We are back in business after two whole months!
Transmission 35: Reconnections
10 minutes later, Eliza and her entourage return, greeted by six, confidently smiling teenagers. "So, did you make your choice?" she asks, though her friend's expressions are clearly giving away the answer.
"Yes, we have. Numbuhs 1 through 5 and Numbuh Beta are ready to join the TND." Nigel says, prompting Eliza to immediately rush over to him and give her cousin a tight hug.
"Thank you! I knew you guys would say yes!"
"After everything you've done for us, there was no way we'd just turn our backs on you." Nigel replies as Maurice makes eye contact with Abby and nods.
"I know what ya wanna say, but now's not the time. I'll tell ya about Cree later, okay?"
"Sure thing." Abby also nods back while Eliza lets go of Nigel, who turns his attention to Chad. The two friends-turned-enemies stare at each other once more while everyone looks in silence. The last time they had seen each other was during the failed treaty between kids and teenagers 6 years ago, but now, having heard Chad's side of the story earlier, Nigel does not raise his fist and instead, offers his hand to Chad, much to his and everyone else's surprise.
"If there's something I've learned in the past 6 years is that holding a grudge is only going to make life harder, so I think we can let bygones be bygones. You had your reasons back then and I understand now why acted that way. Besides, you saved us from almost certain doom, so treating you as an enemy after all that would be stupid."
At first, Chad is unable to say anything, as he recalls all the times he and Nigel clashed years ago. He was fully prepared to receive a thorough beating from the operative who he had once upon a time trained and betrayed but instead, there isn't a single hint of hostility in Nigel's voice. "…I…" Chad's left hand starts shaking slightly but then, he gathers himself and shakes his former comrade's hand. "Yeah…let's put all that stuff behind us…and thanks…Numbuh 1." he says with a tense voice as Eliza joins them and puts her right hand over their hands.
"And I thought you were going to beat him up, Numbuh 1. I'm so proud of you two."
"I'm not a kid anymore, Numbuh Alpha." Nigel chuckles, before smiling confidently at Chad. "I look forward to working with you from now on, Numbuh Delta."
"Same here, Numbuh 1 but you've got some catching up to do if you wanna work with the best."
"Aren't you forgetting something? You're not the best anymore." Nigel replies cheekily, causing all three teenagers to laugh as the tension Nigel and Chad held towards each other finally goes away after 6 years.
Then, Eliza steps aside and points at the door she and the others entered the hall from. "Now, before we show you the ropes, let's head to the cafeteria, you guys must be hungry."
Hoagie's eyes immediately light up and he starts rubbing his hands together. "Now that you mentioned it, we haven't eaten anything yet today!"
"You said it, Numbuh 2. Numbuh 5 could go for some grub right about now."
"Yeah! Can't fight on an empty stomach!" Wally yells but then, Nigel pulls Eliza aside.
"Where is Rachel? I need to see her." he asks her sternly, causing her smile to fade away.
"*sigh* I guess you can't wait any longer, huh? She's probably at 'that place'."
"Then let me go talk to her." Nigel looks his cousin in the eye and Eliza nods back, before creating a blue portal into the wall next to Nigel using her 2x4 wristwatch.
"Wow! That is so cool!" Hoagie shouts excitedly as Nigel looks at his teammates one more time.
"I'll catch up with you guys later."
"It's fine, boss. Take all the time ya need." Abby says while the others nod before Nigel walks through the portal. However, right before it closes, Numbuh Vine also slips through unnoticed.
"Well, let's go. I bet you're gonna like our menu." Eliza then leads everyone out, but the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers and Numbuh 9L stay behind.
"That didn't take long." Corvus crosses his arms and eyes the departing humans as they disappear into the hallway.
"I don't get why they were so hyped about them. Those six humans didn't seem that impressive."
"Leo, did you not read their files? The TND built a statue in their honor for crying out loud." Cygnus asks, prompting an indifferent Leo to shake his head.
"Nah. They'll need to prove themselves in a fight before I acknowledge them."
"Granted, they just regained their memories, so it is logical to assume they might have lost some of their combat effectiveness in the process. However, simply disregarding them would be foolish."
"We agree, Scorpius. In-fact, we recall seeing that bald human mentioned in a GKND report once. And the fact he was considered for the position of Earth Representative should already indicate that this teenager called Numbuh 1, and his companions, should not be underestimated." Libra remarks, earning a glance from Corvus.
"Hmph, well aren't you optimistic. I'm gonna have to side with Leo on this one. They'll need to prove themselves first."
"*sigh* I expected as much. Well, I for one am looking forward to working with them. They seemed very interesting." Cygnus says and Numbuh 9L immediately nods vigorously.
"Mauw!"
"Be my guest. I just hope saving them was worth nearly getting killed by those five weird teenagers." Corvus' remark does not sit well with Cygnus, but Libra stops her from lashing out.
"Calm yourself, Cygnus. Corvus, there is no need to be so hostile."
"I was just stating facts, Libra. Delta and I barely managed to escape from that place. And if those five newcomers don't pull their weight, I'm gonna be seriously pissed off."
"But you're always pissed off, Corvus." Leo smirks and so does Cygnus while Corvus rolls his eyes.
"Haah-haah, really funny. Look, all I'm saying is, I won't have a problem with that Sector V or whatever they're called as long they can do their part against the GKND."
"*sigh* Very well…Scorpius, what is your latest prediction on the GKND's ETA?" Libra asks Scorpius, who turns his large yellow eye towards the big window behind him.
"Based on previous GSF operational patterns, they will begin their attack within the next two Solar Cycles or perhaps at this very moment. It is impossible to know for sure. Thus, the logical choice now is to simply wait and prepare."
"Gah, that's what we've been doing since fled the prison! I'm getting bored of this waiting!" Leo shakes his clawed fists in frustration, prompting Virgo to chuckle coldly.
"What, are you that eager to get yourself blown up?"
"Huh?! What was that?!" Leo snarls at the former Cyrenian who simply squints her blue eyes at him, angering Leo even more. "Oh, you are asking for it, Cyrenian!"
"Enough! Fighting amongst ourselves is the last thing we need now." Libra intervenes before neither can act. "Can you two put your differences aside already?"
"Sorry, but I hate Pantherians and I have no intention of 'making up' with that savage thing." Virgo replies callously and slips out of the room using her shape-shifting powers, leaving a fuming Leo shaking his fist at her.
"Grrraargh! That damn Cyrenian! Thinks she's so much better than us!"
"She is a former Teen Villain, unlike us. She must've lived a lonely life…" Cygnus laments but Leo does not share her sentiment and huffs.
"Bah, like I care about her circumstances."
"You weren't so different yourself, ex-GKND teen fugitive Numbuh Ferox." Corvus' remark angers Leo even further and he starts revving his arm-turbines, as if ready to attack the former Orninyxian.
"Grrr, don't use that name, Corvus! Ugh…*cough* hey, stop that! Let go!" However, Numbuh 9L, tired of the constant bickering, wraps one of her fluffy tails around Leo and lifts him up.
"Mrrauw!"
"My words exactly, 9L. Now, instead of wasting time with pointless bickering, why don't we join the humans in the cafeteria and get to know the newcomers better? Maybe your doubts will go away if you speak with them?" Cygnus suggests, prompting Libra and Scorpius to nod in agreement.
"An excellent suggestion, Cygnus. Let us go right now." However, Corvus has no intention of going with the others and prepares to leave the hall but Numbuh 9L senses this and captures him with another one of her tails.
"Gah, what are you doing? I'm not going there!" Corvus shouts and tries to turn into electricity to escape, but his attempt fails. "Grr…damn you and your insulated fur!"
"Meow!" 9L smirks and the troupe leaves the hall together, though Leo continues to curse and struggle the whole way.
Having slipped away from the others, Virgo starts making her way to the Science Tower and as she sneaks through the hallways, she plans her next move. "So that human girl is the holder of the Nebula Crystal's other half…I'll need to make my move now, before the others get in my way."
…
Meanwhile, Nigel has exited the portal Eliza made for him and is walking through a dimly lit corridor, unaware that Numbuh Vine is shadowing him. He knows this part of the Moonbase well and soon arrives at his destination, a long curving observation deck overlooking his father's gold statue but as Nigel walks over to the glass window, he notices a smaller gold statue placed in-front of Numbuh 0's statue: it depicts five teenagers and Nigel realizes it is dedicated to his team, Sector V. "…I can't believe it…they made something like that…" he mutters and turns his gaze towards the bigger Numbuh 0 statue. "I came back, dad…"
"Impressive, isn't it?" a familiar voice says to Nigel, who flinches and quickly looks over his shoulder.
"So you were here." he replies as Rachel steps out of the shadows, holding the Book of KND.
"I uh…I wasn't sure how to face you guys so I didn't…come to greet you…sorry…" Rachel says cautiously as she approaches Nigel and offers the book to him. "Here." Without saying a word, Nigel takes the book and silently scrolls through a few pages before looking back at the Numbuh 0 statue. "…are you…angry at me?" Rachel asks but Nigel does not reply and simply stares at the statue as an awkward silence falls upon the deck.
Then, after a few minutes, Nigel shakes his head and turns to face Rachel, whose entire body has gone tense. "*sigh*…I have…many things to say, but I'm not sure where to start." Nigel laments and takes a deep breath. "Eliza told us everything, about you and Patton, Chad, the GKND and…the Delightfuls. I'm still struggling to process all of that…but I'll say this first: Thank you, for everything you and the TND did for us in the past year."
Nigel's sincere words make Rachel blush slightly, but she quickly regains her composure and nods back. "O…of course, don't mention it. You'd done the same for us." she replies but notices that Nigel's expression is very strained.
"Yeah…you sacrificed a lot to make sure we stayed safe…" Nigel clenches his left fist and Rachel notices tell-tale faint black aura of his Silhouette Suit briefly covering his fingers. "You were right all along Rachel…I was a coward who ran away when I should've faced the consequences. Erasing ourselves didn't undo anything, it only made things worse for you and everyone else." Nigel laments as the aura fades and his shoulders hunch down.
"Nigel…I…I didn't mean to…"
"Don't apologize, Rachel. What you said was true. We couldn't handle Wally and Fanny's memory loss and we ran away because of it."
However, Rachel shakes her head and grabs Nigel's right hand. "That doesn't excuse the horrible things I said to you! I…I've wanted to apologize for so long…" however, just as Rachel is about to hug Nigel, she stops herself upon seeing the glare in his eyes and steps back. "I wanted you to come back…all this time…"
"…you mean you wanted Numbuh 1 to come back." Nigel replies coldly and walks past Rachel, who quickly turns around, shocked by his words.
"What do you mean?!"
"Exactly that. You didn't want to apologize to Nigel, you only cared about Numbuh 1, the super cool operative you worked with." Nigel's grim expression makes Rachel hesitant, and she steps back again.
"You're wrong…it wasn't like that…"
"For a whole year, you were just counting the days until I'd get my memory back and you'd see Numbuh 1 again."
"No!" Rachel shouts as Nigel lowers his shades slightly, disappointment clearly visible on his face.
"I liked being just a normal high school student, you know. The past year has been the very first time I was allowed to be just Nigel, not Sector V's leader Numbuh 1. I got to experience so many things I'd never experienced before but…you must've hated every moment of it."
"That's not true! I had so much fun with you guys! I can't believe you! After everything I did for you, how can you say that?!" Rachel stomps her foot down and glares furiously at Nigel, who notices tiny tears welling up in her brown eyes.
"Then why did you shoot me down?!" Nigel yells back and his words instantly freeze Rachel. "You didn't even give me a chance to say how I felt!"
However, Rachel is unable to say anything back as she realizes Nigel has never used such a frustrated tone on her before and as their eyes meet, Rachel also notices a faint yellow glow enveloping his irises. "I…I had no choice…"
"Of course you had a choice…but you didn't want to hear it from Nigel…all this time you've wanted Numbuh 1 to say those words to you. That's how it's always been, ever since we were in the KND!" Nigel shakes his head coldly as Rachel lowers her head, covering her eyes with her blond bangs. "What difference had it made if you had let me say it yesterday? Answer me!"
"…" but Rachel cannot give him an answer as she comes to the shocking realization that Nigel is right:
All this time, she had only ever had eyes for the KND operative Numbuh 1, not Nigel Uno. It started off as mutual respect that over time grew into admiration and eventually she fell for him, but only his KND persona, since Nigel Uno appeared very rarely as he was always so dedicated to his job. Only after he lost his memories did the normal Nigel Uno appear, but Rachel had been so bitter about him erasing himself she couldn't bring herself to view them as the same.
Then, Nigel frowns and turns his back on Rachel. "Compared to everything that's been happening around us, this might seem…petty…but…this was the first time since I was 10 that I had actually liked someone…"
Out in the hallway, Numbuh Vine, having heard everything, is trying her best not to burst out into tears, because Nigel's words have affected her deeply and she recalls her time as a GKND spy, whose mission was to spy on Nigel and evaluate his loyalty to the KND by acting as his clingy and obnoxious girlfriend Lizzie Devine. "…you…really did like me…" she thinks as a voice in her head is telling her to leave but Vine cannot move as the guilt she has carried for years is close to overflowing.
Meanwhile, Nigel glares over his shoulder towards a miserable Rachel, who has been unable to say a word to him, prompting Nigel to sigh in disappointment. "…So, I was right."
"Nigel…please…I can…"
"Save it, Rachel. I just wanted to get this off my chest." Nigel replies, the pain he had held for years showing clearly on his face as prepares to walk away. "I'm…really tired of getting my feelings manipulated all the time…"
"No, wait!" Rachael shouts but Nigel ignores her and steps out to the hallway, prompting Rachel to run after him but the moment she also enters the hallway, they both notice a shivering Numbuh Vine leaning against the wall. At first, none of them make a move as a shared memory flashes past their eyes: they are taken back to the moment when Vine, as Lizzie Devine dumped Nigel. Both girls remember Nigel's sad expression very clearly but in different ways. While Vine didn't care much about it back then, now, the memory of a devastated Nigel fills her with guilt. Rachel on the other hand felt sorry for Nigel and tried to comfort him and now, the memory makes her furious.
"You! You were spying on us!" Rachel shouts as she points at Numbuh Vine.
"No I…I…" Vine gestures with her tentacles as her voice reminds Nigel of Lizzie instantly. However, he then notices that Rachel is about reach boiling point as the shame and sadness she felt only a few moments ago has turned into burning fury.
"…all your fault…" she mutters, alarming Nigel.
"Rachel!"
"It's all your fault!" Rachel shouts at Vine who is unable to say anything back. "You were the one who hurt Nigel! And now you show up here, eavesdropping on us!"
"Rachel, stop!"
"Well?! Are you happy now?! Is this why you followed Chad here?! So you could…!"
"NO!" Numbuh Vine yells steadfastly and as if a switch had been flipped inside her, she invokes the feisty visage of her old human identity, startling Nigel. "That's not…why I followed him…" Vine's head lurches forward slightly as Rachel continues to stare down at the alien with her fury-filled eyes. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop…I just…wanted to come clean…"
"Well too bad, because we already know everything you did to Nigel! You used him under the GKND's orders!" Rachel shouts, causing Numbuh Vine to twitch but then, Nigel restrains Rachel before she can continue her rant.
"That's enough Rachel!" Nigel's eyes flash yellow again, but Rachel refuses to back down and tries to struggle herself free from Nigel's grip.
"Grrr…let go! Are you trying to defend her?! After everything she did to you?!" she shouts while pointing at the equally angry Numbuh Vine, who stares defiantly at the former KND Supreme Leader with her blank white eyes.
"I am not defending anyone!" Nigel's anger boils over and his Silhouette Suit covers him completely, scaring the girls, especially Vine, to the point that she backs off, horrified down to her core at the sight of the Silhouette Suit. "You went too far." Nigel says as he lets go of Rachel, who turns around and stares at Nigel in disbelief.
"You…you can't be serious?! This alien was Lizzie! She manipulated you! She's the reason you..."
"I don't need you to remind me!" Nigel roars, flames erupting out of his Suit, silencing Rachel once more. Then, he takes a deep breath and his Suit fades away. "I know damn well what she did! So stop rubbing it in my face!" Glaring angrily, Nigel turns his back on the girls and starts walking away. "It's just another bad memory now…nothing else."
"Ni…Nigel! Wait, I…" Vine reaches at him with one of her tentacles but Nigel, clenching his fists, does not look back.
"Save it…Numbuh Vine. I've got more important things to worry about now…and I've said what I wanted to say." Nigel replies, his voice dripping with frustration and disgust.
"Nigel! We're not done here!" Rachel shouts after him but Nigel shakes his and walks away.
"Yes, we are." he mutters and disappears into the dim hallway, leaving the blond-haired teenager and the alien behind. Then, Rachel turns her spiteful gaze on Numbuh Vine, and they stare at each other silently for a few seconds before Rachel starts leaving as well, but as she passed Numbuh Vine, she gives the alien one more angry glare.
"Nigel suffered so much because of you and the GKND…even if he somehow forgives you, I won't." she hisses and walks away.
"I know what I did…more than anyone else…that's why I came here…to fix what I broke." Vine mutters and coils her tentacles, showing no sign of the fear and anxiousness she had felt since she fled the GKND with Chad and the others. "Now I know what I have to do…"
Meanwhile, Nigel has wandered down the hallway, trying to understand what just happened. "…Heh…am I really that gullible…no, none of that matters anymore. From now on, I'm going to focus everything I have on protecting Earth from the GKND." he tells himself before contacting Eliza with the silver 2x4 watch Rachel gave him as the Silhouette Suit that has laid dormant inside him since he lost his memories covers him briefly, as if it was rejoicing to be back.
…
Back at the Moonbase's Teen Extension, Eliza has led the rest of Sector V to the Extensions massive Grand Cafeteria, which is a large round space with an open atrium and is made up of 5 floors, filled with buffet's and soda and candy bar vending machines. Arriving to the cafeteria through a portal, Nigel is left in awe at the sight spread out before him, despite still feeling shaken by what just happened. "Wow…"
"Yo Nigel! Over here!" Hoagie shouts from a large round table, where he is sitting with everyone.
"*chuckle* Looks like you guys are already filling yourselves." Nigel smirks, but Eliza notices his slightly jaded expression and walks over to him as he approaches the table.
"How did it go?" she asks cautiously but Nigel shakes his head.
"We talked, like I said." Nigel replies vaguely and Eliza nods back, before gesturing towards the buffet across the floor.
"Well, how about you go something to eat as well. Can't work with an empty stomach, right?"
"Yes, I think I'll do that." Nigel tries to smile a bit as Eliza takes him to the buffet and then, they return to the table, where the rest of Sector V, Fanny, Patton, Kieran and Maurice are sitting, while Numbuh 9L is eating from a large bowl next to the table and the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers are hovering above it.
"Everythin' okay?" Abby gestures at Nigel, who nods back.
"Yes." his reply however does not fool Abby but she does not press the issue.
"Hmm? Okay, gotcha." Abby shrugs before noticing that Hoagie is about to head to the buffet again. "Hey, slow down Numbuh 2. You're on your fifth plate already!"
"And I'm gonna go for six! I haven't eaten anything since before the party, so now I'm gonna eat breakfast, lunch and dinner's worth!" Hoagie declares and marches towards the buffet table, prompting Abby to roll her eyes.
"Well, his appetite's still the same…" she mutters before turning her attention to Eliza. "By the way, there's something I wanted to ask ya."
"Sure, what is it?"
"How long were we captive?" her question draws Nigel's attention, and his jaded expression fades away.
"I was going to ask the same thing, actually. The Delightfuls abducted us from our homes right after the party but that's all we could figure out."
"Well…" Eliza puts her hands together and looks at Sector V through her green shades. "I'd say about 8 hours. They took you at around 22:46 from right under our noses."
"Good thing Rachel gave you that watch. Without it, you'd still be at their hideout." Patton remarks, causing Nigel to slightly clench his fist, which doesn't go unnoticed by Eliza and Abby. "I don't know why, but they even took your normal clothes with them."
"Wait, you're saying those Delightful dorks dressed us up? Urgh, that's freaky!" Wally gags before taking another bite out of his meatball sub while Kuki shakes her head.
"Eww…and I thought they couldn't get any more creepier…"
"They said they were going to turn us into brainwashed minions…and since they have Silhouette Suits now, I think they wanted to use that same cocoon attack Father tried on us a year ago." Nigel says while crossing his arms.
"Aw man, don't remind me. That's one experience Numbuh 5 doesn't wanna go through again." Abby frowns in disgust before noticing the small red spots in the crook of her right arm. "That wasn't the only thing they did to us. My arm looks like a pin cushion."
"We ran some tests on you after we Recommissioned you but didn't find anything unusual, so I think they only took blood samples from you." Kieran explains, prompting Nigel to throw his arms in the air.
"But why would they want our blood? Urgh, just what we need, more unanswered questions…"
"Guess we can't really do anythin' about that anymore...but yeah, that watch really saved our butts. What kinda stuff did you guys put in it?" Abby points at the silver wristwatch and with a slight glint in his eye, Kieran is more than happy to explain.
"Aye, it has a 2x4 tracker, a two-way communicator, a holographic map, a miniature G.R.A.P.P.L.U.H., an in-built heat laser gun, flashlight and a portal beacon. We call it, the E.Y.E.-W.A.T.C.H."
"Wow, that's a lot of gadgets in one watch…" Kuki mutters while nudging Wally.
"Yeah. I want one too…"
"Don't worry, Numbuh 4, it's a standard issue for all TND agents, so we'll give all of ye your own later." Kieran says to Wally, who responds with a pleased smile.
"Sweet!"
"Uhm, what's a portal beacon?" Hoagie asks the Science Chief.
"It's a development of the portal disc that lets you create a portal anywhere as long as you know the coordinates."
"No way! So, I could go straight home from here if I wanted?"
"Aye, that's right. Scorpius over there helped make it. I tell you; he's been a life saver." Kieran says while pointing at the purple, yellow-eyed alien, who joins them.
"I was merely doing my part. Claiming full credit for the achievement would be illogical. The base concept for the beacon was already very well thought out." Scorpius replies and gestures towards Kieran.
"Well, I mostly based it on Numbuh 2's ideas in the first place."
"Yes, you mentioned it before. Then you are the one who developed this portal technology?" Scorpius asks Hoagie, who feels slightly overwhelmed by the alien's monotone voice.
"Uh, ye…yeah. It was just a pet project that I worked on the side …back when I was a Teen Villain…"
"Could you elaborate further? I am most intrigued how a human managed to develop such a complex method of transport."
"Well, you see…" all three scientists begin conversing using only technical jargon, leaving the rest completely out of the conversation.
"Heh, look at him go. Once Numbuh 2 gets started on his tech stuff, nothin's gonna shut him up." Abby chuckles while Patton stands up and gestures to the others.
"Hey, when you guys are done eating, come to the Agent Training Center. You've been out of action for a year and the center's got everything you need to brush up on your skills." his suggestion immediately receives Wally's approval, who starts cracking his knuckles.
"Oh, heck yeah! That's what I'm talking about!"
"Hmm, that sounds good, Numbuh Zeta." Nigel nods and so does Abby.
"Yeah, Numbuh 5's down for some sparrin'. Those bullies at school were just small fry compared to what we've gotta fight against next." However, Kuki starts to hesitate and shakes her head.
"Uh…I'll pass…"
"Why's that, Numbuh 3? You not feelin' well?"
"Something like that…"
"That's all right Numbuh 3. You can join us later when you're feeling better." Nigel says to Kuki, who responds with a grateful nod.
"Thanks guys…sorry."
"Ya don't hafta apologize…you know what, on second thought, you guys go on ahead. Numbuh 5's got some business to take care off too." Abby says while making eye contact with Maurice, who nods back.
"Oh, well, okay then. Who else is coming to train?" Nigel asks the others, prompting Keith and Fanny to nod.
"Ya mon, I'm in. Gotta show you my new moves, heh-heh."
"Of course I'm comin'." they reply while Eliza shakes her head.
"I'll have to pass too. You know…Supreme Commander stuff and all…" she says and starts leaving the table. "Numbuh Omicron!"
"…huh? Oh, yes, Numbuh Alpha?"
"Make sure to give them their E.Y.E.-W.A.T.C.H.'s first."
"Aye, will do, Ma'am." Kieran replies firmly before Eliza leaves the cafeteria. "Alright, let's pay a visit to the Science Tower and get you your E.Y.E.-W.A.T.C.H.'s so you can move around the Moonbase."
…
After receiving their watches, everyone goes their separate ways, with Nigel, Wally, Keith, Fanny and Patton heading to the training center, followed by, out of curiosity, Libra, Corvus, Cygnus and Leo, while Numbuh 9L goes looking for Numbuh Vine. Hoagie stays with Kieran and Scorpius eager to learn about all the new developments the TND has done with 2x4 technology. Meanwhile Abby and Maurice leave to discuss about Cree and lastly, Kuki begins wandering aimlessly through the Teen Extension, greeting some of her old friends like Virginia along the way.
Unknown to everyone, Virgo has made her way to the Science Tower as well. Having kept herself hidden from the TND agents, scientist and guards that roam the tower's hallways, she sneaks under a massive, armored door using her shapeshifting powers. Behind the door is a small room with a sealed container, surrounded by lasers and infra-red sensors, but Virgo easily weaves past them and places her hand on the control panel. "I guess I should thank the GKND for giving all of us the ability to interface with computers…there we go, security down…" she squints as the container opens, revealing the case that holds the remaining five O.L. Rings. "That S-26 was pretty clever, including a warning about the Nebula Crystal in that disc…too bad I already removed it. The others don't need to know about it, until it's too late for them." Virgo opens the case and picks up the ring bearing her number, which is blinking rapidly. "Hah-hah, I can't believe the Nebula Crystal's holder is the one I'm resonating with…luck must really be on my side. Now, time to find that human and…become 'friends'." with a devious glint in her eye, Virgo closes her hand around the ring before placing a replica in the original's place and closes the case and the container before leaving the room, visibly shaking from excitement.
…
"I figured you wanted to get this over with first, Abby." Maurice says to Abby as they sit down in a small break room.
"Yeah, it's only gonna get in the way if I don't talk about it now…I should've cleared things up with Cree properly before wipin' my memories…" Abby replies, lowering her head in shame.
"Well, I don't blame ya, Cree did nearly kill Hoagie back then, so you had every right to be angry at her. But she didn't take you Erasin' yoself well either. That's why she dropped out of university and moved away after all." Maurice's words sting Abby, who clenches her fists, feeling even worse.
"And now she's gone who knows where and doesn't even acknowledge that Abby exists…do ya know where she went? Mama and Daddy didn't tell me anythin'…I gotta talk to her."
"Yeah, I know where she is. She moved to a small-town east of Cleve and works as a waitress at a local café there." Maurice's reply fills Abby with relief, because she had feared Cree had gone somewhere far away.
"*sigh* At least she's doin' well…"
"But you can't go to her now, Abby."
"Why not? She's my sistah!" Abby stands up but Maurice gives her a stern look.
"That's true, but we've got a much bigger problem to deal with now, Abby. The GKND could attack Earth at any moment, and I can't let you go out there by yoself. Because the Delightfuls are also looking for ya." he pulls out his wristwatch and shows Abby a holographic picture of her house, which shows Teen Ninjas wearing pitch black armor flying around the neighborhood. "Sector CL and TND Cleve Sector are both givin' the same reports: The Delightfuls want to get their hands on you guys and have flooded the town with Ninjas. Do you get it? If ya go out there now, they'll catch you."
Shocked by Maurice's words, Abby slumps back down on her lounge chair and takes off her hat. "Dammit…then what the heck am I supposed to do?"
"You'll get your chance to see Cree again, I promise. But now ain't the time."
"But…what if the Ninjas go after her?"
"No, they won't. Aren't ya forgetting something? This is Cree we're talking about. She can handle herself…and I told her to contact me if she ran into trouble." Maurice gestures with his watch, which makes Abby calm down.
"…okay…I get it." she replies before putting her hat back on.
"That's the spirit. Now why don't we go to the training center too? You've got some catching up to do."
"Hah, we'll see who needs catchin' up." Abby smirks slightly at Maurice, who smiles back cheekily as they leave the break room.
Meanwhile, at the training center, Patton puts Nigel, Wally and Fanny through rigorous training, involving obstacle courses, simulations and practice matches. He also teaches them how to use the TND's newest weapons, like the TND B.R.A. and other gadgets. Soon, they are joined by Abby and Maurice. "Hmph, he wasn't kiddin'. This place's got everythin'." Abby notes as they move along a walkway above the training center's main floor, which is further divided into smaller sections meant for specific practice programs.
"Yeah, we gotta keep everyone's skills sharp, so Numbuh Zeta designed it himself to meet his 'standards' if you catch my drift."
"Hah-hah, that's just like him." Abby replies cheerfully to Maurice as they approach a tower-like observation station, where Patton is watching Wally, Nigel and Fanny train.
"Hmm? Well, took you long enough!"
"Yo, Numbuh 5's ready for some action. So, how does this place work?" Abby inquires and peeks over the edge of the observation station towards the floor below.
"Just take the elevator down and the computer will give you the warm-up obstacle course first. Then you can move on to any training program you want."
"Alright, time to shake the rust off." Abby smirks and performs a few stretches and warm-up exercises before boarding the small elevator behind Patton, while Maurice stays behind to watch as the elevator takes Abby to the obstacle course.
"What difficulty did you make the warm-up course?"
"Level 10." Patton replies casually, amusing Maurice.
"Man, don't run 'em ragged already. They've been outta the picture for a year." he says and nudges Patton with his elbow, but Patton's expression turns serious, and he crosses his arms.
"Numbuh Sigma, that's exactly why I have to run them ragged. We need them at their best when the GKND make their move."
"Yeah, I know that, Numbuh Zeta."
"The others cleared it in one try, so Numbuh 5's gonna be fine. Have some faith." However, Patton's remark earns him a quick noogie from Maurice. "Ugh! Hey! Quit it!"
"Don't start preaching your elders just cause you're in-charge of this center." A smiling Maurice before letting go of Patton, who hastily fixes his fuzzed black hair and huffs, before turning his attention to the training floor. However, neither notice that Chad has also entered the training center and is watching from the walkway as Nigel and the others train.
"Maybe I should go there too…" he thinks and leans on the walkway's railing in silence.
Below them, on the large, wide tatami floor, Wally is fighting a humanoid 2x4 training robot that becomes more difficult to defeat every time he knocks it down. "Urgh…HIYAAH!" With a swift side-step and uppercut combination, Wally knocks down the robot for the 10th time in a row, shutting it off. "Hmph, too easy." he huffs as Nigel, Fanny and Keith are sitting on a long bench next to the tatami, having a break.
"*pant* I must say, this training center is top notch. The Antarctic Combat Training Center has nothing on this."
"Well mon, we teenagers need tougher training compared to the KND, so Numbuh Zeta worked really hard to make this place just right. We even got a VR scenario simulator here too, if ya really want to test your skills."
"Hmm, that sounds interesting." Nigel replies to Keith before taking a sip from his water bottle. "Let's hope Numbuh 5, Numbuh 3 and Numbuh 2 join us soon. They can't miss out on this."
"Ya called?" Suddenly, Abby shows up next to Nigel and he nearly chokes on his water.
"*cough* Gah! *cough* Numbuh 5!" Nigel yells at Abby while she responds with a cheeky laugh before taking off her cap and wiping the sweat off her brow.
"Heh-heh, calm down, will ya? So, how's it shakin'? You guys havin' fun with all the gizmos Numbuh Zeta put here?"
"Yeah! I just cleared all of his obstacle courses. They were a piece of cake." Fanny replies confidently as Wally joins them.
"Hey Numbuh 5. Ya wanna try fighting that robot? I already beat it 10 times." Wally says and takes a long sip from his own water bottle.
"Sure thing, Numbuh 5 could use some hand-to-hand trainin'. But man, that was some warm-up course."
"Yeah, it was awesome! I got through it in 5 minutes."
"Hmph, I did it in 4." Fanny says to Wally, earning an immediate glare from him.
"Oi, you just got lucky. You didn't have three Knightamaton's on your course, you had a bunch of cruddy mini-Flu Bugs!"
"Makes no difference! I still did it faster!" Fanny stands up and begins a stare down with Wally, but Abby quickly intervenes, separating them.
"Calm down, ya'll. Only kids fight over that kinda stuff…and besides, Numbuh 5 beat it in under 3 minutes and she had to fight four Knightamatons." Abby remarks slyly, silencing Fanny and Wally.
"Hah-hah, looks she got you two there." Nigel chuckles and gets up from the bench just as an enthusiastic Cygnus approaches the teenagers, followed by Libra, Leo and Corvus, who had been watching them train from the air.
"Pardon me, but you four are quite remarkable. No wonder everyone spoke so highly of you." Cygnus says while gesturing with her silver wings as Libra nods in agreement.
"Indeed. With results like that, you might be more than a match against the GKND."
"Thank you. Our Sector wasn't called the best for nothing. But don't read too much into practice results. Real combat isn't as predictable." Nigel replies sternly, impressing Libra.
"Spoken like a true Sector leader."
"Hmph, big deal. I could beat any of you in a fight without breaking a sweat." Leo remarks coldly, much to Cygnus' frustration and the swan-like alien pokes him with her left, mechanical wing.
"Leo, will you to cut it out already?" she snaps at Leo, who crosses his arms and huffs indifferently.
"Just stating facts. No human can beat me." Leo's comment does not sit well with the humans, especially Wally.
"Hey, listen here, Fang-Face, I don't care if you're some super powerful alien from who-knows-where, nobody talks down on us, ya hear me?" Wally glares at the alien, who's condescending, red eyes make him angrier by the second.
"Hmm? What, you wanna go, Mop-Head? Hah-hah, you wouldn't stand a chance! I can turn ya into dust with a single punch."
"RAAARGH!" Wally immediately aims a punch at Leo, who smirks as right before Wally is about to land a hit, his momentum stops and then, Wally is knocked down on his back. "Urgh…what the crud?"
"Kinetic energy control, Mop-Head."
"Bah, quit using fancy words!" Wally stands up and attacks Leo again, but result is the same. "Ghh…you cruddy…"
"What kinda power is that anyway?" Abby whispers to Nigel, who squints at Leo from under his sunglasses.
"I think he is halting and then reversing Numbuh 4's momentum somehow."
"So it's kinda like that telekinesis thing you do?"
"No, not quite. He is only using it in short impulses from what I can tell. So it's not telekinesis." Nigel replies as Wally is knocked down for the third time.
"Gaah! Quit hidin' behind that stupid power of yours and fight me! Or are ya scared a human's gonna beat you?!"
"Pantherians don't know fear, Mop-Head. And besides, if I got serious, I could hit you with the strength of a meteor!" Leo boasts, earning cold looks from his fellow O.M.E.G.A. Numbers.
"He's getting overconfident." Libra says to Corvus and Cygnus, who nod.
"I don't know about you, but I can't help but think those two are pretty similar." Cygnus replies.
"Like mirror images. Makes sense there was someone like that among the humans too." Corvus mutters as Wally cracks his fists and gestures towards Leo from the tatami.
"Why don't ya put your money where your cruddy mouth is and come at me?! You're just hidin' behind that power like a coward."
"Coward?! Who are you calling a coward?!" Insenced by Wally's taunt, Leo moves over to the tatami as well.
"Uhm, is it me or is Numbuh 5 seein' double? Cuz that alien's actin' just like Numbuh 4."
"Argh, just what we needed. Another brick-for-a-brain." Fanny rolls her eyes while Nigel chuckles slightly.
"Heh-heh, it's a small world."
"You can say that again, mon." Keith remarks and sits back down on the bench as Wally and Leo face-off.
"Tell ya what human, if you can land a hit on me, I might just take back what I said. But that's a big IF!"
"Quit yappin', ya cruddy robo-cat! RAAAARGH!" Wally charges at Leo once more, who puts up his fists and punches the air, creating a small kinetic blast that Wally has to quickly evade.
"Just so you know, I'm giving you a massive handicap by not using my full power! Don't wanna make a mess here!" Leo gloats and unleashes more kinetic blasts, forcing Wally to keep his distance. "Dance, Mop-Head!"
"Grrr…you cruddy one-trick-pony!" Wally jumps to the left and then quickly to the right to dodge another blast before lunging forward, only to be stopped once more by Leo reversing his momentum. "Urgh…*pant*…"
"What's wrong? Getting tired? You don't stand a chance against me, never mind the GKND!" Leo's taunts only anger Wally further but then, he notices something about Leo's attacks.
"Hmph, then let's try this!" Pulling himself up, Wally starts circling around Leo, trying to find an opening in his kinetic defense, but the O.M.E.G.A. Number swings his right arm in a wide arc, creating a horizontal kinetic wave, which Wally barely dodges. "Oh you gotta be kidding me!"
"You're outmatched, admit it already, Mop-Head!" Leo turns around towards Wally and now attacks head-on with both of his armored fists.
"In your dreams!" Wally yells back and stands his ground, putting up a guard with his hands just as Leo is about to hit him.
"Gotcha! Huh?!" But instead of hitting Wally, Leo's punches strike nothing but air and he realizes too late that Wally had ducked and dashed forward, right into Leo's blind spot.
"GRAAAAH!" Wally grapples the alien to the floor before restraining him from behind. "*pant* Hah, I win!"
"Grrr! Rargh! Let go! You little…!"
"Who are you callin' little, Fang-Face?!" Wally then tightens his hold on Leo's arms, causing him slight pain.
"Ow! Hey! Owowowow!"
"I'd say that's a pretty clean hit." Cygnus says as she and Corvus smirk at the humiliated Leo.
"Serves the loudmouth right."
"Maybe he won't have any more doubts about our new allies fighting abilities from now on." Libra notes as Wally lets go of Leo and stands up.
"Grr…how did you do that?!" Leo snarls at Wally, who replies with a sly smile.
"Your power doesn't work if ya don't see your opponent, that's all."
"Hmph, that was just luck."
"Call it whatever ya want, you still lost, Fang-Face."
"Oh that's it, I'm gonna punch a hole into you…OW!" but before Leo can follow through with his threat, Cygnus restrains his arms using her magnetic powers and pulls the defeated O.M.E.G.A. Number away from Wally.
"I think that's enough for you, Leo."
"Grrr, let go dammit!" Leo struggles to free himself, but Cygnus holds him at bay while Nigel, Fanny, Keith and Abby come to an exhausted Wally's side.
"Hah, your tenacity hasn't gone anywhere, mon." Keith chuckles and does a high-five with Wally, who smirks back confidently.
"Piece of cake. That's what happens when you underestimate Wallabee Beetles!" he proclaims while puffing his chest, which only makes Leo even more furious, but he can't retaliate.
"Cygnus! Lemme go! I'm gonna show that human what for!"
"I don't think so. You'll just have to live with the defeat now, Leo." Cygnus replies and turns her attention to Nigel and the others. "It's not every day someone shows Leo his place."
"That's Numbuh 4 for ya. Just cuz ya tell him to give up doesn't mean he will." Abby nods and starts doing more warm-up stretches. "You guys here to train too or…?"
"Oh no, we simply came here to observe. Numbuh Delta and the others have told us many things about you after all. Besides, we're allies so it is only natural we wish to get to know you better." Libra replies as Nigel puts aside his water bottle and steps on the tatami as well.
"Well, that's good to hear. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't keen on working with aliens. But we're still quite rusty, so don't expect too much from us just yet." however, Nigel's reply does not sit well with Corvus but before he can say anything, a familiar voice calls out to Nigel.
"Mind if I join in?" Chad gestures as he approaches the tatami and Nigel notices the faint glint in his eye.
"Sure you can, Numbuh Delta." then, Chad nods and walks past the group before gesturing to Nigel with his left hand.
"Then let me see just how rusty you really are."
"Hmph, alright, I'm game." Nigel replies and turns to face Chad while the others move aside, noticing the faint tension between the former comrades. "Don't worry, I won't use my Silhouette Suit."
"What, you're giving me a handicap? Okay then, it's your loss." Chad smirks and takes a combat stance and Nigel does the same. Then, after a few seconds of total silence, they dash towards each other and begin sparring with each other for the first time in 7 years.
…
Across the Moonbase's Teen Extension, after wandering through the halls for almost two hours, Kuki arrives at a small junction in the hallway and stops in-front of the large window nearby. She had been talking with, among others, Virginia, Rosa and Mary-Lou Sarah Jane-Jones, the Global Medical Commander Numbuh Mu. However, ever since she recovered her memories, something has been troubling her and she has not been able to talk about to her friends.
Staring silently out of the window, Kuki grasps the pink medallion hanging on her neck, which has been the source of her worries: since she opened her eyes, the medallion has been emitting faint sounds that only Kuki has been able to hear. "Why is it making that noise…?" Kuki thinks and eyes the medallion, noticing the crack on the crystal's surface, which seems to glow ever so slightly. Then, Kuki remembers what happened a year ago, when she tried to save Wally from falling to his death following Numbuh 1000's defeat: the medallion had somehow covered her body in a layer of crystal that allowed her to catch Wally in mid-air. But suddenly, a cold chill runs down her spine as she recalls something else: the nightmare she had experienced when she stayed over at Wally's house in October.
"No…that was just a dream…" shaking her head, Kuki walks closer to the window and presses her hand against the glass as the faint sounds continue ringing in her head. "I…I need to tell the others…"
"About what?"
"EEEEEK!" Startled by the strange voice, Kuki swiftly turns around and sees Virgo hovering before her, slightly squinting her light green eyes at her. "Oh…so…sorry…"
"I should apologize, didn't want to scare you like that." Virgo replies calmly as Kuki gets her composure back.
"You're one of the aliens that Chad brought here…right?"
"Yes, I'm Virgo. And you are…?"
"Oh, I'm Kuki Sanban! But you also can call me Numbuh 3." Kuki says with a weak smile as Virgo also moves near the window. "I uh…"
"Something troubling you?"
"Well I…I'm just a little confused, that's all. We just got our memories back you know?" Kuki fidgets and puts her hands behind her back as Virgo nods.
"Yes, we were watching from the control room. Though I don't quite get why someone would give up their memories willingly like that. Aren't memories more important to a KND operative than their lives?" Virgo's question both surprises and offends Kuki, who shakes her head.
"…we did it because it wasn't fair that we got to keep ours when others lost theirs…" she clenches her fists briefly, but it does not go unnoticed by Virgo, who smirks.
"Not fair? I see…sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I've never been a KND operative myself so I guess I can't really relate to that."
"You weren't? Then what did you do before you got here?" Kuki asks, prompting Virgo to cross her arms and frown.
"A Teen Villain, that's all you need to know."
"Really? I was a Teen Villain too!" Kuki's brown eyes light up, feeling a faint sense of familiarity with the alien. "Well, only for 2 years but still! We're kinda similar."
"Hmph, in your dreams." Virgo says in her head before turning towards Kuki. "Well, maybe. Anyway, I heard you had 'magical powers'. Is that true? I thought you humans couldn't do such things."
"Oh, some people can, like Nigel. He has this suit that lets him control fire, fly and…"
"Yes, yes, but I was talking about you." Virgo interrupts and points her right index finger at Kuki, who fidgets again.
"Uh…yeah, I can do magic stuff…like this!" Kuki starts demonstrating her powers by hovering slightly in the air while Virgo watches in silence. "And I can teleport." then she teleports to the other side of the hallway and back. "I also could use some sort of lightning but not anymore. My powers come from this medallion I got from my grandma."
"It's a good thing this human is so naïve…" Virgo begins eyeing the crystal very intensely before glancing at Kuki once again. "Is that so…and where did she get it?"
"She told me it's a family heirloom or something and it belonged to my great-great-great-great-grandma." her explanation puzzles Virgo, who frowns briefly before she floats past Kuki.
"And how did she get it?"
"I don't know! Hey, why are you so interested in this thing anyway?" Kuki covers the medallion with her hands and eyes Virgo with slight suspicion, but the alien quickly turns around and starts gesturing with her hands.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to make you angry, I just read your file and got curious, that's all."
"Oh…okay, that's a relief. I thought you were going to steal it or something."
"Well…you're not entirely WRONG!" Seizing her moment, Virgo reveals the silver O.L. Ring she had hidden in her left palm and ensnares Kuki with her right arm.
"*gasp* Hey, let go!" sensing danger, the medallion starts glowing but Virgo is faster and she violently presses the O.L. Ring against Kuki right upper arm which sends a jolt of immense pain through her body. "KYAAAAAAH!" her screams echo in the hallway as the ring wraps itself around her upper arm, phases through her blouse sleeve and merges with her arm in the same way as it happened to Chad before.
"HAH-HAH! You dumb human, now that Nebula Crystal's other half is mine! Once I perform an Overlay with you, I'll finally have my revenge!" Virgo laughs victoriously as the Omega symbols emblazoned on arm and neck rings glow vibrantly while Kuki's body is covered in yellow lines and her head fills with symbols.
"YAAAAAAHH! IT HURTS! HELP ME!"
"It's no use! Nobody will hear you, human! Now give up your body to me!" but then, the medallion's color changes from pink to deep dark purple and it unleashes a blast of lighting at Virgo, separating her from Kuki, who slumps to the floor holding her right arm. "UARGH!" The shock sends Virgo flying against the wall behind her but when she tries to move, purple jolts course through her body, stopping her in place. "Wha…what's going on…why…did it reject me?!" she gasps in pain while Kuki rolls onto her back as the O.L. Ring implanted into her arm stops glowing.
"…*gasp*…*groan*…urgh…what did you…do to me?" Kuki asks weakly as Virgo floats towards her, her eyes still filled with manic determination.
"…the Nebula Crystal…GIVE IT TO ME!" Virgo tries to grabs Kuki again but the medallion creates a pink telekinetic shield around her, stopping Virgo. "Grrr…dammit…" she hisses as Kuki sits up and glares at the green, ghost-like alien.
"What did you do to me?!" she yells as the two stare intensely at each other.
"Hmph…" Virgo refuses give Kuki an answer and circles around her menacingly. However, much to her frustration, she cannot touch Kuki to the shield. Then, Kuki pulls up her right sleeve and sees the silver O.L. Ring stuck to her arm.
"Wha…what is this thing? I can't get it off!"
"It's useless, human. You can't take it off now that's merged with you." Then, the shield fades away, but Virgo keeps her distance as Kuki tries in-vain to pry the ring off her arm. "You and I are connected now, whether you like it or not."
"Connected? What do you mean?!" Kuki stands up and her intimidating aura puts off any attempts by Virgo to attack her again. "I thought you were a friendly alien but you're just dirty liar! Why did you trick me?!" Then, Virgo lunges towards Kuki and turns her right arm into a sharp blade.
"Because you're a simple, gullible weakling. Let me make one thing clear, human: I couldn't care less about you or what happens to your planet, your family and friends. I didn't come to this place because I wanted to. All that matters to me in this entire universe is me and myself alone. And I will get my hands on that Nebula Crystal, one way or another." she pokes her blade-shaped arm at O.L. Ring before pulling away from Kuki. "Oh and if you speak of this to anyone, I'll slaughter everyone in this base." Virgo then swings her blade arm 180 degrees vertically, cutting a clean gash into the ceiling and the wall behind her, horrifying Kuki, who steps backwards. "You and I are now partners in crime." she says coldly but then starts hearing footsteps from the hallway. "Tch…"
"No…You're wrong! YOU'RE WRONG!" Kuki shouts but Virgo ignores her and sneaks away as the footsteps become louder. "…I'm not…I'm not a weakling…" Kuki collapses on her knees and covers her eyes as tears start forming in her brown eyes.
"Numbuh 3? Kuki?" suddenly, a familiar voice calls out to her, prompting Kuki to quickly wipe her tears away and pull down her right sleeve to hide the ring. "Hey, found you!" out of the darkness, Wally appears, his face bearing slight bruises.
"Nu…Numbuh 4! What are you…doing here…?" Kuki swifts stands up as Wally walks up to her.
"I should be asking that. Anyway, you and Numbuh 2 still gotta do the training course...oh and Numbuh Alpha said we're gonna have a Christmas party in the main hall or something. It's still Christmas Eve you know?"
"Oh…uh…yeah, okay…" Kuki replies silently and Wally can tell something is not right.
"Hmm? Hey, what's up? Were you crying?" he points at Kuki's reddened eyes.
"No I uh…I just…remembered some stuff and I…" Kuki clenches her fists and then, starts hugging Wally, startling him.
"Oi, what are you…?"
"Please…just stay still…okay…?" Kuki whispers and hugs him even tighter as she tries to come to terms with what just happened to her, Virgo words having left a deep cut in her psyche.
"Uh…okay…take your time."
…
However, in the bowels of the Moonbase, four cloaked kids gather in a small storage room. "So, is it time?" a girl asks the others, who nod back.
"We just received a message from Numbuh 74.239. The operation will begin in a Solar Cycle and we have to take our positions." a tall boy replies and uses a small 2x4 holoprojector to show the others a 3D image of the Moonbase. "Everything needs to be timed perfectly. We're going to send those teenagers to their deaths in one fell swoop."
"Finally…"
"Glory to the GKND!"
"Glory to the GKND!" the four kids declare and quickly leave the room, ready to initiate a plan many months in the making. A plan, which will decide the fate of planet Earth and all it's inhabitants.
End of Transmission 35
Note: At this point, saying I'll make weekly releases is doomed to fail...anyway, I'm back! It's been two months since I published a chapter so I figured I'd explain things a bit.
A week after I released the previous chapter in September, I injured my neck muscles quite badly. It's kinda ironic that it happened because I wrote this fic. My neck muscles were so strained they couldn't take my bad writing posture anymore and it got so bad I couldn't bend my neck down at all, leading to a month of physiotheraphy. I'm alright now but can't keep my head still for long, otherwise the muscles will get angry again. Also, I'm currently dealing with a massive backlog of university deadlines and exams, so the next chapter won't be coming any time soon.
Okay, enough about me, le'ts talk about the chapter instead.
Nigel finally put aside his grudge with Chad. I waited sooo long to write their reunion and while it could've been longer, I didn't want to focus on them too much, since the story is going turn on it's head from the next chapter onwards. Sector V also got to know the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers properly and if you've been really sharp-eyed, you might've noticed a little hint I left in RETRIBUTION about the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers and Sector V. *winks*
Virgo also made her long awaited move but it didn't go to plan...yet.
Lastly, sorry that it took so long to publish this. Life sometimes takes unexpected turns.