This chapter has a special cover poster that you can find from my DeviantArt: Gettan49
Songs featured:
Detained Ace: "Blackout" by Kota Hoshino
Eliza's painful memories: "Armeria" by Kota Hoshino (This is her character theme)
Transmission 41: Blackout
Autumn, 2 years ago.
Over the skies of Cleve, a lone fighter jet flies over the town. Its pilot is Ace The Kid. Ever since his parents took him flying on a light aircraft when he was 5, he has loved the sky. He also had a natural knack for building and tinkering so he started making his own flying machines by the time he entered elementary school. As his skill grew, so too did his ego and for a while, he thought nobody could match him in the sky.
Then, he met the Kids Next Door. Their technology was very similar to what he had built, and they had equally skilled pilots. However, instead of antagonizing them, The Kid sympathized with their cause but refused to join. He had always been a loner. Both of his parents rarely came home due to their work, and he had to do everything by himself. But he did not mind it. He enjoyed it. Fighter pilots are loners and that was just the way he liked it. However, as elementary school ended and middle school started, he moved away from Cleve and left behind his great rival, Hoagie P. Gilligan Jr. Still, he longed for someone of equal caliber, so The Kid returned to Cleve from time to time, only to see an empty sky waiting for him. And today was no different. Diving through the clouds, The Kid's orange and black bi-plane fighter made up of an old Formula 1 car's chassis combined with a speedboat is handling beautifully as always. It is also fast and allows him to cross the North American continent in no time.
"Hmm, looks like no one's around again." he mutters as he executes a perfect Split-S above downtown Cleve. But then, he sees flashes in the horizon. "What's this?" he rolls the fighter to the left and heads towards the lights before quickly realizing it is a C.O.O.L.B.U.S., one of the workhorses of the KND. However, its coloration is different and so is its armament. But as he approaches the craft, he notices black objects following it. "Ay-ay-ay, Teen Ninja Battle Ready Cycles. Shoulda known." he pulls the control stick back and climbs, not willing to get involved. But then, he hears a frantic voice in his radio. "What the heck? An emergency transmission on an open 2x4 channel?"
"Mayday, mayday, this is Speed Demon Flight 701, to any TND ships in the area, we need help! We're carrying members of the Teen Ninja's Nerd Troop who wanted to defect. If the Ninjas catch them they'll be tortured! If anyone can hear this, help us! Our turrets got destroyed and…*ZZZZZZZTTTT*"
The transmission cuts off as the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.'s antenna is shot up while more Cycles rise up from Cleve, ready to shoot down the fleeing ship. Above them, The Kid peeks out of his cockpit as the cycles close in. "…torture? Now that's not right. Not right at all, you putas!" angered, The Kid rolls his fighter upside down and dives yet again, flipping the master arm switch on the control stick, which activates a green crosshair on his windscreen. "I don't like sticking my nose into other people's business, but you guys are not gonna torture anyone!"
Below him, the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. has taken more hits from the pursuing Cycles, which are led a strong-jawed Ninja wearing a slouch hat. "Hah-hah, alright ya'll, let's bring these losers down. I'm gonna personally strap those nerds into the dodgeball court and pummel 'em with dodgeballs!"
"Roger that, Boss Ernest!" the other Ninjas reply, and the Cycles begin swarming the C.O.O.L.B.U.S. from all sides.
"Dammit, they took out the antenna! Commander, we're gonna have to ditch if this keeps up!"
"Not yet! We're not far from the base." a teenage girl with long, orange hair with a beaty mark on her left right cheek and wearing a white blouse, shoulder pads, elbow pads, knee pads, a light green skirt and tall white sneakers, replies to the pilot as she peeks out of the ship's window. "No matter what, we can't ditch over downtown. It's crawling with Ninjas because of that new Hideout they built."
"But Numbuh Alpha!"
"Focus on your job! Get us to the base, Numbuh Lambda!" the girl shouts at the light-brown haired teenage boy flying the C.O.O.L.B.U.S., scaring him.
"R…right, I'm gonna…ARGH!" then, a laser from the lead Cycle blows a hole into the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.'s hull, shaking the ship violently. "Urgh…Commander, are you okay?"
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me." the girl replies and runs over to the hole, holding a pair of B.L.A.Z.E.R pistols in her hands. "You Ninjas picked the wrong teenagers to mess with!" she yells and starts firing her two toaster shaped pistols at the Cycle, scoring a few hits and surprising the attackers.
"Gah, these guys don't know when to quit! Aim at that girl!" the slouch hat wearing, freckled Ninja yells but before his subordinates can act, they are struck from above by a barrage of lasers and billiard balls. "Grr, what the?!"
"Hola you punks! Mind if I join the party?!" The Kid taunts the Ninjas as he tears through the formation, shooting down over half of them in a single attack, before flying past them and performing a wide left turn, ready to shoot the rest down.
"Where did that fighter come from?!"
"Forget about that and floor the engines already! This is our chance!" the girl shouts at the pilot, who does as he's told and escapes from the furball, the C.O.O.L.B.U.S.'s nose pointed directly at a tall, spire-like hill in west Cleve. However, the Ninjas are not about to let them slip away so easily.
"GRAAHH! They're getting' away! Shoot 'em down!" the leader howls over the radio and the Cycles fire everything they have at the C.O.O.L.B.U.S., only to be attacked from behind by The Kid.
"Hey, hey, hey, are ya forgetting about me?" However, while he does shoot some of them down, the Ninjas push on and then, they manage to hit the fleeing C.O.O.L.B.U.S.'s large main engine.
"They got us!" the pilot shouts as the ship begins losing altitude rapidly but, they had managed to reach the edge of the forest surrounding the hill and crash land into the pine trees.
"Hah-haa! Let's drag those punks outta that ship!" the leader yells victoriously and the Cycles dive into the forest while The Kid frowns.
"Dammit, wasn't fast enough." he says to himself and heads towards the column of smoke rising the from the forest, but when he flies over it, he sees the Ninjas getting pummeled by the orange-haired girl alone. "*whistle* Damn, she's got spunk." The Kid remarks and circles over the crash site as the Ninjas are driven away, bruised and battered. Then, they crawl back into their Cycles and flee the forest, some of them carrying more than one Ninja. "Looks like I wasn't needed after all."
Then, The Kid notices that the crash site has been suddenly abandoned. "They didn't stick around for long…hmm, well, if they don't need that scrapped ship, I'll take care of it." One of the ways he has kept his fighter in great condition is through scavenging and crashed KND ships have always yielded good parts. Scanning the area with his fighter one more time, The Kid determines that the site is empty, and he lands next to C.O.O.L.B.U.S. Grabbing his toolbox from behind his seat, he jumps out of the fighter and sneaks inside the ship. "Ooh, yeah, this is top of the line stuff alright…but a bit too good for KND tech…"
"HI-YA!"
"URGH!" but then, before can react to the sudden noise, something hits The Kid from behind and everything turns black.
Present
"…*groan*…urgh…" at first, he only sees darkness, but slowly, Ace The Kid opens his eyes. Blinded initially by a bright green light, he blinks his eyes, trying to see where he is. "Uh…where…"
"So you're finally awake, Ace The Kid." a low voice speaks to him as The Kid's vision finally clears and he realizes he has been placed in a pod, his arms and legs strapped to a soft mattress. But he also notices that the right sleeve of his pilot jacket has been completely torn and so has the edge of his T-shirt sleeve as well.
"Ghh…what's going on?! Where am I? Graaah!" try as he might, The Kid cannot free himself from the metal straps holding him in place.
"Don't waste your energy, Ace The Kid. You can't escape that S.A.F.E.P.O.D. It was designed specifically to keep you in." the voice replies as The Kid sees two strangers standing outside the pod.
"You…you're the GKND?" The Kid asks as one of the strangers, who looks like a bipedal tiger wearing gray and red armor and a mask with three green eyes, nods to him.
"Correct. I am Numbuh Exa, the Commander of the Galactic Subjugation Force." Numbuh Exa introduces himself but receives a cold glare from The Kid.
"Yeah, that ugly mug looks familiar."
"This teenager doesn't have any manners. Can I probe him already?" the purple-skinned alien holding a staff says to Numbuh Exa, who shakes his head.
"Not yet."
"What do you want with me?!" The Kid yells at the aliens, prompting the purple-skinned alien to hit the staff against the floor, creating a tiny shockwave that presses The Kid against the mattress. "Urgh…*groan*…"
"Silence! You'll speak when told, teenager!"
"Numbuh Lyrical here is our head-interrogator. You're going to be spending some time her."
"Screw you! I ain't gonna tell you anything!" The Kid declares, causing a devilish grin to appear on Lyrical's face.
"Ooh…well, don't worry teenager, you won't have a choice in the matter." she chuckles and points her golden staff The Kid, before firing purple energy waves from the staff's crystal.
"AAAAAARRRGHHHH! GHHHHHHRRRAAAA!"
"This won't hurt, me that is. Hah-hah-hah-hah-hah!" Numbuh Lyrical starts cackling maniacally while Numbuh Exa looks on, arms crossed.
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD! AAARGHH!" The Kid screams as he is subjected to deranged visions that tear into his mind, boaring through every memory he has ever had. "GUAAAARRGHHH! S…STOOOOP!"
"Not yet, little teenager, I need to see everything! All of your secrets will be for the GKND to witness." Lyrical says while The Kid spasms, writhes and screams in pain as an ear piercing song rings in his ears. Then, after 10, torturous and agonizing minutes, the GSF's head-interrogator pulls back her staff and The Kid's head slumps forward as his eyes become blank. "Aww, look at him, he's so worn out." Lyrical mocks the teenager as Numbuh Exa walks over to a computer terminal.
"Begin the transfer." he says stoically to Lyrical, who nods and sends the same purple waves into a large purple round lens in the wall next to the terminal and joins her superior.
"So, how does it look?"
"Hmm…just like Numbuh 74.239 and Shrike thought, his Orninyxian heritage has only manifested in his reflexes and resistance to gravitational forces. The U.N.M.A.S.K.E.R.'s effect has altered his cell structure to that of a half-Orninyxian now."
"And? Are we gonna send him to the Galactic Science Division for study or?"
"No. He is still useful. We've captured Numbuh Vermillion's son after all."
"But if Vermillion's on Earth, then why aren't we capturing her instead?" Lyrical raises her left eyebrow as Numbuh Exa turns off the console.
"Because Numbuh Vermillion is Orninyxian only on the genetic level. She cannot manifest her powers anymore and she was turned into a human by the Galactic Science Division. Not to mention, she is an adult now. Her son is a different case."
"Riiight…hmph, who'd want to turn themselves into a human, they're weak."
"Don't forget that Numbuh Chaff is missing, Noxious lost an arm and Shrike, Tera and A64 were seriously injured fighting those humans." Exa snaps at Lyrical, who twitches before shaking her head.
"…the humans just got lucky." she mutters as Numbuh Exa walks over to The Kid's pod.
"We'll keep him here for now. Once the landing operation begins, we'll put him to use. And if he doesn't do it willingly, we'll Recondition him, so your job is to crush his mind."
"Oh? Well, don't mind if I do." Lyrical grins and taps the S.A.F.E.P.O.D.'s glass. "Did you hear that, teenager, you're not gonna be sent to the Galactic Science Division to be dissected. You'll get to spend more time with me. Hah-hah-hah, oh you teenagers are only useful when you don't have free will." the orange eyed Cyrenian sneers at The Kid before she and Numbuh Exa leave the room.
"…uuhhh…guys…mama…papa…E…Eliza…" in immense pain and his mind shattered by Numbuh Lyrical, The Kid groans with what little strength he has before darkness descends on him, as another faint memory fills his tortured mind.
Autumn, 2 years ago
"So, who's this?"
"Numbuh Alpha caught him sneaking into her wrecked C.O.O.L.B.U.S. We'll need to wait until she comes back. She went to see Numbuh Gamma about this guy's identity. Hmm? Hey, looks like the thief's waking up."
"Urgh…" The Kid wakes up in a small room, tied to a chair. "Huh? Gah, what the heck?! What's goin' on?!" he shouts and quickly realizes he is in an interrogation room with two teenagers who are wearing body armor made from kitchen utensils and hockey gear.
"Just sit tight for now, Mr. Thief. There's someone who wants to speak with ya." one of the teenagers reply and leave the room, locking the door behind them.
"Ghhh, hey, let me out! I didn't do anything!" The Kid shouts and tries to free his hands but to no avail. "…dammit…should've kept out of it…" he mutters and looks around the room, which is lined in reinforced concrete and there are no windows while before him is a red wooden table and empty chair opposite him. Then, after 15 minutes, the door opens again and the same orange-haired girl enters the room, a short umbrella hanging from her belt. The Kid's eyes are immediately drawn to her as she sits on the empty chair.
"So, you're the guy who tried to steal parts from my ship, right?" she asks The Kid, her sharp, green eyes piercing through the Latino pilot.
"Hey, it was abandoned, okay? Not like it was gonna fly again."
"Hmm, right." the girl gestures with her right hand and leans back on her chair, putting her left leg over her right. "And why did you do that?"
"Hmph, isn't that kinda obvious? I gotta keep my plane in shape and the KND's got the best parts around…but those were way higher quality." The Kid mutters as the girl smirks and flicks her orange bangs across her face.
"*chuckle* You've got a good eye on 2x4 technology, Ángel Gonzales Vasques."
"Grrr…" The Kid grimaces upon hearing his real name being said aloud, and the girl quickly notices this.
"Oh, would you prefer Ace The Kid instead?"
"Quit messing with me and get to the point. Are ya gonna throw me in jail or something?" The Kid snaps at the girl, irritated by her cheeky tone, but she is not bothered and simply smiles back before folding her arms.
"Well, that's not a bad idea, but also totally pointless. You see, our Intelligence Section has been keeping an eye on you for a while now, so, would you like to make a deal instead?"
"Deal? With who? Sorry bonita but I don't do deals with people I don't know." The Kid hisses, causing the girl's smile to fade before she stands up and looks back down on him.
"Well then, let me introduce myself. I'm Numbuh Alpha, the Commander of Cleve Sector."
"Huh? What's a teenager doing in the KND?"
"KND? No, I'm not with the KND, anymore. We're the Teens Next Door. Our organization is still pretty young, but we're gonna change the world. And, we want you to join us." the girl calling herself Numbuh Alpha explains as she puts her right leg on the chair and leans on her knee so she can look at The Kid in the eye.
"…Sorry, but I don't run with the crowd. Find somebody else." The Kid shakes his head, but Numbuh Alpha is not deterred as she smiles mischievously.
"I thought so, that's why I said we want to make a deal with you, Ace The Kid. You saved us back there, so that means we owe you a favor. You saw how good our part quality is, so would you like a steady supply?" she asks and her suggestion catches The Kid's eye.
"Steady supply?"
"Well, for this one time, we'll give you access to our hangar's workshop, as thanks for saving me and the defectors. The Ninja's don't like it when their member's switch sides, especially now that they've started working more closely with Father. We've even had reports of them using torture regularly. That's why I'm really grateful you helped us back there. With the defectors on our side, we'll be able to copy the Ninja's technology so we can fight on equal terms with them. So, for that, on behalf of the Teens Next Door, I thank you." Alpha says with a sincere smile, which catches The Kid so off-guard his cheeks turn red.
"Ah…um…well…I just…I was just passing by, that's all…hey, what's so funny?!" The Kid yells at Numbuh Alpha, having noticed how hard she is trying to hold back her laughter.
"*chuckle* Your face, Mr. Cool! Hah-hah, caught you off-guard, did I? Well, I don't blame you, I was called the pretties girl in the KND after all." the girl snickers before flicking her ponytail off her shoulder in an alluring manner, but The Kid refuses to fall for it a second time.
"Gah, shut up and let me go already." The Kid grumbles as Alpha gestures to the wall behind The Kid's back, causing the hand cuffs and ankle cuffs holding him in the chair to open and fall off. Then, The Kid gets up and rubs his left wrist while eyeing the girl. "I'll take your offer, since you insist…but there's a catch, isn't there?"
"Sharp as a tack, aren't you? Yeah, now that you know about us, we can't exactly let you go after this. So, once you've had your fun at the workshop, we'll partially Decommission you, so you won't have any memories of this encounter, nor how you got your new parts. Sorry, but we can't have any leaks, not now."
"You're gonna wipe my memories? Hmph, I'd like to see you try!" The Kid grabs the chair and throws at Numbuh Alpha but she shatters it with her umbrella as The Kid runs to the door but it won't budge. "Wha…?! Urgh!" then, Alpha knocks him to the floor and restrains him. "Grr…you locked the door…"
"Yup. It's locked from the outside. You really tried to escape there, didn't you?"
"Ghhh…worth a try…" but then, the girl's grip loosens, and she helps The Kid up on his feet.
"Why didn't you let me finish? I was going to give you another choice."
"I ain't joining you! I already told you, I work alone."
"Yeah, we know that. But how about working freelance?" Numbuh Alpha then points her umbrella at The Kid as he becomes curious.
"Freelance? What do you mean?"
"You help us out when we need it and we'll let you use the workshop and the hangar whenever you need them. We'll both gain from this, don't you think?"
"So that was the deal you mentioned…" The Kid folds his arms and squints at Numbuh Alpha as she nods back.
"Yeah. We could use a good pilot, especially someone who fought Numbuh 2 to a standstill in a dogfight. Nobody hasn't done that before or after. Your skills are just what we need. You don't have to officially join us, but give us a hand, that's all." Alpha says to The Kid, who starts pacing back and forth, weighing his options.
"A one-time access to your parts and a memory wipe or unlimited access but I gotta help you people? Hmm…"
"The choice is yours. But personally, I wouldn't mind working with you. You were pretty cool out there, for a hotshot loner that is." the girl winks at The Kid, who sighs and looks up at the ceiling, deep in thought. He had only once before worked together with someone and that was only out necessity when he helped the KND's Numbuh 2 bring down a deranged adult. Now, he's reached a crossroads and is not sure which path to take.
…
Present
"…*groan*…uh…I'm…I'm alive…" Jacques Duval awakes on the cold floor, surrounded by darkness. Rolling onto his back, the 11-year-old tries to get up, but the stinging pain in his left wrist quickly stops him. "Argh…ow…ow…"
"Supreme Leader?" then, Jacques hears a girl's voice but cannot see anything through the darkness. "Numbuh 81, are you there?" the voice asks with a slight German accent.
"…I'm…I'm here…" Jacques replies weakly as a bright light suddenly blinds him. "Who…who is it?"
"It's me, Numbuh 353. *sigh* Finally…guys, he's here!" the girl replies as Jacques hears footsteps approaching. "Are you okay?"
Regaining his vision, Jacques sees the familiar face of his liaison officer and head-bodyguard, the long-haired brunette, Numbuh 353, real name, Mariko Schmidt. "…it's you…I thought I…" Jacques' lips begin to quiver as Mariko and two boys help him up. "I thought I was all alone…" a teary-eyed Jacques says to the kids, prompting Mariko to grab his right shoulder firmly.
"No way we'd leave you behind, Supreme Leader. Now come on, let's go. We need to get to the inner shelter before the GKND find us." Mariko smiles back at her superior before she leads everyone out of the dark room. When the Command Deck's diving wall split it in half, Jacques and the remaining operatives who did not escape the Moonbase in time, fled into the inner areas using the internal high-speed tubes but they were still in transit when the GKND abducted the Moonbase, which plunged everything into darkness and Jacques had violently exited one of the tubes with such force it knocked him out.
"Where…where are we?"
"We'll worry about that after we meet up with the others, Supreme Leader." Mariko replies as the kids run through the dark corridors; their path only illuminated by her flashlight. Soon, they arrive at a T-junction and the liaison officer spits on her exposed palm before pressing it against the wooden wall before them, which slides away, revealing a hidden passage beyond it. "Hurry!" she gestures to the boys, who rush Jacques inside before she closes the door behind her, causing 5 more doors to slide in-front of it.
"This…this is the secret tunnel Numbuh 78 told me about. H…how do you know about this?"
"Advice from an ally. Now follow me." Mariko replies to Jacques as the four kids head down metal lined tunnel, which leads them to a large hall made up of a baseball court, an empty swimming pool and a wall made up of cars, shipping containers and busses. Then, they walk down a set of stairs towards the basketball court, where a familiar face greets them.
"Good job guys, you brought him back in one piece."
"Nu…Numbuh Lambda?!" Jacques cannot believe his eyes as the person standing before turns out to be Bartie Stork, the TND's 2x4 Fleet Commander, still wearing his gunmetal and orange TND Commander's armor but has removed his large yellow gloves and samurai helmet. With him are many other TND operatives, who are helping the KND operatives, including Sonia, Lee and Paddy, who were separated from Tommy earlier.
"In the flesh."
"Bu…but I thought you teenagers left…" Jacques asks Bartie as his eyes turn serious.
"I know…I sent the fleet away to help the guys in the Extension. No idea if they made it…"
"Then what are you doing here?!" noticing the anger slowly filling Jacques' eyes, Bartie gestures him to calm down.
"Hold on, let me explain. We stayed behind to help the KND's fleet. Though that was a pretty pointless effort since we got dragged into that wormhole along with everyone else. But we managed to sneak inside the Moonbase and get you guys in here before the GKND started swarming the place." Bartie says and stomps his foot on the basketball court's center circle, which flips upside down, transforming into a large holographic projector. "They snagged us with that huge cactus-shaped Treehouse thingy." he explains as live footage from the outside appears on the projection, showing the Moonbase tangled in massive tendrils and surrounded by GKND ships while the cactus-Treehouse looms over it.
"No way…" Jacques mutters as his anger subsides. "Where did they take us?" he asks Bartie, who frowns and steps on a button next to the projector, which changes the projection to a 3D model of the Moonbase and then begins zooming away from it.
"Pluto's orbit." Bartie replies grimly as the Moonbase shrinks into a tiny speck while the Earth appears as an equally small speck on the other side of the projection.
"…P…PLUTO?!" Jacques screams, startling everyone in the hall as the KND's Supreme Leader slowly walks towards the projection, right hand grasping air. "No…this…can't…this can't be happening! NOOO!" he collapses on his knees and starts crying profusely, prompting Mariko to come to his side.
"Numbuh 81!" she kneels next to the despairing 11-year-old, who has gone into complete shock.
"Mom…dad…everyone…they're…not here…AAAAAAHHHH!"
"He's needs rest right now. Numbuh Phi, can ya give us a hand?" Bartie gestures to Virginia Sims, who is leading the first aid station next to the swimming pool.
"Coming!" she replies and quickly runs over, before helping the catatonic and muttering Jacques on his feet. "Everything's gonna be okay. Come on, let's take a look at that wrist." Virginia says gently as she and Mariko escort Jacques away while Bartie looks on.
"…we're really in a cruddy place, aren't we?" he says as the KND's Global Tactical Officer, Numbuh 150 approaches him.
"Pretty much, but everything isn't lost either." the rotund, blond-haired 10-year-old wearing a thick gun-metal blue winter jacket, boots, red gloves and a Decommissioning Squad helmet, replies eloquently with a Swedish accent.
"True, true…but first, we need to get your leader back into the game. In the meantime, we'll start surveying the halls for any GKND patrols. If we can get our hands on their tech, we can arm ourselves better."
"And take back the Moonbase. I'll gather some volunteers."
"Get both teenagers and kids. We're sharing our workload here, remember."
"Ja, I know." Numbuh 150, real name Kalle Peterson replies as he adjusts his brown helmet and starts talking with kids and teenagers alike as Bartie squints at the projection.
"I hope you guys are okay . Hang on, we're gonna get the Moonbase back and then, we'll blast their Treehouse to kingdom come."
…
Meanwhile in the debris field between the Earth and Moon, the members of Sector V have gathered to the damaged M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.-W.A.S.P.'s bridge. They had spent the last 3 hours repairing the ship and cataloging their remaining supplies while the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers had done external repairs. Now, they are holding a meeting with their alien allies on what they will do next. "Alright, let's begin. Numbuh 2, Agent Vigilante, how was the reactor?" Nigel points his index finger at Hoagie, who is leaning against the pilot seat's backrest, face and wrist splashed with grime.
"It's back in working condition now, but it'll overload if we try to use the heliojets. We can only move with the Verniers." Hoagie explains as Tommy, sitting backwards on the co-pilot's seat, nods vigorously.
"The Tommy can concur! That thing took a beating."
"I see…and our supplies, Numbuh 5?" Nigel folds his arms and turns his attention to Abby, who is sitting sideways on the radar operator's chair.
"We've got enough food and water for 2 days." she replies bluntly, dampening the already dreary mood.
"T…two days?!" Hoagie exclaims while Nigel shakes his head.
"How bad is the external damage?" he asks the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, prompting Scorpius to put up his left pincer.
"The wing has completely sheared off and the hull's heat shield is damaged. Any attempt at atmospheric re-entry would be illogical and highly suicidal." he explains and points at the Earth. "And even if we were to try and leave this debris field, the GKND would locate us immediately. We noticed some patrol ships passing this area while we were surveying the damage."
"Luckily, they did not notice us, for now." Libra adds, causing Nigel to sigh.
"Not good…we won't be able to repair all that damage in just two days, even if we ration what little we have."
Nigel's grim analysis brings the mood down and Hoagie shakes his head in defeat. "So we really are stuck between a rock and a hard place…"
"Wha…what do we now? We can't go to Earth and we don't have enough food if we stay…" Kuki laments as she wraps her arms around her shoulders, prompting a worried Bradley to hop on her left shoulder and lick her cheek while Wally frowns silently.
However, upon noticing the defeated looks of their human allies, Libra moves over to the navigation computer and turns on the W.A.S.P.'s external camera feed to the large screen over the helm. "However, we are not completely doomed. After performing a scan of the debris field, we noticed something interesting: Please look at this." Libra points at the screen and zooms the image, revealing a silver, saucer-shaper structure floating ahead of the W.A.S.P., surrounded by abandoned 2x4 ships and other debris."
"What the crud is that?" a tired Wally asks while Hoagie scratches his forehead.
"Huh, that looks like some sort…space station?" he notes before Tommy recognizes the structure and starts jumping from joy.
"That's an O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.! They powered the Moonbase's barrier shield! We're saved!" he cheers but Sector V do not share his optimism.
"Calm down, boy, we don't know if that thang even works." Abby snaps at Tommy while Nigel gets up from his chair and eyes the large screen.
"Are you suggesting we use it as a temporary shelter?"
"Yes. Based on the research we did while learning about your 2x4 technology, that station can be used as a ship repair dock and should be filled with better supplies. However, that is only if it is abandoned. There could still be KND operatives in there."
"Good point…"
"Numbuh 5 says we go and check it out anyway. Didn't Numbuh 2 say we can still move the ship, right?" Abby gestures at Hoagie, who nods back.
"Yeah, the Verniers still work just fine. Though we can't move fast."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Wally exclaims, causing Nigel to smile a little, relieved his teammates are still in high spirits.
"Right, we'll take the chance. Numbuh 2, get us moving, everyone else, to your positions."
"Aye, aye, Captain." Hoagie salutes Nigel and then hops onto the pilot seat, while Tommy, Abby, Wally and Kuki sit down at their stations.
"Scorpius, you should assist with the navigation. Your surveillance suite is much more powerful than ours." Libra gestures to the purple, one-eyed O.M.E.G.A. Number, who nods and moves over to Abby's radar console.
"If you don't mind, I'll will interface with the navigation computer and support you."
"You could just say lemme help ya, you know?" Abby replies, amused by the alien's vocabulary.
"I do not possess the ability to utilize Earth vernacular." Scorpius says in his monotone voice, yellow eye fixated on the radar screen and Abby lets out a cheerful laugh.
"*chuckle* Hey Numbuh 2, this guy speaks nerd, ya mind translating it for me?" she gestures to Hoagie, who rolls his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, real funny."
"Hah, now we've got three nerds on this ship!" Wally also joins in the banter, causing Nigel and Kuki to laugh as well, while a giggling Cygnus nudges Numbuh Vine with her left wing.
"Don't these humans have such a great sense of humor?"
"…eh-heh…sure…" Vine replies, having not understood the joke and neither has Leo, who tilts his head.
"I don't get it, what's so funny?"
"Okay, okay, that's enough guys, focus. The faster we dock with that O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N. the better." Nigel waves his left hand to his friends, and they turn their attention back to their stations.
"The debris is very thick above and below the station, so we must approach with utmost precision. I will increase the power of the ship's proximity sensors so you can call out any dangerous debris." Scorpius explains to Abby as she puts on her headset and he interfaces with the nav-computer.
"Numbuh 2, get us moving."
"On it. I'll start with 20 seconds of thrust first." Hoagie replies and gently pushes the thrust lever as the W.A.S.P. shutters, it's rear mounted Vernie nozzles pushing the ship forward while the hull mounted nozzles steer the ship.
"There's a bunch of floatin' metal comin' at us from 7 o'clock, Numbuh 2."
"Okay, 10 seconds of thrust." heeding Abby's instructions, Hoagie steers the ship away from the incoming flock of jagged debris before Scorpius calls out another potential threat.
"Incoming debris, pitch bow angle 60, slow down after passing, avoid debris cloud, 70 degrees to our left."
"Man, this robo-bug really talks like a computer." Abby thinks but Hoagie is able to perfectly understand what Scorpius said and dodges the two converging debris clouds but then, Abby notices a much bigger problem up ahead.
"Guys, that packed up debris is comin' in too fast!"
"Leo, our assistance is needed. Go outside and destroy any debris that are too large to evade." Libra says to Leo, who starts grinning.
"Oh yeah! Now that's more like it!" he shouts excitedly and heads out to the passenger hold's airlock while Nigel points at Wally.
"Numbuh 4, use what functioning weapons we still have to take out the debris ahead of us."
"On it!" Wally nods and turns on the arcade cabinet-weapon console, gripping it's twin joysticks. Then, he and Leo begin destroying the debris around the ship as Abby and Scorpius work together to guide Hoagie to the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N. while Nigel has Kuki listen for any incoming transmissions but the debris is so thick, she only hears static, making her feel even more useless.
"Making the others do everything for you, huh?"
"…" Kuki refuses to react to Virgo's jab and stares intensely at her computer screen as the W.A.S.P. weaves through the debris until finally, it reaches the visinity of the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.
"*sigh* O…okay, we're here!" an exhausted Hoagie says and leans back on his seat as Nigel stands up to take a closer look at the silver and gray structure slowly rotating in-front of the W.A.S.P.
"Good job everyone. Now we'll need to see if anyone's there. Numbuh 3, can you contact them?"
"I can try…" Kuki replies but after a few twists of the frequency dial, she gets no response. "Nobody's answering, Numbuh 1."
"Hmm…then we'll need to inspect the station before docking."
"Leave that to Numbuh 5." Abby gestures to Nigel, who then turns his attention to Tommy.
"Agent Vigilante, are there any teenager-sized space suits here?"
"Yeah, of course, they're in the cargo hold next to the airlock." Tommy replies as Abby hops out of her chair and hand Hoagie her hat.
"Keep it safe while Numbuh 5's gone, okay?" she says while making eye contact with Hoagie, who nods back.
"You got it."
Watching from the sidelines, Cygnus notices something between the two and it piques her interest. "Oh? Are they an item?" she thinks but keeps quiet as Scorpius floats over to Abby.
"My primary purpose is reconnaissance, so I will accompany you to the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N."
"Hmm? Fine by me. Just don't fall behind." Abby replies to the O.M.E.G.A. Number and prepares to exit the bridge before Nigel lowers his sunglasses and eyes his second-in-command.
"Be careful out there."
"Don't worry, Numbuh 5's gonna be a okay." Abby winks back at Nigel and leaves with Scorpius in tow. Then, in the cargo hold, she puts on one of the TND space suits stored there while Scorpius looks the station from a window, his smaller arms crossed.
"My long-range scan has not detected any life signs inside the station, but it is logical to remain cautious." he gestures to Abby, who slides on the space suit's helmet, which automatically turns on the air flow.
"You guys read our files, right? Then ya know who you're working with, Scorpo."
"Yes, I have read your file, and my designation is Scorpius."
"Sure thing, Scorpo. Now get in the airlock, will ya?" Abby replies nonchalantly to the O.M.E.G.A. Number, who follows her to the airlock, before they exit the ship. "Oh man, zero-gravity is tougher than Numbuh 5 remembers." the teenager groans as she struggles at first but aided by her space suit's sole and backpack mounted thrusters, Abby quickly gains her bearings and with a single short lunge, she lands on one of the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s shield emitters. Scorpius meanwhile flies effortlessly past her, yellow eye scanning the structure.
"The station seems to have no running power at the moment. Perhaps the feedback burst disabled it's powerplant." he thinks aloud as Abby turns on the magnetic soles of her boots and walks across the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s long beam emitter and hops on the main saucer that surrounds it's large, cylinder-shaped central core, regrouping with Scropius.
"So how are we gonna get inside? Numbuh 5's laser ain't gonna cut armor this thick." Abby remarks and knocks on the station's outer hull with her left hand.
"I will procure entry into the station. Relocate to the external airlock's hatch, over there." the O.M.E.G.A. Number points at a large hatch nearby, which is made from a van's back door and submarine's roof hatch, welded together. "Wait there."
"Uh-huh." Abby huffs, not quite convinced by her alien ally's orders but then, Scorpius begins to oscillate to the point at he appears transparent, before, to Abby's huge shock, he phases through the station's hull. "…Hold up, what the heck?!"
A few seconds later, the airlock's external door opens. "Move quickly. The station's internal air production systems are not online." Scorpius tells Abby over her space suit's radio, and she swiftly enters the O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Then, as she exits the second airlock, Scorpius greets her from behind a control panel.
"Hmm, it really is abandoned…but how did ya do that?!" Abby points at Scorpius, who moves away from the panel and puts up his left pincer, vibrating it.
"Because of the GKND's modifications, I am able to oscillate any part of my body doin't to the molecular, which allows me to cut through solid matter with little effort and pass through objects."
"Right, those guys really went all out with the mods, huh?"
"It has come at a cost. Apart from this ability, my intellect was dramatically increased, but I lost my ability to feel emotions." a monotone Scorpius replies, and Abby does not like what she just heard.
"Those GKND punks think they can mess with anything they want, all because of that 'adulthood virus' mumbo-jumbo. Blowin' up planets, experimentin' on you guys, destroyin' people's memories…" Abby replies with grim scowl as she walks past Scorpius.
"They believe their cause is just, and so did I. Until Avialus Proxima was Decommissioned. That was when Cygnus and I left the organization."
"So ya still don't agree with what they did?" Abby squints over her shoulder while Scorpius looks into the distance with his yellow, blank eye.
"I do not. It was illogical."
"Then that means ya can still feel emotions, Scorpo."
"Impossible. I do not possess the ability to do so. Now, let us focus on the task at hand, Numbuh 5." Scorpius dismisses Abby's remark and illuminates the station's empty corridors. However, in his mind, Abby's comment has left an impact. "Emotions do not exist within me. They were taken away. Yet, she claims I am feeling emotions because I do not agree with the GKND's methods. Illogical. Illogical." the O.M.E.G.A. Number thinks as the Omega symbol on his left shoulder blinks faintly.
A short while later, Kuki hears Abby's voice from the radio. "Guys! It's Numbuh 5!"
"Put her on speaker, Numbuh 3."
"On it, Numbuh 1." Kuki replies and flips a switch on her console, letting the others hear Abby as well.
"*ZZZZTTT* Hey…*ZZZTTT* can ya hear me?"
"We can, loud and clear, Numbuh 5. What's the situation?" Nigel asks and looks sternly at the spinning O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.
"The operatives mannin' this station musta fled way before the Moonbase got swiped. All the escape pods are gone. Scorpo's turnin' on the generators so we can get some fresh air in here. When we give ya the signal, move the ship to the left side of the station, got it? The dock's there."
"Understood, Numbuh 5. Good job."
"Don't mention it. Infiltration's Numbuh 5's forte." Abby replies jokingly before the transmission ends and Nigel gets up from his chair.
"Alright, you heard her. Numbuh 2, move the ship on her signal."
"Roger that." Hoagie salutes over his shoulder and puts Abby's hat on top of his dashboard, patting it gently and this gesture is not ignored by Cygnus, whose Omega symbol flashes for a split second.
"They are an item, I'm certain of it! Oh, this is so exciting!" the alien muses silently before Abby's awaited signal arrives and Hoagie begins steering the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H.- W.A.S.P. towards the group's new, safe haven in space.
Then, as the ship docks with station, the rest of the group leave the W.A.S.P. and meet up with Abby and Scorpius in O.B.S.E.R.S.T.A.T.I.O.N.'s curving, main lounge. "Yo." Abby greets them from a worn-out sofa and her friends also sit down on the easy chairs and sofas near hers.
"Wow, they really went all out the accommodations. At least we don't have to sleep in the ship anymore." a yawning Hoagie says, before tossing Abby her hat back and spreads his arms and legs on another sofa, finally able to properly relax.
"Indeed, but we didn't come here to stay. We need to repair the W.A.S.P. and then head back to Earth." Nigel remarks to the others and points at the crimson-hued Earth illuminating the loung from it large windows.
"Can't we at least rest first?"
"Of course, Numbuh 3. We've been through a lot today…" Nigel replies to Kuki, who is sitting on an easy chair next another sofa, on which an utterly exhausted Wally is lounging, barely able to keep his eyes open.
"…then I'm gonna…*yawn*…catch some Z's…gotta…be…*yawn*…ready…need to…see…my folks…Joey…*SNORE*. then, he falls asleep, but his words have reminded his teammates about the fact their families and friends are still on Earth.
"…I wonder if mom's okay…" Hoagie mutters as Tommy takes off his fedora and eyes the Earth through his yellow goggles.
"She better be…" he says anxiously while Kuki wraps her arms around her shoulder.
"I hope mom and dad and Mushi are alright too…They left for Japan on the 23rd…" then, she remembers what day it is and it makes her even more miserable. "…why did they have to show up on Christmas Day…"
"I wouldn't be surprised if they decided to attack now because we were Recommissioned. They did send a team after us specifically." a grim Nigel says as he shakes his head. "Their attack was timed perfectly and their strategy was better than ours…"
"Hey now, don't start spoutin' that stuff. Sure we got our butts kicked but we haven't lost yet, Numbuh 1." Abby gestures to Nigel while Libra nods in agreement.
"Your second-in-command is correct. We still possess the means to resist the GKND, especially now that we are linked." the O.M.E.G.A. Number notes and points at Nigel's left wrist, prompting him to pull back his shirt sleeve, revealing the O.L. Ring merged with his wrist as Wally snores loudly on the background.
"Oh right…so is this ring now permanently stuck to my wrist?" Nigel asks.
"Only the GKND are able to remove it, but if it is removed forcefully without the GKND's equipment…we will both die." Libra's blunt reply shocks the humans and it even wakes up Wally.
"…Huh?! Who, where?!" he mutters in a tired stupor and rolls on his side as Nigel grips the O.L. Ring.
"…I see…then I'll have to be careful."
"Do not worry too much. Our link grants you a higher healing factor than a normal human's. That is why Numbuh Delta has managed to survive attacks that would've severely injured anyone else. After all, he fought against one of those…Delightful Teenagers before."
"Not once, but twice." Cygnus chimes in while Nigel folds his arms and listens with intent. "When you fought Numbuh S-26, you were already tired from the battle and Libra was injured, so that's why you had such a hard time against him. I'm sure from here on, you two can take on the GKND much more easily."
"Right…but we'll only use the merge if we really have to. I understand that it's powerful but the risks are also big. Besides, I have my Silhouette Suit." Nigel replies as he covers his right arm in his pitch black and red-outlined Silhouette Suit, surprising the O.M.E.G.A. Numbers, even Virgo, who stares at the hand with her light green eyes wide open.
"So that's your power…just like those teenagers after they drank that poison." Cygnus says as Abby takes off her hat before realizing something.
"Hold up, Numbuh 1, why's your Suit black again? Didn't ya turn it white when we fought Father a year ago?" she asks Nigel, who eyes his Suit and clenches his fist.
"I'm not sure…I tried to summon the white Suit a few times but so far, it's remained black. I guess it was only a temporary transformation…I was hoping I could use it again if we have to face anyone drinking that…S.I.N." Nigel physically recoils at the thought of the drug that gives it's user a Silhouette Suit, before he is reminded of Eliza. "…I'm glad she doesn't have that Suit anymore…" Nigel however does not realize that Libra had heard his thoughts, but the O.M.E.G.A. Number remains quiet before Cygnus reveals her own O.L. Ring.
"Now if we only could find matching partners as well. If all of us could use Overlay, the GKND wouldn't stand a chance."
"That would mean we would have to get back Virgo's ring that the GKND stole from the teenager's vault." Scorpius remarks, causing Kuki to twitch while Virgo squints her eyes deviously.
"True. But right now, that is beyond our reach. First, we must rest and repair the ship." Libra says to everyone, prompting Abby to chuckle.
"Hah-hah, hey Numbuh 1, your buddy's trynna steal yo job." her quip makes Hoagie, Tommy and Wally laugh, as does Cygnus, 9L and Numbuh Vine, albeit she does so silently.
"*chuckle* Well, it's good I've got a good backup in-case I lose my voice." an amused Nigel replies before getting up from the easy chair. "I'm going to take a look around. I can't sleep on these sofas." he says and begins to leave, prompting Libra to join him, as does Vine, Abby and Scorpius.
"Imma come with ya. We gotta figure out how to turn on that shield."
"I will join you as well. I have acquired the station's access codes so they will be useful."
"I'll come too!"
"Hmm…I'm gonna go check out the cafeteria." Hoagie lazily gets up from the sofa and heads to another corridor while Cygnus looks around the lounge, before she goes after Hoagie.
"This is the perfect chance to learn more about their relationship." the O.M.E.G.A. Number smirks slightly and leaves as well, with only a half-asleep Wally, a brooding Leo, Bradley, Numbuh 9L, Kuki and Virgo remaining in the lounge.
"I…I'll…go see what first aid kits they left behind…just in-case…" Kuki mutters but Virgo knows it is a lie and while the others are not looking, the sly alien follows Kuki to the other end of the lounge. "…stop following me…" Kuki hisses at the squinting O.M.E.G.A. Number, who is not deterred.
"Why are you like that? I'm just worried about my partner, that's all." Virgo replies to Kuki sarcastically through telepathy.
"Liar." Kuki snaps but then, Virgo floats in-front of her and stares down at the teenager coldly.
"Lying keeps me alive, human. That's how I've managed to survive for so long. Not that a little airhead like you would understand the life of a teen villain." her comment angers Kuki, who is all too familiar with everything Virgo said.
"Stop talking like you know me."
"What's there to know? You're a weakling who is too scared to break your team dynamic, so you just go with the flow, hiding behind that silly smile of yours."
"Grrr!" Kuki swings her left arm angrily, prompting Virgo to bend out of the way before reformatting herself.
"Now, now, you shouldn't get violent with me."
"You're the one who threatened to hurt my friends! I won't let you lay a finger on them, got it?!" with a murderous glare, Kuki stares back at Virgo, who notices that the teenager's red eyes are faintly glowing and so is the medallion.
"Then it's best for your friends if you simply do as I say, human. Or…are you perhaps something else?"
"Wha…?" Kuki's angry aura fades away instantly as Virgo goes behind the girl and moves her head next to Kuki's before whispering in her ear.
"That crystal you're carrying around is the other half of the Nebula Crystal. I'm sure you remember what Libra told you earlier. Numbuh Lyrical holds the other half."
"H…how do you know this…is that other half?" a frozen Kuki stutters as Virgo points at her medallion with her right arm, which has looped past Kuki''s right shoulder.
"Because I read your file, human. The powers you exhibited are identical to those written about in Cyrenian myth. The halves have different abilities you see: Lyrical's half affects the mind while the other half affects the body. She can go into your head, read your thoughts, view memories and even temporarily take control of you. Your half can heal wounds and injuries, just like your file mentioned."
"So what…look, I got this from my grandmother and she's no alien!" Kuki says defiantly while Virgo crosses her arms and glares at her.
"Oh, but you haven't heard the best part yet: Only a member of the Cyrenian Royal Family can use the Nebula Crystal, and it just so happens that when the crystal split 200 Stellar Cycles ago, the other half dissapeared. Ah, and there's another thing you should know: that little song you sang earlier, it's from my home planet."
"*gasp* Your…your planet?! That's not true! My grandma taught it to me, she said it was passed down…from…her…" Kuki's voice fades as she begins to realize what Virgo means, causing the alien squint her eyes in satisfaction.
"I'll let you figure out the rest, but I'd be careful about blabbering about this to your friends."
"Why not?!" Then, Virgo turns her left hand into curved blade and points it at the other end of the lounge.
"Because your friends are still free game. And should I go after say…your leader, Libra will also suffer." Virgo explains before lunging at Kuki in a threathening manner. "I don't care what happens to the other O.M.E.G.A. Numbers nor anyone else here. Everyone is a stepping stone for my revenge. That's it. And that includes you. Now be a good girl and keep that crystal safe, you don't want the GKND to know…oh wait, Numbuh Lyrical has the other half and she can detect your half if she gets close." Virgo chuckles before she shapeshifts into a extremely thin form and slips away while Kuki is left by herself, devastated and confused by Virgo's words.
"…You…you're lying…" she mutters and clutches the medallion tightly. "I'm…I'm a human…*sniff*…not…an alien…" Kuki collapses on her knees and begins to weep.
"Kuki?!" then, she hears footsteps from behind her and peeks over her shoulder to see Wally, Numbuh 9L and Bradley running towards her. "What happened? Are ya okay?" he asks and kneels next to her. "Bradley heard you yelling and dragged me here. What's wrong?" a worried Wally then puts his hands on Kuki's shoudlers as she looks at him with her red, teary eyes, before breaking down against his shoulder.
"WAAAAAAHH!"
"Hey, what's with you? Come on, ya don't…" unaware of why she is really crying, Wally deduces it is about her family and hugs her back. "Aw crud…don't worry, everythin's gonna be okay. We'll get through this." but while Wally tries to comfort Kuki, unknown to either teenager, 9L and Bradley had heard parts of Kuki's conversation with Virgo and as they make eye contact, both skunk and cat alien nod to eachother in agreement that the amorphous O.M.E.G.A. Number is not to be trusted.
…
Back on Earth, as the moon shines on the Australian outback and the sky glows crimson, the TND Extension lies in a crater, still surrounded by the TND Space Fleet. The atmosphere inside the base is anything but relaxed, however. While the scans confirmed what Corvus had told them, removing the threat of the O.B.L.I.V.A.- gas, the constant fear of the impending GKND follow-up attack weighs heavily in everyone's mind.
Deep in the Science Tower, locked away from everyone else, is Eliza, sleeping inside a pod. Because of her ingesting an entire vial of Silhouette Infused Nutrients, her hair has turned black and her entire left arm. Though she is asleep, huge F.R.A.P.P.E.-turrets are pointing at her pod, ready to freeze her if the Silhouette Suit springs to life. However, the previous day's events have left her with deep scars.
"Nngh…no…wait…" she says as a person walks away from her and no matter how hard she runs, she cannot reach them. "Please! Don't go! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…"
"…" the person speaks to Eliza, but she cannot understand what they are saying before the person stops and turns around.
"…I…I wasn't…strong enough…please…forgive me…" she begs as the person takes on the appearance of Nigel. "No!"
"You failed." the apparition says, before changing to Rachel. "You failed me."
"I wanted to save you!" Eliza yells at the apparition, who transforms again, this time into Patton, Fanny and Keith.
"You failed us."
"Give me another chance! I promise I'll be a better leader!" but then, Eliza freezes as the three apparitions become one, taking on The Kid's form.
"You failed everyone." the apparition speaks to her before it begins to disappear as black arms suddenly grab Eliza from behind.
"NO! LET ME GO! COME BACK! I'M SORRY!" Eliza struggles but it is all in-vain as she hears the dreadfully familiar cackle that filled her head during the battle.
"KYA-HAH-HAH-HAH-HAH! It's no use! You belong to me now!" a deranged voice, resembling a mix of her own and Father's tells her as the arms pull Eliza into the darkness. "You cannot escape your destiny."
"SHUT UP! LET ME GO!" despite screaming from the bottom of her lungs, Eliza is unable to free herself from the shadowy hand's grasp as another apparition appears before her but this time, it takes on Eliza's appearance.
"I am free now." the apparition taunts her as it transforms into Eliza's Silhouette Suit and embraces her, covering the teenager in the same black shroud.
"KYAAAAAAHHHH!"
Suddenly, alarms go off in the sealed room as Eliza groans in her sleep and the Silhouette Suit covered parts of her body begin to flicker, while the F.R.A.P.P.E. turrets go online and point their barrels at the pod, ready to fire. However, the flickering begins to fade before Eliza wakes up. "*GASP*…*pant*…*pant*…I…where…?"
"Numbuh Alpha?" a voice talks to her from a small speaker next to her right ear.
"Nu…Numbuh…Omicron?" Eliza asks with a raspy voice.
"You finally woke up…I'm sorry, but we're gonna need to keep you in that room until you're stable." a relieved Kieran says to Eliza as the pod is lowered on the floor horizontally before its top half opens, allowing Eliza to sit up.
"…urgh…Are…we still in space?"
"No…but don't worry, we'll explain everything to you a bit later. Right now, you need to rest…and on behalf of everyone in the TND, I'm glad you're awake, Supreme Commander." Kieran tells Eliza, who lowers her head and looks at her left arm.
"…no…I'm…not…a leader…" she mutters and lies down on her side, hiding her tear-filled eyes from view as Kieran turns off the room's lights. "…I'm…a monster…who failed everyone…I'm not good enough to be a leader…not anymore…" then, just as quickly as she woke, she falls asleep again, filled with self-loathing and despair. But then, a memory appears in her dream.
Autumn, 2 years ago.
Elizabeth Victoria Solis was born to a wealthy English aristocratic family but grew up in Canada. She had always loved being the center of attention, be it her doting parents or her friends at school. However, she despised adult tyranny, and her strong sense of justice made it impossible to follow the path her high-society parents wanted her to take: inherit her family's massive fortune, marry someone of their choice and carry on the family name. Eliza did not want to be a figurehead and desired something more.
She wanted to make a difference. And what better way to do that than join the Kids Next Door. After passing the KND entrance exam with maximum points, gained the codename of Numbuh 10 and was sent to Sector L, where she quickly became Sector Leader before also taking on the role of anchorwoman for the KND Nightly News and earning the title of "The Prettiest Girl in KND". However, despite her position, she was not the best. There was always someone else ahead of her and that someone was Nigel Uno, Numbuh 1. She at first saw him as a rival but that belief was quickly tossed aside when she learned what she was related to Nigel, much to her utter delight.
But she quickly gained another title, 'Numbuh 1's Cousin'. A nickname she did not openly mind and simply laughed it off. Deep inside however, she detested the label and it did not help that in-terms of mission success rates, her Sector L was always playing second fiddle globally behind Sector V who took all the glory, leaving Eliza to live in her cousin's shadow. This bitterness however disappeared when Rachel's 13th birthday came along and Sector V were framed by the Splinter Cell. Eliza knew they were innocent but her voice alone would not have changed a thing, so she kept quiet. It was at that point where her path with Nigel split: he became Nephew, a ruthless Teen Villain wielding the Silhouette Suit while Eliza was recruited by the Teen Spies, who shortly thereafter renamed themselves to the Teens Next Door, where she took on a new codename: Numbuh Alpha, in honor of her cousin.
Upon her own request, Eliza was sent to the notorious Cleve Sector, which was located in the same town as Father's mansion, a very powerful branch of the Teen Ninjas and not to mention, the town where the rogue Sector V's members, Nephew, Cheese Shogun Lord Gouda, The Witch, Matador and Dread Pirate Abby lived. However, Eliza was quickly able turn the hard-pressed TND Sector into a first-rate Sector and become their Commander.
Then, on one particular autumn, she was called on a mission to rescue members of the local Teen Ninja cell's Nerd Troop, who wished to defect, citing the constant bullying as the reason why. She could not refuse and quickly took on the job. Now, after barely escaping the Ninjas thanks to the intervention of an unknown pilot, Eliza is standing in Cleve Sector's Deciphering Room, accompanied by her Intelligence Chief, the silver-haired, trench coat wearing Numbuh Gamma. "I guess I owe him for saving us back there."
"Yes, but he is still a rogue variable. We should not take any risks and wipe his memory of this encounter." the yellow sunglasses wearing, taciturn teenager replies as Eliza looks at pictures of the pilot.
"Ángel Gonzales Vasques…*giggle* what a cute name."
"He prefers to call himself 'Ace The Kid'. Apparently, it's because he hates his given name."
"Hmm…then I guess we're in the same boat. Numbuh Gamma, I'm going to talk with him. Maybe we can make him an ally."
"An ally? Yes, he could be a very powerful asset, but based on the reports, 'Ace The Kid' does not like working with others." Numbuh Gamma says over his shoulder as he types on a keyboard, but Eliza has made up her mind and turns around.
"Then I'll just have to use my charm to get him to join us, Numbuh Gamma. Hasn't failed once before." Eliza says over her shoulder and flicks her ponytail from her left shoulder to her right while Numbuh Gamma does not react.
"You can try." he replies and stays behind while Eliza leaves the Deciphering Room and heads to the upper levels, where The Kid is being held. However, the interrogation has not gone to plan and after a brief but futile escape attempt, Eliza offers her hand to the cautious teenager.
"…is it really okay if I work with you guys? Can ya trust an outsider like me?" The Kid asks, having paced back and forth for a few minutes.
"I'll trust you, even if everyone else doesn't." Eliza replies instantly, surprising The Kid.
"Huh? Aren't you being a bit too sincere with me?" he asks, prompting Eliza to lower her hand and look at The Kid in the eye.
"My cousin became a Teen Villain because I didn't do anything. I don't want to go through that again. That's why, I'll make sure you'll be accepted in the TND. You can count on it." she replies to The Kid, who is taken aback by her response.
"Woah, that's heavy…hmph, well, I guess I can't say no now that a cute girl like you is asking. You've got yourself a deal." The Kid offers his hand to Eliza, who reaches for it, only for The Kid to take her hand and kiss it, much to her surprise.
"Eh?! Hey, what the…?"
"It's a done deal now. I'll be your pilot, if you hold your end of the bargain, got it?" The Kid looks at Eliza through his sunglasses and for a split second, Eliza's face turns red but then, she stomps on The Kid's left sneaker. "OW! AH MIERDA, WHAT THE HECK WAS THAT FOR?!" he screams and jumps around the room as Eliza chuckles.
"Nice try, Mr. Smooth, but you're gonna need to work on your moves if you want to woo me. I've got high standards. Hah-hah-hah!" she laughs before the interrogation room's door opens and Eliza steps outside. "When your toe's feeling better, give me a call. You need to meet our Chiefs after all." Eliza then throws a 2x4 communicator at The Kid, who grabs it in mid-air with little effort. "Nice catch, Hotshot." then, after giving The Kid a cheeky wink, Eliza leaves him alone, but neither is aware that this meeting has left a deep impact on both teenagers and will shape their futures forever.
End of Transmission 41
After word: Another slower and dialogue-heavy chapter but a very important one as well.
I refrained from revealing Numbuh 10's and The Kid's background specifically with this chapter in mind, because they are connected and I hinted to that all the way in Retribution when The Kid said he owed Eliza a debt. We also got a small hint about Virgo's motivations and how it affects Kuki, while Scorpius may not be as robotic as he and everyone else thinks. Also, this chapter was heavily inspired by Kota Hoshino's "Blackout", from the 3rd OST Disc of Armored Core.
Summer vacation is close to it's end but I will try to release chapters as frequently as I can.