"They are being cautious, Cygnus. We need to inform the humans about this right now. The GKND can still attack Earth even if their Treehouse is far away." Scorpius turns around to face the other aliens as everyone, even Corvus, realizes the severity of the situation.
…
"Space Leap complete, Commander Numbuh Exa." a bridge operator says to the Galactic Subjugation Force Commander just as the GSF's huge Treehouse exits a rift in space near Pluto.
"Excellent. Stabilize the Treehouse and connect us to the W.E.B.T.O.R. satellite network." Exa, who is standing on the bridge's observation deck, along with the other officers, issues his orders.
"Yes, Sir!" the operative replies as live footage of both the Earth and the Moon appear on the massive window overlooking the bridge.
"So that's Earth, huh? Looked bigger in the hologram." an unimpressed Numbuh Aerook remarks as Numbuh Geo-4's squinting, gemstone-like eyes sparkle.
"Wow, such a serene planet."
"Too bad it's infested by adults."
"Indeed, Numbuh Exa." the officers look over their shoulders as Numbuh 74.239 joins them on the observation deck.
"Hmph, look. The nerd finally crawled out of his cave." a snickering Aerook nudges Numbuh Lyrical who smirks slightly at the tree-like alien, who ignores them and comes to Exa's side.
"Feeling nostalgic?"
"Not at all. That planet was merely a test subject that has no further use. More importantly, our earthbound spies just contacted us. They are sending their latest report to us as we speak."
"Understood. Can I ask you something, Numbuh 74.239?" Exa eyes the scientist through his mask.
"Yesh."
"We're not simply after Omnius, the hybrids and the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, are we? There's something else on that planet that you…or rather Galactic Command wants, right?" his blunt question silences the bridge as everyone listens, but Numbuh 74.239 doesn't seem bothered at all.
"Hmph, I expected as much from the GSF's commander. Yes, there are other objectives on that planet as well but you do not need to about them yet. We can discuss them once Numbuh S-26 arrives."
"Huh? What the heck are you hiding?!" Aerook shouts and has to be restrained by Geo-4 while Lyrical smacks his beak with her staff.
"Calm down, featherbrain." she hisses at the Orninyxian while Exa huffs.
"Very well, but don't forget we also report directly to the Galactic Supreme Leader. If I'm not satisfied, I'll take it up to them."
"That won't be necessary, Numbuh Exa. I'm sure you'll be quite satisfied once I brief you later." Numbuh 74.239 replies calmly while the officers turn their gaze to Exa, whose mouth twitches ever so slightly.
"We'll see. Anyway, once we've analyzed the reports, we'll begin probing the planet. I'll remind you all that this will be unlike any other Planetary Decommissioning we've done before. Our preparations need to be thorough this time."
"Hah, this is gonna be easy. Humans don't have any special abilities anyway."
"They are everything but unremarkable, Numbuh Aerook. If you actually believe what you just said, you'll pay for it dearly."
"Hey, you picking a fight with me, barkface?!"
"I was merely stating facts. Unlike any of you here, I have experience with humans. I worked with them and I know what I'm talking about." his blunt reply irks Lyrical while Aerook nearly grabs the plantiform but Exa steps in, violently pushing the fuming Orninyxian aside.
"Stand down! Numbuh 74.239 is correct. We must be cautious. Don't forget the Earth KND has defeated two Galactic-level threats. And they have teenagers on their side as well."
"Pff, big deal…" Aerook's remark earns him a stare from Exa and the Orninyxian seems to shrink under his emotionless gaze.
"You really don't know when to keep your beak shut, do you?"
"Uh…" Aerook fidgets and notices the disapproving expressions of his fellow officers. "S…sorry…I'll keep my beak in check…"
"Hmph, good." Exa replies and turns his attention to 74.239. "Come with me to the Intelligence Center. We need to analyze the reports."
"Very well." the scientist replies as Exa then glances at Numbuh Lyrical.
"You're in-charge on the bridge. We won't make a move until I say so, understood?"
"Yes, Commander." Lyrical replies sternly and salutes Exa, along with the other officers before Numbuh Exa leaves the bridge with Numbuh 74.239. But the moment the doors close, Lyrical's face contorts and she glares furiously as Aerook. "When are you going to learn to curb that ego of yours?"
"Gimme a break, I said I was sorry."
"That's what you said the last time you talked back to Exa. Are you trying to piss him off on purpose?"
"I was just saying how I felt. You guys are just way too scared of a planet full of primitives. They can't fly, they're not strong or fast. If I were leader I'd just blow that planet up and be done with it."
"And thank the Supreme Leader you're not. Granted I don't see these humans as a big threat either but if Exa is telling us to be cautious, then we better be cautious!" Lyrical replies angrily, prompting Numbuh Aerook to flip one of his wrist-mounted metal feathers forward and point it at her while does the same with her gold staff.
"That's enough, guys! Exa gave us an order so let's not fight Can we focus on the job?" Numbuh Geo-4 intervenes by erecting a wall of rocks between Lyrical and Aerook, who lower their weapons.
"*cough* You're right, sorry. Numbuh Geo-4, gather the Junior Officers and brief them. Aerook, you're going to sub-hangar 60 to check on the E.N.R.O.A.C.H.E.R.'s."
"Argh, why do I gotta…" Aerook's complaint is quickly shot down by another glare from Lyrical and he throws his arms in the air. "Fine, fine, I'm going, I'm going." with slightly hunched shoulder, Numbuh Aerook marches out of the bridge while Geo-4 enters a nearby elevator which takes him 10 floors down into a large, wide lounge, where 10 alien operatives have gathered and among them is Numbuh Tera.
"Attention!" he shouts, causing everyone to salute Geo-4 as the Terraform walks to the center of the lounge.
"At ease, guys. Well, we made it. We've arrived to Earth's Solar System."
"Finally. I was getting tired sitting around…" an ant-like alien remarks only to be slapped in the back by a light-gray furred, humanoid wolf like alien. She has short black hair, sharp, yellow eyes and digitigrade legs, a yellow earring in each ear, a scar on her right cheek and like everyone, she is also wearing T.E.C.T.O.R. armor, though hers is black and purple.
"What are talkin' about?! We've been training this whole time!" she says boisterously while the ant alien shakes their head.
"YOU have been training this whole time, Numbuh Dirus. Not all of us have infinite stamina like you."
"Oh, hah-hah…yeah, sorry, I forgot about that…" Numbuh Dirus replies sheepishly as the other junior officers chuckle, except Numbuh Tera who remains quiet. "So when are getting some action, Numbuh Geo-4?!"
"Not yet, that's for sure. We need to wait until all the preparations are done, Numbuh Exa's orders."
"Alright! Then we can teach that adult infested planet not to mess with the GKND!" Dirus shouts confidently and her fellow officers cheer with her. Numbuh Tera meanwhile is not amused by their happy-go-lucky attitude.
"This is going to be a long mission…I just know it…"
End of Transmission 20
Note: It took some rewriting and shuffling but now, we're finally in the second arc. I ran into a lot of trouble (and a cold) before I could finish this chapter but anyway, let's go through some stuff.
While they did get introduced in Chapter 10, this is the offical debut of the GKND's Galactic Subjugation Force. I wanted to keep away from using other peoples ideas for GKND operatives as much as possible and instead, made them from scratch, except for 74.239 who is canon accurate. You can find everyone's concept art from my Deviantart (Gettan49).
Geo-4 was just a rock in Mr. W's concept art. That's when I thought "Hmm, maybe I can put a little twist to him?" and behold, my version of Geo-4 is a walking golem made of random rocks. He can of course turn into the rock we've seen in the concept art. I'll explain why I made him this way in the future (*chuckle* foreshadowing...) Anyway, he's a gentle giant and the nerd among the officers.
Numbuh Exa was inspired by Neon Tiger from Mega Man X and Rath from Ben 10, but only slightly. Exa isn't going to tell ya something, that's for sure.
Numbuh Aerook meanwhile is the hotshot flyer who's design has no direct inspiration but I wanted to make a humanoid bird operative with mechanical wings and legs and thus he was born.
I'll delve into Lyrical a bit later but she's a multifaceted character, that much I can say. Lastly, we have Numbuh Tera, the very first alien operative to appear in Beyond. Admitedly him being an anthropomorphic bear was inspired by Kica-Cris' version of Numbuh Ordinal but apart from that, Tera is a totally different beast. His alien species name, Kontion is a nod to my native language, Finnish. Without the n in the end, kontio is an old term for bear in Finnish you see.