Disclaimer! Nothing explicit happens in this chapter, nor is it implied!
Songs featured:
-"RED ZONE" by Tatsh
-"Mega Man X3 Opening Stage Metal Cover" by Metaltool
-"Kids in America (Cover)" by Len
-"Vacancy" by Kylee
-"Light Up the Night" by The Protomen
-"Something About Us" by Daft Punk
-"Electric Fountain (Karma)" by Keiichi Okabe
-"Hyper Monkey Likes the Dancefloor" by Mattias Häggstrom Gerd (Overclocked Remix)
-"It's My Turn to Fly" by The Urge
-"REDLINE DAY" by Rob Laufer
Transmission 32: A Night to Remember
The boy has a dream. This time, he knows exactly what the dream is about as he has lived this moment in his mind many times for the past year.
Summer, 1 year ago
As the mid-day sun shines down on Cleve on a sweltering Sunday, Hoagie walks through the suburbs by himself. For a month or so, he has been feeling as if something was missing. He can't clearly recall the events of the past year, except for a few faint ones. He feels like he has been drifting without a destination. Even though he knows high school will start in a month, he finds no joy in it. He has no friends and is a regular victim of the local high school bullies, who all wear football jackets.
However, today, he has decided to head out, despite knowing those thugs might be stalking the streets. Constantly looking over his shoulders, he silently wanders on the sidewalk until he starts getting thirsty. "Aw man…I could use a drink right now…" he mutters as the hot sun shines down upon him and his cap is not helping at all. Taking it off, he wipes his brow and remembers that there's a convenience store nearby.
Soon enough, he arrives at his destination, a small store near a large x-intersection. The parking lot is empty apart from an old banged up pickup belonging to the owner of the local junkyard, who is very familiar with. Hoagie walks past the pickup and enters the air-conditioned store, taking in the fresh chilly air. He then heads to the drinks section and grabs a can of soda and a bottle of water before heading towards the counter, where the junkyard owner is loudly conversing with the middle-aged lady running the store. As Hoagie let's out a frustrated sigh, from the corner of his eye, he sees someone else enter the store:
An African-American girl wearing a blue t-shirt, white shorts, white sandals and a large red cap with black sunglasses on top of it and long, silky, black hair tied in a loose ponytail. Hoagie is instantly mesmerized by the girl, who stretches her arms. "Man, it is hot out there…" she says and makes a beeline for freezer section. Then, she too joins the queue and immediately gets annoyed by the junkyard owner's blabbering. "Hey! If ya ain't buyin' anythin', can ya move?" she asks with a commanding voice, startling not only the junkyard owner, but Hoagie as well. Somehow, she seems familiar, but he can't figure out why.
"Oh, sorry about that, young lady, I got caught up in my stories again." the junkyard owner apologizes with a Texan accent and leaves, allowing Hoagie to make his purchase but when he is about to pay, he realizes that he left his wallet home.
"Oh great…" he mutters and looks at the cashier. "Sorry, I forgot my wallet. I'm not buying anything…" he leaves the can and the bottle on the counter and walks away dejectedly.
However, the girl behind him notices this and she puts her own drink on the counter. "I'll buy those too." she says just as Hoagie leaves the store and starts heading home. But he only manages to take two steps when he hears a voice behind him. "Hey! You! Wait up!" Surprised, Hoagie looks over his shoulder and sees the girl run towards. "Here, ya forgot these." she hands him the bottle and the can and opens her own can of soda.
"Wait…did you buy these for me?"
"Yup. Ya gotta keep yoself hydrated out in this heat."
"But…I don't have any money to pay you back."
"Don't sweat it, boy. Ya don't hafta pay me back." the girl replies as she turns around towards the bike racks, where a blue bike is waiting for her. Touched by her act of kindness, Hoagie simply stands there, his eyes glued towards the girl as she hops onto her bike and starts pedaling in the opposite direction.
"Great job, Gilligan, you didn't even ask her name…" Hoagie kicks himself and starts walking away when suddenly, he hears a metallic screech.
"Woah! Ow!" Looking over his shoulder, Hoagie sees the girl lying on the sidewalk and her bike has a bent handle. "Ow…aw man! You stupid piece of junk bike! Why'd ya hafta break down now!" the girl shouts at her bike.
"…he…Hey! You okay?!" Hoagie runs over to the girl and helps her up.
"Thanks…ow…musta scraped my knee…" the girl says as Hoagie notices the bloody bruise on her knee.
"Uhm…here, let me help." Hoagie walks her to the small bench next to the store's entrance and then goes to pick up the broken bicycle.
"Thanks…ow…" Hoagie then kneels in-front of her inspects her injury.
"I don't think it's anything serious…"
"Don't worry about me. Abby's gonna call someone to pick me up…"
"But I've got a first-aid pack with me. This won't take long." Hoagie says and takes out a small first-aid kit from his belt and stars disinfecting the bruise. "This is gonna sting a bit."
"Ouch!...Hey, why do ya have a first-aid kit anyway?"
"Uhm…I get beaten up a lot, so I carry it with me in-case I need it…"
"Beaten up? What the heck do ya mean?"
"Oh it's just some local bullies…They go to the same high school I go to once autumn starts…"
"Gah, Abby hates bullies. Why they gotta do stuff like that?"
"Strong eat the weak I suppose…" Hoagie laments as he wraps gauze around the girl's knee. However, he doesn't notice that she is clearly blushing, but her cap covers her face.
"Thanks…I guess Abby owes ya one now…"
"No, no, this is for paying my drinks. Okay, let see if I can fix your bike." Hoagie walks over to the bike and inspects it with his Swiss Army knife's magnifying glass. "Hmm…"
"How much stuff do ya have on ya?"
"Huh? I never leave home without my utility belt. I like to be prepared for anything." his reply causes the girl smile under her hat and then, she removes it.
"I uh…I'm Abigail Lincoln…my friends call me Abby."
"Hogarth P. Gilligan Junior but I prefer just Hoagie."
"That's a long name."
"It's my dad's. But he called me Hoagie like everyone else."
"Called?"
"Ah, he died a long time ago."
"Oh, sorry, Abby didn't…"
"Don't worry, like I said, it was a long time ago…anyway, I can't fix the bike here…I'd need to take it to my garage…"
"Ya don't have to do that. Ya already did enough for Abby."
"Well…I wasn't going to ask any money for it…I like to think I'm pretty good with fixing things." Hoagie replies as the girl looks at him for a second before she takes out her phone.
"…Okay, if ya want. But Abby's gonna call a ride. I can take ya to your place along the way."
"Huh? Uhm…thanks…"
"No problem, Goggle Boy."
Present Day
Hoagie wakes up from the dream and sits up on his bedside. "Wow, I haven't had that dream in a while…" he mutters and heads downstairs but notices that everyone has left already. Then, he remembers what day it is. "Oh yeah, it's the 23rd of December…oh boy, this is gonna be awesome." he says excitedly and starts eating breakfast. Then, Hoagie picks up his backpack, puts on his winter jacket, woolly gloves and heads into the garage, where his now completed, modified van is waiting. "Alright Betsy 3, your big debut is today." he pats the van and goes to pick up Wally. The two had been recruited by the Student Council to help with the party preparations.
"Today's gonna be cruddy…" Wally complains as they drive to school.
"Oh come on, don't say that. We're gonna do fine. We've been practicing like mad AND Kuki's singing is gonna floor everyone."
"Right…" Wally says to Hoagie as the van starts climbing up the hill towards McClintock High School, and as soon they arrive to the parking lot, they see Nigel standing next to the main entrance's stairs, barking orders at other students, who are carrying tables, chairs and equipment inside.
"Hah, he's really in his element." Hoagie laughs as he parks the van and helps Wally unload the amps and his guitar case from the van.
"Holy crud, this looks sick!" Wally yells as he notices the folded-up seats and refurbished interior of van's rear compartment.
"Heh-heh, sweet isn't it? Just wait until evening and you'll see what Betsy 3 can really do." Hoagie puffs his chest proudly, feeling very pleased with the fruits of his labor. Then, Nigel notices the van and waves at Wally and Hoagie from the entrance.
"Guys, great timing! Patton, Fanny and Rachel are in the gym, so go help them!"
"Will do, boss!" Hoagie salutes back jokingly and starts carrying an amp while Wally brings his guitar case and the other amp but before they enter the gym, Wally drops off his Fender Stratocaster to a storage room, where Patton's bass guitar is also hidden.
"Hey, where do you want these amps?" Hoagie asks as he and Wally pass through the gym doors, prompting Patton to reply from the stage.
"Bring 'em here!"
"Roger that!"
After two hours of hard work, the gym has been transformed. The walls are filled with Christmas decorations, with the stage filling a third of the floor and an elevated DJ table sits at the opposite end of the gym, split by a small drinks bar and tables while the bleachers are left in-place, to allow for more seating. "Good work everyone!" Nigel addresses all the students who helped the Council, receiving loud cheers and applause.
"We couldn't have done it without your leadership, Nigel." Patton says and slaps Nigel in the back.
"Damn straight!" Wally also does the same, nearly knocking Nigel's glasses off his face.
"Hey, watch it!"
"Ah chill out, will ya?" Wally replies as Rachel walks over to Patton and pulls him aside, which Fanny notices.
"Huh?" she squints and shadows them out of the gym.
"I just got word from the Switchboard. Numbuh Alpha wants to speak with us, now."
"Tsch, great timing…"
"Oi, what are you two whispering over there?" Fanny asks, startling her friends.
"Wha…uh…nothing, I was just asking Patton to take me home. I've got to prepare for the party, you know?"
"Okay…" Fanny replies but she can't help but feel they are hiding something from here.
"Tell Nigel we'll see him at Abby house at 5, okay?!" Rachel says and starts pulling Patton with her, leaving Fanny puzzled.
"What the heck was that…?" she mutters before she walks back to the gym.
Having managed to fool Fanny, Rachel and Patton run over to his SUV and turn on the car's onboard computer, causing a small LCD screen to rise from the middle dashboard. "Numbuh Epsilon to Moonbase, do you copy?"
"This is TND Communications Command. We'll connect you to the Supreme Commander." a female agent replies and the screen flickers before Eliza's face appears on it.
"Supreme Commander!" both teenagers salute her and Eliza gestures back sternly.
"I'll get right down to business. Our deep space scanners have detected movement and strange energy readings on the edge of the Solar System. Numbuh Delta and the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers think it's the GKND, that they're finally making their move."
"Oh that's just great…" Patton mutters as Rachel folds her arms.
"Our orders?"
"We need to Recommission Sector V and Numbuh Beta as quickly as possible, so we've bumped up the date to tomorrow, on Christmas Eve." Upon hearing this, Rachel and Patton fall silent. They had been aware that Kieran and his team had finally managed to perfect the Erasure reversal device earlier in the week and many of their old allies had been successfully brought back already but now, they're not sure how to deal with what Eliza has just told them. "Numbuh Iota-3 already told the observers their mission was over, so you know what you have to do next."
"We'll cut all contact once the party is over. Is that okay?" Patton asks, shocking Rachel, who was about to ask the very same thing.
"…I'll allow it. But be careful, Numbuh Delta mentioned in his report that there's been weird activity in Cleve lately."
"Is it about that black limo I told him about?"
"That too, Numbuh Zeta. I think you guys know what that means?"
"The Delightfuls are here…" Rachel frowns and then, looks Eliza in the eye. "I'll put Cleve Sector on maximum alert. If something happens, we'll respond."
"Alright, then that's all I wanted to say. Have fun at the party and don't go too crazy in there." Eliza winks at her friends, who both laugh back, though Rachel less so.
"If this is the last thing we gotta do as Observers, then we're gonna go out with a bang, that's for sure, right?"
"Uh, yeah, right, Numbuh Zeta…"
"I'll hang up now. Stay vigilant, guys."
"We will, Supreme Commander." after another quick round of salutes, Eliza hangs up, leaving Patton and Rachel troubled.
"So that's it then…we'll finally get 'em back."
"…that's only if they agree to it…I don't feel good about forcing them to get their memories back…" Rachel laments and wraps her arms around her shoulders.
"Me neither…but we need those guys. You know that."
"Yeah…" Rachel mutters as Patton closes the computer and starts up the car before backing out of the school's parking lot, but neither teenager says anything on the way back, each trying to come to terms with everything that has happened in the past two years.
…
Later that afternoon, at the Beetles residence, Wally is preparing for the party. Wearing Sydney's old black tuxedo jacket over an orange collared shirt and blue jeans, he walks down the stairs to the living room, where his parents are waiting. "Well look at you, Wallabee! You're gonna be the star of the whole party with that jacket on."
"Yeah, right…" Wally mutters, feeling slightly embarrassed he has to wear fancy clothes.
"Oh don't be like that Wallabee, you look handsome. I'm sure Kuki will think so too." Helen Beetles says, causing Wally to turn red.
"Wha…what's she got to do with this?!" he yells but his reaction only amuses his parents.
"Hah-hah, Wallabee, you're so dense sometimes." Helen chuckles and hands him a backpack. "Here, just incase you want to spend the night at a friend's house. I packed in a fresh set of clothes and your toothbrush."
"Huh? Uh…thanks…I guess." Wally takes the backpack just as the doorbell rings.
"Your ride's here, Wallabee. Off ya go now and don't cause a ruckus in there." Sydney smirks and pats his son in the back while Joey is peeking from the top of the stairs, appearing anxious. However, when Wally walks past the stairs, he disappears into his room without saying a word.
Then, Wally opens the door and sees Nigel and Patton standing outside while Hoagie repeatedly honks his van's horn. "So, you ready?" Patton asks as Wally puts on his winter jacket, beanie and shoes.
"We're so screwed…" Wally mutters, filled with a sense of dread.
"We'll be fine, Wally. Now let's go. We don't want to keep the girls waiting." Nigel says and starts walking back towards Hoagie's van, followed by Patton and a nervous Wally.
"Have fun, Wallabee!" Helen waves from the door and Wally waves back before hopping inside the van's cargo area, which is now filled with 7 folding seats and the internal lighting has been turned on.
"Alright, time to hit the road!" Hoagie shouts and floors the accelerator as the sun starts setting over snowy Cleve but none of the boys say anything on the way, all of them feeling anxious over what the evening has in store. Then, upon arriving at Abby's house Hoagie parks the van on the kitchen-side drive way, next to Abby's blue convertible, which is covered by a large tarp. "Oh man…" Hoagie mutters as he turns off the engine and the boys exit the van.
But before they even reach the kitchen door, Mr. Lincoln opens it swiftly. "Well, well, if isn't the sharp-dressed gentlemen with the tuxedos and the ties and the…"
"Afternoon, Mr. Lincoln." Nigel greets Abby's dad as he lets the boys inside.
"Now, you boys just sit and wait here, okay? The girls are still gettin' ready upstairs." Mr. Lincoln says and points at the kitchen table.
"Then we'll do just that." Nigel replies as he takes off his winter jacket. Underneath it, he is wearing a dark red collared shirt, his dark gray vest, the silver wristwatch Rachel gave him for his birthday and gray pants while Patton is wearing a green, long-sleeved collared shirt and black pants and he has removed his signature skiing hat. Hoagie meanwhile is wearing a zipped up, light blue collared shirt, black pants and like Patton, he does not have his cap on.
But as the boys sit around the table, they are too nervous to say anything, especially Hoagie, who feels like he's about to explode from the pressure, which isn't helped by the fact Abby's dad is also sitting with them. "You boys look like you're on trial or something." Mr. Lincoln remarks, prompting Nigel to reply.
"No, we're just…excited, that's all. Right guys?"
"More like scared as crud…"
"Yeah, I'm kinda feeling the pressure too…" Wally and Patton note but Hoagie unable to say anything. Then, they hear loud shrieks coming upstairs, followed by Abby's mother's distinct laughter.
"Hah-hah, they've been like that the whole afternoon, with the screamin' and the yellin' and the…" Mr. Lincoln rambles but the boys keep quiet, until a door opens upstairs.
"Mon amour, we are ready!"
"Right on time. The boys are here, ready and waitin'."
"C'est magnifique! We'll be right down." Mrs. Lincoln replies and the boys start hearing footsteps, causing their hearts to beat faster and faster as one by one, the girls walk downstairs. First to arrive is Rachel, who is wearing a cyan and orange dress and her hair is in a ponytail, apart from her bangs.
Next is Fanny, who is wearing the open shouldered, green and yellow midi she bought, and her hair is straightened. Then, Kuki walks down with wide smile on her face, wearing her purple and deep dark blue strapless maxi and the belt Abby recommended for her while her normal green hairband has been replaced with a purple one with a small flower on it. "Now ma chér, don't be shy, down you go."
"Quit pushin' me, Mama!" Abby snaps at her mothers and also walks downstairs but the moment she does so, Hoagie eyes nearly pop out of his head, as she is wearing the very same sky blue maxi dress she wore at the mall, her hair has been let down completely and she is wearing different earrings than before.
"Well, I'll be, you girls are lookin' fabulous."
"Thanks, Mr. Lincoln…" Rachel replies as the girls turn attention to the boys, who start stuttering.
"Uh…yes, of course, you all look great." Nigel says with a shaky voice while Patton tries his best to keep his composure.
"What he said."
"…" despite hiding his eyes under his bangs, Wally can't take away from Kuki. "Holy crud…"
"Uh…*gulp* wow…" Hoagie mumbles before Mr. Lincoln points at the clock.
"Alright, you all better head out or you'll be late."
"Right, of course! Let's go!" a red-faced Nigel yells and quickly walks over to the clothes rack as do the other boys, their fumbling amusing Rachel and Kuki while Fanny rolls her eyes, but Abby remains sour-faced.
"Let's go get our jackets too." Rachel says and the girls go to the main foyer to pick up their jackets and shoes. Then, Nigel opens the door, but Abby continues to pout and crosses her arms.
"So how we getting' to school? Did ya order a taxi or something?"
"We're going in Hoagie's van." Rachel replies but Abby immediately starts shaking her head.
"Oh heck no! There's no way Abby's goin' in that hunk of junk!" she yells, causing Hoagie's nervous smile to fade and the others start backing him up.
"Come on, he's worked really hard on it." Nigel says to Abby, while Wally is irked by her comment.
"WE worked really hard on it. I helped him."
"You can always walk, you know?" Fanny remarks and noticing the disapproving looks her friends are giving her, Abby bites her lip and does not reply.
"Mon cher, that was uncalled for. You shouldn't act like that to your friends." Mrs. Lincoln berates her daughter, who huffs and looks away while Nigel and the others head outside.
"Come on, or we'll be late." he says from the door while a visibly saddened Hoagie looks on as Abby swiftly walks past him without saying a word to him.
"Oh don't worry Hoagie, she's just nervous, that's all. My, it's a miracle she actually decided to wear a dress you know?"
"Yeah, that's right, so take it don't too hard." Abby's parents console Hoagie, who takes a deep breath and puff his chest.
"It's fine. The party hasn't even started yet. I'm gonna make sure she has the time of her life!" he pumps his fist in the air and runs outside, amusing Abby's parents.
"That boy's heart's in the right place."
"If only Abigail would notice it too…"
Out in the driveway, Hoagie unlocks the car remotely, allowing his friends to get inside from the freezing cold, though much to Kuki's disappointment, Wally quickly gets on the front passenger seat, as he is too embarrassed to even look at her.
Abby meanwhile sits down next to Rachel and realizes that the van looks completely different than before. There are no signs of rust or the odor she always talks about, the seats are clean and all of them have seatbelts, there are four speakers in the passenger area and the internal lighting isn't too bright. All this makes Abby regret she mocked Hoagie in-front of everyone, and she clenches her fists. "Make sure you apologize to him later, got it?" Rachel whispers to her, but Abby does not respond while Hoagie hops on the driver seat.
"Is everyone buckled up and ready to go?"
"We're all in." Nigel replies and Hoagie gives him a thumbs up.
"Sweet, let's go!" Hoagie revs the van's new, more powerful but still street-legal engine a bit before backing out of the driveway and turns on the newly installed Bluetooth radio, which starts playing "RED ZONE" by Tatsh as the van speeds away but the song causes both Wally and Hoagie to bop their heads and sing, cheering up the tense atmosphere in the van.
Soon, they arrive at McClintock, which is already filling with 10th and 11th graders, and Hoagie parks the van close to the main entrance. But as the everyone leaves the van, the boys huddle together for a bit before Nigel gestures to the girls. "You guys go on ahead, we'll be right behind you."
"Oi, aren't you guys supposed to escort us inside?!" Fanny yells while Kuki begins pushing her friends.
"Don't worry, they'll join us in a bit." she says but Fanny, Abby and Rachel can tell something is off.
"I'll see you on the stage, Rachel!" Nigel shouts as the boys quickly run towards the gym, leaving their partners, excluding Kuki, confused.
"What the heck are those guys schemin'?" Abby mutters as the girls walk through the main entrance and head towards the gym and manages to find a round table near the middle. However, the boys are nowhere to be seen and Kuki's indifference is starting to bug Abby and Fanny.
"Hey, do ya know something we don't?" Fanny asks Kuki, who remains stone-faced.
"What do you mean?" she asks innocently while Abby folds her arms.
"Something's not right here. Why'd they ditch us like that?"
"Calm down you two, I'm sure it's nothing serious…" Rachel tries to cool down her friends, but she is also puzzled by the boy's disappearance as the gym fills up and the lights are dimmed while Abby and Fanny start getting agitated.
"It's been 10 minutes! If those guys just ran off, Abby's gonna…!" but then, Nigel appears from behind the large curtains covering the stage with two microphones in hand, prompting Rachel to stands up and join him.
"What's going on, Nigel? Abby and Fanny are going to blow their tops at this rate. Where are the others?"
"Everything's under control, Rachel. Now get ready." Nigel says calmly and hands Rachel the other microphone and a piece of paper which holds her part of their shared opening speech. Then, the members of the AV Club, who are in charge of stage management and lighting, move two spotlights towards the stage and shine them on Nigel and Rachel, silencing the gym. "*cough* Hello everyone! On behalf of the McClintock High School's Student Council, we want welcome you all to the annual 10th and 11th grader's Christmas Party. We've all had a pretty tough autumn, for many reasons. However, that's why, the Council has worked extra hard to make sure this party will be a success and we hope you'll enjoy it."
"Now, before we begin, we'd like to thank all the clubs who helped with the party preparations and also, The Point, for the catering and letting their star DJ, DJ Numeral to entertain us tonight. Let's all have a great time, okay?!" Rachel shouts, and the crowd cheers back, but Fanny and Abby continue to pout. "Now, without further ado, let's begin with a performance from the Student Council's own band, Team V." Rachel nearly bites her tongue upon reading the last line and looks at Nigel in disbelief, but he remains stoic and takes her microphone.
"Here goes nothing." he mutters and walks back behind the curtain while a speechless Rachel steps down from the stage just as the curtain is raised.
"Oh you gotta be kiddin' me!" Abby yells while Fanny's jaw drops, upon seeing Nigel, Hoagie, Wally and Patton standing on the stage, instruments at the ready and the gym falls completely silent from shock.
"*inhale* ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR!" Hoagie shouts and the band starts off with a short metal rendition of "Opening Stage" from Mega Man X3, stunning every single teenager in the gym, while Rachel starts smirking as she walks back to the table, where Kuki is cheering extatically for the boys.
"WOOHOO! GO TEAM V!" she screams just as Wally performs a short solo with his orange and black Stratocaster while neither Abby nor Fanny are unable to say a word.
"Hah-hah, so this why they were acting so sneaky!" Rachel laughs and starts clapping her hands as Fanny shakes her head as the song nears its end.
"Those sly punks! Why the heck were they hiding this from us?"
"They wanted to surprise you!" Kuki says as the band finish the first song and for a few seconds, they are only met by silence, soon the gym erupts into loud applause, shocking even the performers themselves.
"No cruddy way, they actually like it?" Wally can't believe his eyes while Patton has a wide grin on his face.
"Hah-haa, now that's what I'm talking about!" he shouts as Nigel turns on his microphone.
"Thank you, thank you very much. Now, before we start our next song, could the fifth member of our band please take the stage?" then, spotlight is shined on the table where the girls are sitting, prompting Kuki to stand up.
"No way, you too?" Fanny asks as Kuki smiles at her friends and skips away.
"Wish me luck!" she shouts before joining the boys on the stage and is given a microphone. Then, the band begins their next song, "Kids in America" by Len and Kuki's singing sends the crowd into a frenzy and even Fanny stands up and cheers with Rachel, but Abby remains in her chair, feeling conflicted but as the song goes on, she also starts loosening up and claps with everyone else.
With the song over, Kuki bows to the audience and addressed the crowd. "Arigatou! Thank you, guys! We've got another song for you, will you listen?" her question is answered by a roaring "yes" and the band moves on to song number three, "Vacancy" by Kylee and Kuki pours her heart into it, as it's a song she insisted on singing, the lyrics reminding her of the amnesia she and her friends share. She sings with such passion that it brings tears to her eyes when the song ends, and the gym is filled with loud cheering. Then, Kuki steps back from the front of the stage and Patton moves to the center.
"Alright, are you guys fired up? Cause we're not done here!" he shouts and unleashes a riff from his bass before they play another song, "Light Up the Night" by The Protomen, with Patton singing and others proving backup vocals, which shocks Fanny especially. The boys had been put through a rigorous three-week crash course on singing by Kuki and they have greatly improved since they started the project.
"He's a pretty good singer, isn't he?" Rachel nudges Fanny, who can only watch as Wally performs a brutal guitar solo on his Stratocaster.
After finishing the song, Patton bows to the crowd and gives Nigel floor. "Thank you again. I'm glad you're all enjoying this, because we definitely are. This has been a hectic few weeks for us, because our band…was not supposed to even exist originally. We were supposed get a proper guest band to perform here, but because of the Sports Festival, no one wanted to do it, which meant were we going to have a party without a live band. However, it was Hoagie who came up with the idea to form our own band and it's thanks to him we're here, performing for you. So, let's give a round of applause to our drummer, Hoagie P. Gilligan Jr.!" As a spotlight shines on Hoagie, the crowd claps and he becomes so embarrassed he shrinks behind his drumkit, which makes Abby smile a bit.
"We also have our string duet, Wallabee Beetles on the guitar and Patton Drilovsky on the bass." Now the spotlight moves to Wally and Patton, who both play riffs on their guitar and bass respectively, before the light moves to Kuki. "We can't forget our star singer, who helped us improve over the past weeks, Kuki Sanban." Kuki starts blushing as she waves back to the crowd before she brings up her own microphone.
"And on the keyboards is our Student Council President, Nigel Uno!"
The gym erupts into massive applause and all the band members bow for the crowd together, before Nigel steps forward, with a proud smile on his face. "We'll be performing for you later when we end the party, so for now we'll hand the stage over to The Point's star DJ, DJ Numeral." the band then waves to the crowd one more time before the curtain is lowered and people start moving towards the other end of the gym, where DJ Numeral starts playing music with his dual turntables. But behind the curtain, Wally's legs nearly give out as the pressure he and the others have felt for weeks finally goes away.
"*pant* aw crud…it's finally over…"
"Hah-hah, what, you're tired already? I could've done a few more songs." Patton smirks and nudges Wally, who has slumped down on a stool.
"Well, we've still got two more songs to perform at the end." Nigel says while Hoagie has to pinch his face.
"…we…WE ACTUALLY DID IT! YES! HAH-HAA!" he starts cheering and jumping wildly which makes his friends smile.
"It's all thanks to you, Hoagie. I'm glad you suggested this. I don't remember having this much fun." Nigel replies while Kuki claps her hands.
"We all did great! Oh, you should've seen everyone's faces when you started playing."
"But I guess we've got some explaining to do soon." Patton says while Nigel shakes his head.
"No, I think they got the gist if it. But…thanks guys. Without this band, the party would've been ruined."
"Hey, don't start crying now buddy, the night's still young." Patton grins and puts Nigel in a headlock and Wally does the same while Hoagie jumps on him from behind.
"Gah, get off me!" but the boys refuse to let go and Kuki joins them, giving everyone a bone-crushing hug.
"YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!" she squeezes the boys for a few seconds before letting go and the leave the stage one by one, with Hoagie last to walk out. Soon, they meet up with Rachel, Fanny and Abby, who has visibly calmed down.
"Nigel!" Rachel waves at him as the group reunites. "That was crazy! Why didn't you tell me about the band?"
"Uh well, we wanted to surprise you guys. Hoagie insisted."
"The band's been the only thing in his mind since the exams ended." Patton remarks and turns his attention to Fanny.
"Wha…what?"
"How'd we do? Was it up to your standards?"
"O…of course you were good! Because Kuki sang."
"Oh I see. So, you're saying my bass playing wasn't?" Patton gives Fanny a mischievous smile and she starts blushing.
"Gah, shut up! You were good too, I guess…"
"Hah-hah, alright, I'll take your word on it." Patton chuckles while Abby walks over to Kuki.
"So that's why ya kept turnin' me down all the time."
"I'm super sorry, Abby! But we had to keep it a secret…"
"Is fine, girl, Abby's cool with it Your singin' was great." Abby smiles at Kuki, who gives her a hug but then, Abby notices something happening next to the stage: it's Hoagie, and he has been surrounded by four girls. However, he does not try his moves on them, but Abby can hear what the girls are saying.
"Wow, I didn't know you could play an instrument!"
"Yeah, you were so cool!"
"Eh-he, thanks ladies, but I…gotta go." Hoagie pushes past the girls and joins the others. "*whistle* Man, Am I getting popular or what…" he mutters and notices Abby standing right in-front of him. "Hey Abby! Well, did you like our performance? I poured everything I had into those drums and…" Hoagie rambles nervously while Abby remains silent before something snaps inside her and she wallops Hoagie in the face, sending him to the floor with a loud thud, startling their friends. "Guagh! Ugh…ow…" As his vision clears, Hoagie sees Abby glaring murderously from under her black bangs and notices faint tears in her eyes.
"Jackass." she hisses and stomps away from the gym just as the others come to Hoagie's side.
"Holy crud, Hoagie, you okay?" Wally says and helps a stunned Hoagie on his feet.
"Abby, wait!" Kuki yells after Abby but she has already disappeared into the hallway. Then, Nigel grabs Hoagie's shoulder.
"Get going."
"Wha…?"
"He said, GO!" Wally pushes Hoagie forward and he also runs out of the gym while their look in silence just as the DJ starts playing "Something About Us" by Daft Punk.
…
"Abby!" Hoagie shouts as he runs through the hallway that connects the gym to the main hall and he can hear Abby's footsteps coming from the concrete stairs that lead to upper floor. "Abby, wait! Let me explain!" he yells and starts climbing the stairs, all the while Abby's footsteps echo through the halls. "ABBY!"
Up ahead, a furious Abby reaches the third floor and looks around, aware that Hoagie is coming after her. Then, she notices an open door at the very end of the right-hand corridor and swiftly walks over to it, slamming the door shut behind her. "..." she huffs and realizes she is in the old band clubs' room; the very same room Wally hid in during the first week. "That…damn jerk…Abby should've known he was just trynna get popular…" Abby mutters as the frustration and stress she has held inside her since the exams ended is starting to overflow and she slides down to the floor and wraps her arms around her knees. "What the heck was Abby even hopin' for anyway…" Then, she hears footsteps from the hallway and quickly stands up.
"Abby! I know you're there! Please, can you at least let me explain?"
"Go way, ya ain't nothing to explain! You were just trying to get popular with that band stunt!"
"I wasn't! I swear! I…just…"
"Just what? Do ya have any idea how hard it's been for Abby?! My sister said she don't wanna see me again and I can't remember anything! Abby's had nothin' but nightmares for three weeks!"
"*pant* Why didn't you tell us?! We could've…"
"ABBY TRIED!" she screams, silencing Hoagie. "She tried…but you guys kept turnin' me down! 'Oh I can't make it today, I'm busy', 'Kuki's tutoring me, can't' and Abby actually believed that?! All this time you guys were just doing your band thing and ignorin' me!"
"We…we didn't mean to…" Hoagie replies with a shaky voice as Abby slams the door with her fists.
"Ya had time to work on your stupid van and play in your band, while Abby's been dealin' with these damn nightmares! And then, ya complement me once and Abby starts gettin' crazy thoughts in her head and puts on this stupid dress and what do ya do? Ya just ignore me and humiliate me in-front everybody, like ya always do!" Abby words cut deep into Hoagie and steps away from the door, his jaw wide open from the pure shock.
"I…I'm…"
"Abby don't wanna hear any more excuses! Just get the heck away from me!" Then, Hoagie's knees give away and his whole body starts shaking.
"I didn't…I…DAMMIT!" he shouts and slams his goggles to the floor. "Oh so I'm the bad guy, huh?!" he stands up and stares furiously at the door. "I worked my ass off to make the band work and the fix van! I cleaned it so many times to get rid of the 'smell' you always complain about! All that, just to be punched and spat on?! It's not fair!"
"Not fair?! Are you trynna pick a fight, boy?!" Abby yells back at Hoagie, who also punches the door.
"Everything…all this was just…FOR YOUR SAKE!…I just wanted impress you for once in my life! I know damn well that I'm a dumb nerd who has no chance with someone like you! But I still…wanted to take the chance! I'm sorry you had to go through all that stress and the nightmares, I didn't know! But…is it so wrong to impress the girl you like?!" Hoagie pleads before his anger subsides and starts weeping on the floor while Abby turns her back to the door and grabs her left shoulder. Hearing Hoagie crying on the other side makes her feel horrible and Abby starts collecting her thoughts. She looks around the room and notices a calendar hanging on wall, which has Friday, 23rd of December highlighted and the days leading up to it crossed over.
"…dammit…" she sighs and looks over her shoulder towards the door, beyond which, Hoagie continues to weep silently. Then, Abby is hit with a faint memory: this isn't the first time she's heard Hoagie in such despair and she kicks herself mentally, realizing how badly she's treated Hoagie the whole day. "Of course he didn't know cuz ya didn't tell him…stupid." Then, she unlocks the door and sees a miserable Hoagie on his knees, crying his eyes out. "…Hoagie…" she then notices the goggles Hoagie threw lying on the floor and picks them up.
"…*sniff*…sorry…I'll…I'll just go now…like you told me to…" Hoagie replies through the tears, but Abby crosses her arms and gives him a stern look.
"Boy, get up."
"Huh?"
"Abby said get up." she snaps at him and slowly, Hoagie stands up. "That's better." Abby then puts the goggles on his head and to Hoagie's surprise, hugs him.
"Wha…what are you…"
"I'm sorry, Hoagie. Abby was outta line there…she was just thinkin' of herself."
"N…no, don't apologize, you've got every right being angry with me…I was…focused only on the band and the van I…"
"Then Abby's the same…and your van ain't stinky. It looked great."
"Re…really? Heh, that's the first time you've completed Betsy 3…" Hoagie stutters, unable to move a muscle as Abby let's go and looks him in the eye, her gentle expression making Hoagie's heart skip a beat. "Wow…she's so beautiful…"
"By the way Hoagie, since when did ya start likin' Abby?" her question causes Hoagie nearly to lose his balances as he scrambles to come up with an answer.
"Huh…wha…uh…uhm…"
"Hah-hah, quit choking on your words, boy." Abby laughs as Hoagie continues stuttering until he finally manages to gather himself.
"Uh…it was…when we met…a year ago the convenience store…"
"Really? Hah, Abby should've figured."
"But…I…I think I've…liked you longer than that…I just can't remember…" Hoagie replies while Abby giggles gently.
"Then I guess we're in the same boat Hoagie."
"Wha…what do you mean?"
"Cuz Abby likes ya too."
"…wait…what?! You're joking right? You've gotta be joking!"
"No jokes, Hoagie." Abby then moves closer to Hoagie and grabs his shirt collar with both hands. "Ya know why?"
"Well…why?"
"Cuz, you're MY Hoagie." Suddenly and without warning, Abby pulls Hoagie closer and kisses Hoagie on the lips, causing his entire body turns stiff as a board and he can't comprehend what is happening then, he wraps his arms around Abby and hugs her tight as everything becomes a blur.
…
Meanwhile, the party goes on in the gym, but Abby and Hoagie's friends haven't heard from them for a good thirty minutes and they're starting to get worried. "You think she stormed off and left the school?" Fanny asks the others, but Nigel shakes his head.
"No…I hope not…"
"But she did knock the crud outta him." Wally says as he takes a sip from his soda while Kuki has been unable to take her eyes away from the side door that Abby ran through.
"Guys…please be okay…" she mutters and puts her hands together. Then, Hoagie arrives, with an aimless expression on his face.
"Hoagie!" Everyone quickly run over to him, and Nigel grabs his shoulder. "Hoagie, what happened? Where's Abby?"
"Uh…she's in the bathroom…"
"You didn't fight, did you? Please tell me you didn't?" Kuki pleads but Hoagie slowly shakes his head.
"We argued a bit but it's okay now…I need a drink…" Hoagie mutters and walks past his friends towards the bar counter but his behavior confuses his friends.
"Something's not right with him…" Nigel squints at Hoagie as he orders a soda from the barista, prompting Wally go over to him. "Hey, are ya sure you're…huh?" as he sits down next to Hoagie, Wally sees him stare into space with a goofy grin on his face. "Oi, what are ya spacin' out for? Did she hit you so hard your brain's busted or somethin'?"
"Huh? Oh it's nothing*chuckle*…nothing…at all. *sigh*"
"Bah, this guy's totally lost it!" Wally gestures to the others just as Abby returns and a worried Kuki immediately runs up to her.
"Abby! Are you and Hoagie still friends?!" She asks frantically, much to Abby's confusion.
"Huh? What the heck are ya talkin' about, girl? We're…cool, we talked it out." Abby replies but Kuki quickly notices the faint blush on Abby's face, causing her eyes to light up.
"Eh? Wait, did you two…"
"Shhh, not a word. Abby's gonna tell ya later. Let's go get some drinks, Abby's thirsty." Abby hisses and after getting their drinks, everyone gathers around a nearby table as the DJ plays music in the background.
"Well, if you two made up, then that's enough, I guess. Anyway, we've still got a while before our band's encore. What do you guys wanna do?" Nigel asks and Kuki immediately puts her hand up.
"I wanna go dance!"
"Ya sure you wanna dance in that dress? It's gonna rip if ya go crazy."
"It won't, I'm sooper careful, Abby! And it won't rip if it's a slow song…" Kuki then eyes Wally, who starts shaking his head.
"Oi, don't look at me! I ain't gonna dance! I don't even know how!" his reply makes Kuki frown while Abby sighs in disapproval.
"When are ya gonna stop bein' so damn dense…?" Then, DJ Numeral puts on Keiichi Okabe's "Electric Fountain", which Wally instantly recognizes and so does Patton, who's head starts bopping.
"Hey, this is my song! I ain't gonna miss this!" he yells and runs off to the dance floor, prompting Fanny to go after him.
"Oi, aren't ya forgettin' somethin'?!" she shouts and joins him on the dance floor while Kuki grabs Wally's hand.
"Come on, Wally!"
"Gah, let go! I said I ain't gonna cruddy dance!" But Kuki ignores his complaints and with brute strength, pulls him to the dance floor as well, amusing Nigel and Rachel.
"He was never going to win that fight."
"Nope."
"You know, I feel the beat's calling me too! It's time to get groovy!" a revitalized Hoagie shouts and also rushes to the dance floor, which makes Abby chuckle, and she gets up as well.
"Heh, Abby's gonna go make sure he ain't gonna break anythin'."
As Abby leaves, the song changes to "Hyper Monkey Loves the Dance Floor" by OverClocked Remix and Nigel makes eye contact with Rachel. "So uh, are you going to dance?"
"I think I'll wait here. I'm good."
"Ah, I see. Then I'll accompany you."
"*chuckle* don't be so formal Nigel." Rachel smiles back at Nigel, who becomes flustered.
"I can't help it, I was raised that way." his reply takes Rachel off guard, as it reminds her again how differently Nigel acted before he lost his memory. "Uh, sorry, that came out wrong…"
"No, it's fine, I get it." Rachel says and empties her glass of apple soda before she and Nigel notice how Wally is actually dancing with Kuki while Hoagie's moves are causing Abby to nearly collapse from laughter as Patton and Fanny have a dance-off. "Look at that, he's actually doing it." Rachel points at Wally and Nigel nods while taking a sip from his bottle of cherry soda.
"He says he can't do it, but in truth, he's just afraid of failure…I can't blame him though…" Nigel mutters, leaving Rachel unable to give him a response. "Rachel, can I say something?"
"What is it?"
"I uh…" but then, the song ends and DJ Numeral steps down from his elevated turn table, signalling that the party's last event is about to begin, which stops Nigel from completing his sentence. "Ah, forget it, I'll say it later." Nigel says as he stands up, but Rachel could tell what he was about to say, causing her heart to sink.
"It'd be better if you didn't…"
Then, the others join Nigel and Rachel, and they can tell their friends partied hard. "*pant* Wow Wally, why didn't you tell me you could breakdance?"
"I didn't know I could do that!"
"You were really good out there, buddy. I saw it." Hoagie says and slaps Wally in the back.
"Hah-hah, ya shoulda seen Mister Groovy. He was goin' so nuts back there the others had to get outta his way." Abby says and holds her mouth, still chuckling from how wildly Hoagie danced while Patton starts teasing Fanny.
"I didn't think you liked dancing at all."
"Huh? Of course, I do, I just didn't feel like tellin' ya."
"Yeah, sure." Patton smirks, earning an angry glare from Fanny as Nigel calls out to his bandmates.
"Guys let's head behind the stage. We've still got one more performance to do."
"Oh yeah! I was having so much fun I almost forgot." Hoagie chuckles while Kuki closes her fists and puts her hands in the air.
"Go get 'em guys!"
"Wait, aren't ya gonna sing?"
"No, I sang my parts already. Now it's the boys turn!" Kuki replies to Abby as she sits down to the table Rachel is sitting.
Then, Wally becomes nervous and starts whispering to Nigel. "Hey…we aren't really gonna sing 'that', are we?"
"You mean the last song? Of course, we all agreed to it and if I recall right, you promised Kuki you'd do it."
"She blackmailed me! Can we just drop it? I don't wanna sing it…" Wally says and notices Kuki smiling expectantly from the corner of his eye.
"No 'buts' Wally. You're not doing it alone. Now come on, the audience is waiting." Nigel replies sternly and marches towards the stage while Wally's shoulders slump down and he walks after Nigel while Patton gives a wink to Fanny.
"What, not gonna wish me luck?"
"Ya don't need it. No get goin'." Fanny snaps back at him, but Patton can tell she wasn't being serious and laughs it off.
Meanwhile, as Hoagie starts walking away and passes Abby, she puts her hand on his shoulder. "Knock 'em outta the park, Hoagie."
"Watch me, baby."
"Oh, I will." she smiles gently at Hoagie and he grins back, now full of confidence. Then, the boys disappear behind the curtain as the crowd starts moving towards the stage. After 10 minutes, the gym is plunged into darkness while spotlights are once again shined on the stage and as Nigel walks out from behind the curtain, the crowd greets him with applause.
"Thank you, thank you. Now, how are you doing, everyone? Has the party been to your liking?" Nigel asks, receiving another loud "yes" from the crowd. "That's great to hear. Before we begin the evening's finale, I would like to once again thank everyone who has helped make this Christmas Party possible. Without your help, this party would've fallen flat, that's for sure! So, without further, Team V will now perform two more songs for you. Please enjoy!" Nigel shouts and turns around just as the curtain is raised again and he takes his position behind the keyboard.
"Let's rock!" Hoagie shouts into his microphone and they start playing "It's My Turn to Fly" by The Urge, which catches everyone by surprise, especially because Hoagie is singing, and he is doing a good job at it.
"Hah-hah, of course Hoagie would pick somethin' like this!" Abby laughs and claps her hands, now finally able to fully enjoy the band's performance while Kuki is jumping up and down and cheers like she is possessed.
"WOOHOO! COME ON!"
"Hey, don't go too crazy or you'll rip yer dress!" Fanny remarks but Kuki ignores her continues cheering until the song ends, at which point everyone start clapping, especially Abby, who stands up and smiles at Hoagie, who winks back at her from behind his drumkit. Then, as everyone calms down, Wally takes a deep breath and looks at his bandmates who all nod back.
"Oh crud…why's it always me…?" Wally mutters as he moves closer to his mic stand before he strums his guitar and begins playing "Redline Day" by Rob Laufer, causing the mood in the gym to change completely as Wally sings a song completely out of his comfort zone. Nigel, Patton and Hoagie also back him up but as the song goes one, Kuki covers her mouth andstands up as she stares silently at Wally, unable to take her eyes away from him as he plays his guitar.
Then, Wally brings the song to an end and the mesmerized crowd stands up and claps, before slowly erupting into massive cheers. "Man, that boy can sing alright." Abby says as Rachel notices that Fanny's eyes are filled with tears.
"Need a hanky?" she offers Fanny a handkerchief from her purse, which she quickly snatches from Rachel's hand.
"Don't get the wrong idea, I just got something in me eye, that's all." she hisses at Rachel who chuckles back. Abby meanwhile stands up and walks over to Kuki, who is still stunned by the performance.
"He…held his promise…" she mutters and puts her hands together as Abby pats Kuki's head.
"So that's how it was? Hah, give him a good enough and he'll do anythin'. Now come on, let's go." Abby says and the girls start walking towards the stage while everyone begins leaving the gym, marking the end of the McClintock High School Christmas Party.
…
The group reunites in the main hall, wearing their winter clothes and ready to go home. "Wally!" Kuki shouts as she sees the boys approaching from a storage room, runs up to him and gives Wally a hug.
"Gah, oi, what the crud are ya doing…?!"
"You were so cool! I'm sooper grateful you sang that last song! I loved it!" she showers Wally with compliments, turning his face red.
"Ah…well…I was…just keepin' my promise…will ya get off me already?!" but Kuki ignores his angry pleas and continues hugging Wally while Abby slaps Hoagie in the back.
"Ugh!"
"Ya did great out there, Goggle Boy."
"Eh-he…thanks. Glad you liked it."
"Of course, I did. Abby wouldn't mind seeing you do it again."
"Really? Well, you never know if Team V gets another call up, heh-heh." Hoagie smiles sheepishly before Abby turns her attention to the struggling Wally, who is trying everything he can to free himself from Kuki's hug.
"Hey, will you two lovebirds quit makin' out already? It's gettin' late." she says, prompting Kuki to let go but she continues smiling at Wally, who looks away.
"Right, well, this is the end of the party. I'm glad it all worked out in the end." Nigel says and Rachel pulls him closer to her and everyone gathers around in a circle.
"It wouldn't have succeeded without you, Nigel." she says and puts her hand forward and so do the others.
"Not just me, Rachel. Everyone deserves credit for this. But…I'm glad I have friends like you guys."
"I'm so glad Wally joined us! Now we're all together again!" Kuki shouts, but her words sting Rachel and Patton, both being fully aware happens once they leave the school.
"You guys are a bunch of crazy people, but Abby wouldn't have it any other way."
"Yeah, you guys are the best friends I could ask for." Hoagie says while Wally clenches his left fist.
"I…I owe ya for accepting me as a friend…"
"Hey now, since when you start saying eloquent stuff like that?" Patton chuckles but Wally doesn't take offense to the comment and simply smiles while Fanny is so overcome with emotion, she nearly starts crying.
"Even though I don't…say it a lot…you guys are my best friends!"
"Well said, Fanny." Nigel says and the everyone throws their hands in the air at the same time before they walk out of the school, towards Hoagie's van.
Wally, however, is carrying his guitar case with him. "Hey, why are you taking that with you?" Hoagie asks as he unlocks the doors.
"I ain't gonna leave it there. My guitar's valuable…and it's a birthday gift." Wally replies as he climbs to the passenger compartment along with everyone else except Abby, who hops on the front seat.
"So, who's house we hittin' first?" she asks as everyone puts on their seatbelts.
"Kuki's house is closest, so should we start from there?"
"Okidoki!" Kuki says to Nigel, prompting Hoagie start up the van but now, he doesn't put any music on and drives down the hill but unknown to everyone, an invisible pair of eyes are watching them from the shadows.
"This is Recon 1. The targets have left the school and are planning to separate."
"Excellent. Once they are all isolated, move in. But leave no evidence, we don't want to arouse any suspicion, yet, at least." a composite voice answers and starts cackling.
The drive goes by quickly and in silence, as the boys are exhausted from their performances but as they approach Kuki's currently empty house, she becomes nervous and starts eyeing Wally, who is barely able to keep his eyes open. Then, Hoagie stops the van in-front of the Sanban's house and remotely opens the side door as Kuki stands up. "Thanks guys! I had so much fun!"
"The feeling is mutual, Kuki." Nigel says while Patton nudges Wally forcefully, causing him to yelp.
"Ugh…huh? Wha…why'd we stop?" he asks but then notices Kuki stepping outside. "…bye Kuki!"
"…bye…" Kuki replies, but the others realize what she wants. However, before they can say anything Kuki closes the door but continues standing on the sidewalk, feeling slightly disappointed. Then, the van slowly leaves but it doesn't get far and Kuki is startled as the van bounces and rocks before the side door opens up and Wally flies out, landing face-first into the soft snow bank.
"Gah! *cough* Grrr, what the crud are ya guys doin'?!"
"Learn to read the mood, ya blockhead!" Abby shouts from the passenger seat as Wally's backpack is thrown at him.
"Hey! I wanted to go home!"
"Not this time, ya dolt!" Fanny shouts while Hoagie honks the van's horn.
"I'll keep your guitar safe over night!" he yells as the side door closes and he accelerates away, leaving a furious Wally shaking his fist and cursing on the sidewalk.
"Some friends you are! Screw you!" but then, he notices a silent Kuki standing not behind him, her eyes wide as saucers. "Uh…Did ya see that?! They just kicked me outta the van!" Wally rants but then, Kuki starts giggling, much to Wally's confusion. "Wha…what's so funny?"
"Your face, silly." Kuki replies and waves at the van. "Thanks guys!" she thinks and gestures towards the front door. "Let's go inside! You can stay over at my place."
"What? There's no way I'm gonna…uhg…okay…fine…"
"Yay!" Kuki shrieks and grabs Wally's hand before dragging him and his backpack inside.
Meanwhile, Hoagie drives van to their next stop, Rachel's house, its driveway filled with cars. "Yikes, how many relatives did you invite?"
"You don't wanna know." Rachel replies sullenly and steps out, but Nigel follows him outside.
"Rachel, wait!"
"Hmm?" Rachel turns around, only to see Nigel standing very close to her, clenching his fists.
"About what I wanted to say earlier…I…what I mean is uh…"
"Nigel." Rachel gestures with her hand, silencing Nigel. "I know what you want to say."
"Huh? Re…really?"
"Sorry, but I'll have to decline."
"Decline? But you didn't even let me finish!"
"I've known you long enough, Nigel. No, this isn't the right time, nor the place. I have more important things in my mind right now." Rachel replies with her best poker face, but it nearly breaks when she sees Nigel look back at her with very same distraught expression he had right before Rachel had cursed at him about his planned Erasure.
"I…I see…Well…I understand of course. Right then…uh…" Nigel quickly reagains his composure and smiles at Rachel, but she notices that his upper lip is quivering. "Merry Christmas." Nigel says to her and turns around before hopping into the van without saying a word but as the van drives away, Rachel collapses on her knees and starts crying silently.
Having seen the whole thing from his seat, Patton clenches his fists and looks out of the window, towards the ever-shrinking McKenzie house. "You did what ya had to do…" he thinks and eyes Nigel, who has not moved a muscle and frowns intensely.
"Okay, now it's your house, Fanny." Hoagie says and stops at the Fulbright residence and just as before, Fanny dad, Mr. Fulbright is standing on the porch and glaring harshly at the van. "Hah-hah, how long has he been standing there?! Look, he's got a coffee flask in his hand!" Patton starts cackling wildly while Fanny shakes her head, ashamed of her father's behaviour.
"Gah, why does he always have to embarrass me?!" Fanny mutters and gets out of the van but then, Patton calls out to him.
"Hold up, I got something for ya!"
"Huh? What do ya…!" without warning, Patton kisses Fanny on the cheek and then gets back in the van with cheeky smile on his face. "You…YOU! WHAT DID YA DO?!"
"Hah-hah! An early Christmas gift!" Patton laughs and closes the side door, leaving a wildly blushing Fanny stunned on the sidewalk but as Hoagie drives away, Fanny erupts from rage and starts shaking her fist.
"RAAAAH! YOU STUPID IDIOT! I DIDN'T GIVE YA PERMISSION…To…do…that…" her temper slowly subsides, and Fanny puts her hand over her left cheek. "…warn me next time…ya donkey…"
Soon, Patton is also dropped off, leaving a silent Nigel sitting by himself in the back. "Hey, Nigel, you okay?" Abby asks him, but Nigel does not answer. "Earth to Nigel!"
"Huh? Oh, I'm fine, just tired."
"No kidding. My eyes are starting to get heavy…"
"Boy, don't you start fallin' asleep now! You're drivin'!" Abby snaps at Hoagie just as they arrive at the Uno residence.
"Thanks for the ride, Hoagie. See you tomorrow."
"Oh yeah, we were gonna go to Kuki's house. Man, with everything that's happened today, I nearly forgot. See ya!" Hoagie replies as Nigel leaves the van and goes back home while Hoagie starts driving the van to Abby's place.
"Ah, Nigel, old bean, you're back! How was the party?" Monty greets Nigel in the lobby as he takes off his jacket and shoes.
"It went great, I'll show you some pictures later."
"Jolly good then! Now, are you hungry? There's still some left overs in the refrigerator."
"I'll pass, dad. I'm really tired after hosting the party." Nigel says silently and heads upstairs.
"Oh, very well then! Have a good rest son, you deserve it." Monty replies and walks back to the living room, while Nigel drags himself to his own room, throws his vest on the floor and falls face-first onto his bed.
"…well…there was always that possibility…I guess I just wasn't prepared for it…" he mutters and takes a scrap of paper from his nightstand. It is the note he had found from the back cover of his photo album, and he reads it out loud: "'Rachel is more important to you than you realize.' Hmph, yeah right…what a bunch of…hmm?!" Suddenly, Nigel remembers what Rachel said to him. "'I've known you long enough'""Wait a minute…what did she mean by that?!" he stands up and runs over to his desk to pick up his notebook.
"We've only known each other for a year…unless…" then, Nigel turns his attention to the framed photo on his nightstand, which shows him and his friends being presented with medals by a blond-haired girl. "You…you know something!" Nigel shouts and grabs the portrait. "That's the only explanation! You knew us! And you know what happened to us! Why didn't I make this connection sooner!" Nigel starts fiddling with the picture frame, which has until now, refused to budge. "Come on! There must be something hidden here!" he shouts and tries with all his might to open the frame until finally, the plastic cracks and the frame completely shatters, causing the photograph to float out and Nigel grabs it, noticing a short phrase written on the back that says: "If you're ever in trouble, look in the top left corner of the closet."
"What is this…?" he mutters and turns his attention to the wooden closet near his bed and stand up. "Is…something hidden there?" Nigel walks over to the closet, opens the door and starts investigating the backwall. "This has to be a prank…huh?!" suddenly, Nigel feels something move upon pressing the wooden backwall and it slides away, revealing a dark passageway behind it and a light breeze hits Nigel in the face. "…no…no way…what is this?" Despite wanting to step inside, he stops himself and presses the top left corner of the closet, causing the backwall to slide back and Nigel knees give way. "…this has got to be a dream…there's…no way we have something like this…in our house…I…I need to let the others know…" he mutters but then, as he closes the closet and sits down on his bed to make a phone call, his body starts feeling heavy and he notices a faint but pungent smell creeping into his room.
"Wha…what's happening?! Urgh…*cough*…I can't…breathe!" then, his vision goes blank, and everything falls silent.
…
Meanwhile, Hoagie and Abby have arrived at her house. There are no lights on, as her mother left for the airport after the teenagers had gone to the party, while Mr. Lincoln has gone to work at the hospital. "Thanks for the ride Hoagie." Abby says as she opens the passenger door.
"Yeah, no problem, any time…"
"…you gonna head home?"
"I guess so…" Hoagie stutters before Abby puts her hand on his shoulder.
"Why don't ya stay over for the night?"
"Huhwha?! Re…really? Well, sure but I gotta call mom and…" Hoagie fumbles his words and Abby finds it adorable.
"Hah-hah, come on, park yo van next to Abby's car over there." She points at the kitchen driveway and climbs out of the van. "We can pick up where we left off."
"Uh…okay…" Hoagie replies and does what he's told while Abby walks over to the kitchen door to let him in. "Abby!" Hoagie says as he climbs out of the van.
"Yeah?"
"I uh…didn't get the chance to say it earlier, but you looked really beautiful tonight!"
"Hah-hah, thanks Hoagie." Abby giggles as Hoagie enters the house, and she thanks him with another kiss.
…
Back at the Sanban residence, Kuki has taken Wally to her family's big guest room, which is usually only used by her Japanese relatives. Wally however is so tired he doesn't have the strength to protest when Kuki suggests they share the large double bed and after changing his clothes to the extra set his mom packed for him, he collapses on the bed and falls asleep almost immediately. "Good night, Wally." Kuki says as she puts the blanket over him.
"…*snore*…"
"*giggle* you sleepyhead…" Kuki smiles slightly but before she can lay down on her back, she hears Wally mutter something in his sleep.
"…I…like you Kuki…" her heart nearly stops from the shock and Kuki stares Wally for a few minutes in total silence before she moves closer and hugs him from behind.
"I like you too, Wally, sleep tight."
As night falls over Cleve and everyone goes to sleep, groups of shadowy figures begin closing in on Nigel's, Abby's and Kuki's houses.
End of Transmission 32
Note: FINALLY! I've finally reached this chapter! There's lots of stuff I want cover here, so let's begin.
The specific scenario depicted in this chapter was something that I've had in my mind since 2016, when I rejoined the KND fandom. For 8 years, I've wanted to write this, and now, it's become reality. Even back when I was working on RETRIBUTION, this scenario always hung in the back of my mind and I knew I had to include it in Beyond no matter what. In the original version of this fic, the Christmas party was supposed to be grand finale, followed by Sector V getting recommissioned and the story would have an open ending with no GKND or anything. However, now, that's not the case anymore and this story will take a whole different turn from here. The main inspiration for this chapter came again from hendocrinogeno on Deviantart, including how Abby and Hoagie look. Even though I am a dedicated 3x4 shipper, Abby and Hoagie were long due for a proper chapter dedicated to mainly them and here is the result.
Music has always been an important part of all my fics, as I have a very large KND themed playlist and all the songs featured here are from that playlist, chosen specifically to fit this chapter. Many of them actually inspired some scenes here, like Something About Us, which helped me come up with Hoagie and Abby's shared re-reconfession. Vacancy on the other hand was something I stumbled on by accident but when I heard the lyrics I thought "Decommend Kuki" and put it here.
Lastly, Redline Day. This song holds a very special place in my heart, as it and KND helped me a lot back in 2016, when I was in a very dark place mentally. Not only is it the ending theme of my favorite movie of all time, Redline, it is the one song that always makes feel at peace. I will forever associate this song with KND and using it here was a no-brainer.
I'm honestly very pleased with how chapter turned out, after pouring my heart and soul into it, despite my dyslexia, and I hope anyone who has read this far finds it enjoyable.