Hello, everybody! The beginning of Nolan's path of redemption! Here we go!
Chapter 66: Path of Redemption
Final Brain
The storm was finally clearing around the Brotherhood base as the primate assistant, Monsieur Mallah, was going for a walk, finding his master gazing over the horizon upon a balcony. "Master," Mallah approached him, "your apprentice and his allies are gone. Should we not-"
"I know." Brain cut him off. "They have gone off to retrieve another Firstborn. By now, Danika should have awakened herself as the Guardian and captured Midna."
"Zere is something else. Some of our Teen Ninjas have reported zat Nolan… may be changing sides…"
"It is all part of my plan. To win at chess, you must be cunning and vigilant, and never let your opponent see your pieces. Even on this path to righteousness, Nolan's true calling will awaken in him. And he will bring the Kids Next Door… to its knees."
"And vhat of our other ultimate plan?"
"Azula has just returned with Zuko. And he will be the first of many. If things go accordingly with Nolan… then the Firstborn of Stars will be in our grasp once again. We will be able to cross over into the many other worlds. And the heroes of every world will meet their fall, and evil shall dominate all."
"And vhen it happens," Mallah smirked, "you shall reign as the most powerful Sith Lord, and the universe will be yours to command. Your father would be proud."
"I can already see him, now. His immortal soul, looking down, watching over me. Ever since I was a child… working for that accursed organization; the same one I rescued Nolan from. I have always worked to please him; to make him proud. And I have…"
"And now… Nolan is following in your footsteps."
"Indeed."
Meanwhile, Azula had dragged the defeated Zuko to the humongous chamber of the frozen captives, shoving the handcuffed prince onto the treadmill, beneath the Freezer 5000. "Well, isn't this something? The mighty Firelord beaten by his baby sister." The wicked princess spoke, standing by her Dai Li Agents. "Any last words?"
"You must be pretty happy with yourself." Zuko said. "Banished. Hated by everyone. You're so perfect, you don't even need your family, huh?"
"Sorry, Brother, but everyone knows I am the only one fitting for the throne of Firelord. And once we're through with the rest of your friends, I'll be taking it back."
"Even if you are Firelord, you think that'll get you the respect you want? You're mean and heartless and cruel. The people will never accept you as their ruler."
"Poor, simple Zuko. Any real ruler would know that the only way to earn respect is by fear."
"But any person with a heart would know that a better way to gain respect is by love and trust. And if you apologized for everything you did, and changed your ways, maybe the people would respect you."
"Pfft. Don't make me laugh. Freeze him!" The Dai Li soldier at the controls nodded and pressed the button, freezing Zuko completely solid in an ice sculpture.
As the princess glared at his motionless form, Zuko's words began to sink in. "Is there anything else we needed to do, Princess?" an agent asked.
"N-No. We're fine for now. Let's go see what Gramma Stuffum's made for dinner." The villains then proceeded to exit the huge, dark room, leaving the frozen captives, but not before Azula spared one last glance toward Zuko.
Once Azula and her agents were long gone, Nolan and Team Brotherhood came out of hiding in Danika's shadow, sneaking into the massive room as Cheshire flew to one of the higher shelves of frozen captives, grabbing Gwen and Doug's frozen forms and carrying them back down. "Nolan, are you sure about this?" Danika whispered. "I'm not sure if the two people who probably hated you the most would be willing to help you redeem yourself. I mean, if anyone, why not that Lance kid? You said you and he were pretty good allies one time, didn't you?"
Nolan looked up at Numbuh 10-Speed's frozen form, the boy still girlified from when Margaret zapped him with a Girlifyer. "Yeeaahh, I don't think he'll be able to help much. Besides, these two were the ones who let me go in the first place. So I could get a second chance. Plus, I figured these two would get the ultimate satisfaction with finally dragging me to be decommissioned. This is the best way."
"If you say so…" Danika replied, unsure.
Nolan extracted a small flamethrower from his chair and started to move the fire up-and-down along Gwen's frozen body, the girl slowly returning to her normal color as the ice melted away. She fell to the ground and panted heavily after she was freed, so Nolan went to start unfreezing Doug, and he started breathing as well. After shaking their heads from the dizziness, they remembered where they were and faced Nolan. Before Nolan could say anything, the two had already grabbed the boy off his wheelchair, shoving him to the ground and cuffing his hands behind his back.
"You got a lot of nerve setting US free, Nolan." Gwen said.
"But now that we're out, we can finally finish what we started." Doug followed.
"Wait!" Danika shouted. "At least give him a chance to speak."
"Yeah!" Nolan grunted, his face shoved against the floor. "Don't you think I wouldn't be letting you out without a reason?"
"Oh, and what reason would that be?" Gwen asked. "You and your little freak friends threw us in there to begin with. By the way… nice scar."
"Err. I don't want to work for Brain anymore! I want to redeem myself and go back to KND."
"Pfft. Like we'd let YOU back in. How do we know this isn't some trap?" Doug asked.
"It isn't, I swear! Please… just take me up to Moonbase and I can explain everything to everyone."
"Okay. We'll let you do that, and THEN we'll have you decommissioned." Gwen said, lifting Nolan back onto his chair.
"Good. We have a captured S.P.R.A.Y.S.H.I.P. outside. We can ride in that."
"I really hope he knows what he's doing." April said as she and Danika followed the three to the S.P.R.A.Y.S.H.I.P. outside.
KND Museum of Coolness
"Oh my God. I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm so gonna die." Matt mumbled to himself, sitting on a step at the museum as he rapidly pressed buttons on a 3DS.
Numbuh 202 entered the museum and smiled once she saw her friend, walking over to greet him. "Hi, Matt!"
"Not now, Kim. Come on, come on, come on! Kill the phoenix, kill the phoenix, KILL THE PHOENIX! ! …Phew! I killed the phoenix! So, what's up, Kim?"
Kim giggled. "Nothing much. I just I had a dream where I was killed by this rouge operative."
"You mean 'rogue', Kim."
"Oh… have I been saving it wrong all this time?"
"Eee-yep."
"Oh…" she blushed. "So, what's up with you, Matt? The museum's fixed, I see."
"Yeah, but you won't believe it. Me and Sector V were just sucked into this alternate timeline where I gained the power to know everything!"
"Wow! Bet that doesn't happen to you everyday." Kim smiled.
"I'm serious, Kim. I tried poisoning myself to get rid of the kajillions of brain cells! …But it was kind of cool when you think about it. Still have a headache from it, though." He rubbed his forehead.
Kim heard the entrance to the museum open, looking ahead and smiling at who was entering. "Hey, Matt! Sector V's here!"
"Say what? !" Matt jumped excitedly, dashing to greet his most-admired sector and Numbuh 362. "Numbuh 362! Pleasure to make yours and Sector V's acquaintance." He bowed. "Boy, you should've been there! Me and Sector V went on this awesome adventure in another universe, where a witch took over the world, and-"
"Okay, Matthew, save your breath." Rachel laughed. "Nigel kind of already told me. Although the part where he chose me over Lizzie felt a little exaggerated." She smirked.
"Aw, come on, Rachel." Nigel whined playfully. "You know I love my Supreme Leaduh."
"Anyhoo, that's not why we're here. I've just discovered a rather interesting law in my record of old KND laws, and it mentioned an operative by the Numbuh of 23 BBY. I couldn't find any real file on him in the records, so I was hoping you would know something."
"Oh, don't even get me started on THAT guy." Matt replied.
"I take it you know him?"
"That's just it. I DON'T know him! I was giving a tour one day, and when they asked about that guy, I could barely remember JACK about him! All I know is he was a really big traitor, and he locked his own files away and escaped decommissioning so no one would ever remember him. Which, apparently, it worked, because I CAN'T remember what he did, or even so much as the name! Ugh, was it Raymond something… Ricky Spanish… Regal Savinsky?"
"HA! So much for knowing everything on the planet!" Wally laughed.
"Point taken there." Matt rubbed his head again. "Augh, I wish I could remember. I mean, how can I be the curator when I can't remember the story of a simple traitor?"
"You probably have it close." Rachel said. "Though it would've been nice if you did know. Maybe I can find information from one of the files of the other operatives at that time."
"Sir!" Numbuh 86 called, running in and panting heavily.
"Fanny? What's going on?"
"There's a few people up on Moonbase who want to speak to you. Ya better come up."
The operatives all exchanged wondering glances with each other before they hurried back to their ships.
KND Moonbase
The kids hurried to Moonbase as fast as they could, landing their crafts in the hangar and hurrying up to the bridge, where Sector W, Eva, Dimentia, Infinity, Patton, and Numbuhs 58 & 59 were waiting, along with three certain people which took the crew by surprise. "Uhhh… hiya." Nolan greeted, still handcuffed.
Nigel and Rachel exchanged gaping looks and faced the three villains with battle-ready expressions, Rachel switching out her sword and Nigel holding flames in his hands. "You!" the Brit yelled.
"Relax. They SAY they're on our side." Gwen said.
"Listen, guys, I can explain." Nolan began. "So, basically… uh… it's sort of like… ummm…" He tried to think, but couldn't think of what to say.
"Spit it out." Rachel told him.
"Okay, okay. The thing is, I went to work for Brain because he said you guys were evil, and he convinced me to believe him, had some pretty good evidence…, but, erm, anyway, I found out he was lying, and he was just trying to take me down the path to the Dark Side, so I quit working for him, and I saved Gwen and Doug so they could bring me back here, because…" the two slowly lowered their guard, taking in this story, "I realize that… my place belongs with the Kids Next Door."
They all stood in silence for a moment.
"So…"
"Uh-huh…" Rachel slightly nodded, still having a hard time believing it. "And… what do you have for a peace offering?"
"Will this do?" Danika asked, tossing her Spirit Ball as it popped open. The operatives gaped when Midna emerged.
The Firstborn stretched and yawned and spoke, "Boy, I forgot how cramped those things were." She then took notice of Nigel, Rachel, Eva, and Dimentia. "Oh. Well, fancy meeting you here."
"They've found one of the Eight Firstborn!" Hoagie yelled and pointed.
"Sweet! That means they's only 3 more to go!" Abby exclaimed.
"How did this…" Rachel was about to say.
"Danika was troubled, but she found her way to the light, and so did I." Nolan continued. "I was being led down a path of darkness, but after seeing otherwise, I returned, and now… I want a second chance." Hearing this startled Dimentia slightly. "And you guys believe in second chances… right?"
Nigel and Rachel directed their attention to Dimentia in thought. They both remembered well the horror and evil that Dimentia brought to kids everywhere. And what Nolan did wasn't anywhere near as bad as what she did, and yet they still gave her a second chance. And things ended up turning for the better. They figured, if she could redeem herself after everything she's done… maybe Nolan could, too. They faced back at the cripple, and Numbuh 362 ordered, "Let him go."
Gwen and Doug gritted their teeth in anger and uncuffed Nolan's hands, the boy smiling as he rubbed his sore wrists. "Eh, but don't expect us to be too friendly with you right away." Nigel told him.
"Hehe. Right."
Sonya then approached her older sister with a warming smile. "Well, if Nolan's getting a second chance, maybe we can start over, too."
April smiled back. "Yeah. I'd like that."
"Hooray!" Matt cheered as he and Kimberly got beside Nolan, both smacking his back excitedly. "Nolan's back to the good side! And have we got a mission for YOU!"
"You do?"
"Yeah, now that he mentions it, we COULD use your help." Rachel smiled in agreement.
"Do you remember that H.E.A.D.-S.E.T. thing you used to have?" Matt asked.
"Oh yeah! It's right here!" Nolan pulled said item out. "I never go anywhere without it. It's pretty important to me. It was my first creation after I became an operative, after all, so I'm really proud of it."
"I can see why." Rachel said. "It can give you access to ALL KND files, right? Well, there's an operative we're trying to research. Someone we can't seem to find any records on."
"His codename is Numbuh 23 BBY." Matt followed. "Ever heard of him?"
"Can't say that I have. But that shouldn't be a problem with this baby." With that, Nolan slipped the item onto his head and spoke into it. "H.E.A.D.-S.E.T.: pull up all available data on operative 'Numbuh 23 BBY'."
"Understood. Scanning for information of operative 'Numbuh 23 BBY'." A few seconds passed as a small cursor skimmed around the tiny screen by Nolan's eyepiece. "Data unavailable. Subject '23 BBY' not found. Other possible subjects: Numbuh 23, Numbuh 2, Numbuh 3, Numbuh-"
"Okay, that's enough! Augh."
"What's wrong?" Rachel asked.
"It says 'data unavailable'."
"But that's impossible."
"You need to look harder!" Matt said, pulling himself closer to Nolan's head. "H.E.A.D.-S.E.T.: look again!" he yelled at the piece of equipment. Nolan smacked the boy off.
"H.E.A.D.-S.E.T.: search the top secret files."
"Scanning top secret files. Subject '23 BBY' not found. Files locked."
"Files locked? What do you mean?"
"You found something?" Rachel asked.
"I…I think so. I can't exactly get access with 'files locked'."
"Guess that thing isn't as good as you thought it was." Doug commented.
"Shouldn't you two be helping Fanny go look for teenagers?" Rachel asked them.
"Whatever…" He and Gwen walked off.
"Anyway, at least you tried, Nolan. We'll just have to track this guy down some other way."
Nolan removed his headpiece and sighed depressedly at it, sheathing it away before rolling off.
"Anyway, April, there's this really neat restaurant down in Ashland." Sonya said. "Wanna go down there?"
"Sure! You wanna come, Danika?"
"Nah, I think I'll stay here. The blackness of space is a goth's kind of place. And besides, I get to hang out with fellow Guardians." At this, Eva and Dimentia gave grins.
"I much prefer the twilight." Midna said. "Though I know that Jirachi likes space."
"Same here." Dimentia replied.
"Well-p, then I guess WE should get looking for that operative." Numbuh 101 figured. "I'll just get right on that." With that, he left Rachel and Kim, back to Numbuh 362's office.
Final Brain
"Sire. The captured S.P.R.A.Y.S.H.I.P. we left in the garage has gone missing." General Immortus reported to Brain and Mallah while they were playing a game of chess in the chamber of the holographic projection of Earth.
"Now, that is strange. Where could it have-" Before Brain could finish, they noticed a dark portal appear a few feet away, watching the Negatar himself step out. "Why, Negatar Gnaa. So kind of you to visit us. Is there something I can help you with?"
"We've wasted too much time, Darth. Our allies are all gone. You and Ganondorf are the only ones left. And I can sense the darkness in our junior villains weakening. With only 3 Firstborn remaining, we need to work harder at turning their Guardians to the darkness."
"I'm afraid there has been a change in plans, Lord Gnaa. You see, while your assistance was most appreciated up to this point, I am more busy with my own plans. Therefore, I am in no longer any need of your services. "
"WHAT?" Lord Gnaa burst into anger, his eyes and arrow glowing with the power of the Negatar State. "Have you already forgotten who set you free, you insolent piece of an organ?"
"My apologies, Lord Gnaa. But it seems I cannot remember a thing."
"RAAHH!" Mallah and Immortus startled with fear when Gnaa shook the room in his anger. "Very well, you ingrate. You'll RUE the day you defied my will!" The Dark Master vanished into darkness.
"Master… are you quite sure that vas a good idea?" Mallah asked.
"Good deeds cannot go without consequence, Monsieur Mallah. Now, if you would excuse me, I have business at hand. Carry on." With that, the disembodied Sith Lord calmly strolled out of there.
Wesley Dodds and Larry Oldman slumped back within the confines of their prison cell as Cad Bane stepped in with a tray of food. "Here you go: Moose Brain Gravy and Scream o' Spinach Soup, fresh from the gas drum." The hunter slipped the tray through the bars on the cell's floor. "Packed with all the works, including my own secret ingredient." Sandman cocked a brow at the Duro, who smirked and winked. "See you in a little while." With that, he walked out.
Dodds crawled over and began to dig his hand into the grotesque liquid, feeling around for something inside. "Nnn, what did he bring us, Dodds? I need some prune juice to fill these insides." Mr. Oldman whined.
Dodds finally felt something hard in the soup and smirked once he pulled out his gas gun. "Oh, I don't think you'll have to wait for long."
Outside, the Stormtroopers who were guarding the chamber suddenly heard some kind of sizzling sound. "Huh? What's going on?" When the soldiers went in, they were immediately shot by Larry's ice ray as he and Wesley stepped out of the dissolved cell. Squads of other Stormtroopers hurried down the hall and started shooting, but Dodds kicked off the walls and ceiling and got behind them, kicking them out. Larry saw more Troopers heading over from the opposite end and blew ice along the floor, making it slippery and causing them to slip.
The two old men dashed down the halls and out of the base, running past Cad Bane, who had his back turned and tipped his hat, removing a golden coin from his pocket and flipping it. "Pleasure doing business with you, Clocky."
KND Moonbase
A few hours had passed, and Numbuh 101 continued to research the operative 'Numbuh 23 BBY' on Numbuh 362's computer, looking up several operatives' files from the early years of the Seventh Generations. Kim stepped in and approached the desk her friend was sitting at. "Hey, Matt, wanna go get some soda at Lime Rickey's?"
"Not now, Kim. I still need to find out who this guy is."
"Matt, you've been sitting there for hours. Don't you think you should take a break?"
"Kiiim! As the museum curator, I need to know everything about KND's history. I need to know everything I can if I'm going to be able to tell people awesome stories. Sometimes, I wish I would've kept that curse."
"Well, nobody can know everything, Matt. We can find out who this guy is later. Come on, let's get some soda."
"Sorry, Kim. Duty comes first. …Haha! Duty!"
"Ohhh…" Kim moaned depressedly. "Okay." With that, she left Matt to her work and closed the office door on her way out.
"O-kay… let's see here…" Matt was about to check out another file when- "AHH!" The screen suddenly blanked out. "No! NOO! Not now! Please, anything but- Huh?" The image was replaced with that of a figure with a silver body and golden head with closed eyes.
"Well. Somebody is desperate to inflate his brain." The female being spoke, floating out of the computer in the form of a hologram, drifting around the curator as her twin tails brushed against him, though he could only feel the holographic waves. "It's a surprise that poor computer hasn't exploded from overheat."
"Uh, hehe. Erm, I'm trying to research someone, if you don't mind."
"Oh, I can see that." She spoke, getting in his face, eyes still closed. "How desperately you crave for knowledge. You fail to see what truly matters. You just missed a date with somebody who cares about you."
"But isn't the old saying 'There's nothing sweeter than knowledge'?"
"Perhaps. But it is a really old saying. There are more important things."
"Yeah, yeah, but Kim only started hanging out with me BECAUSE I'm smart. She'll love it when I surprise everyone with the tale of… whoever this guy's name is!"
"Perhaps… but she may love it even more… if you devoted a bit of time to simply her." With that, the strange being faded back into the computer screen, which came back on.
Matt sat there in silence for a second and took off his glasses, wiping the lens with his shirt as he tried to comprehend what just happened. "Well, that was random." He slipped the glasses back on and continued viewing the screen, and something caught his attention. "Heey! Now this is interesting!" The fanboy got up from his seat and hurried over to Numbuh 362, who was playing Whisby on the deck with Fanny and Patton. "Numbuh 362! I was looking up that operative, and guess what I found!"
"What- OW!" She was hit in the back of the head by the Whisby, angrily rubbing the sore.
"Sorry!" Patton called.
"Apparently, that Brett Gunkan used to be an operative in the same time as that guy!"
"The GUN Commander? Is he the one?"
"I don't know, but it's a start! His booger was removed from the Code Module, but he was never officially decommissioned."
"Hmm…" Rachel rubbed her chin in thought. "Then he might be able to help us. Alright, then. We'll wait for Nigel to return, and then we'll go down to GUN's base and speak with him. He just left to see how Nolan was fairing."
"Um, er, actually, you two can just go without me." Matt said. "I think I'll go down to Lime Rickey's and see how Kim's doing."
"Really? Well, okay. We'll fill you in on the details when you get back, then."
"Why you goin' with Nigel?" Fanny asked.
"Well, I figured it'd be easier getting info outta Gunkan with a little 'leader-to-leader'."
"Well, why can't we come, then?"
"Because I need you guys to watch over things on Moonbase. You know, in case of an attack." Rachel stated simply.
"Ah, come on." Patton waved her off. "The place's held up well since Bartie was put in charge. What could possibly happen?"
Sector Q Treehouse
After a few hours passed, Nolan had returned to what used to be his sector, still stationed behind his house despite what happened. "Hello? Anybody home?" Nolan called once he entered the living room, the entire tree base dark and seemingly empty. "I guess they're all off somewhere. Whoever still works here, anyway." The boy decided to roll his way down a hall, to a door that was labeled '2030'. He quietly entered his old room, and everything appeared the same as he remembered. Good thing they didn't change this place. He thought. He picked up a picture on his nightstand, staring at a photo of him and his old teammates when he first became leader, such as Mario, Dillon, Doug, Gwen, Rack and Ruin, Garret, and Catherine. In the picture, he and Gwen had their arms wrapped around the other, for they started to date back then.
"I thought I'd find you here."
"Ahh!" he gasped, nearly dropping the photo as he turned to see Gwen herself standing in the doorway. But as a rare sight, rather than her decommissioning gear, she wore a tannish-yellow T-shirt, dark-green jeans, and dark-green boots. Her helmet and goggles were also off, letting her long, brown hair flow.
"Listen, I'm sorry about before. I think we just need to talk. Truce?"
"Umm. Okay." Nolan set the picture down and followed his ex outside.
Quahog Beach
"So, anyway… I see you brought your new friends." Gwen spoke as she and Nolan went for a walk along the beach, the sun beginning to set over the horizon.
"E-yep. We're the grand trio of operative wannabes, aren't we?"
"So what's the deal with you and that Danika girl? Are you…?"
"Well, she is my best friend. And, well… I do have a crush on her. And… so does she actually."
"Did you ask her out?"
"Yeah. We're kind of dating now, I guess. I mean, we didn't necessarily 'confess our love' or anything… but it sort of happened last night. When she was crying… and she hugged me for comfort."
"How romantic." She replied sarcastically. "So how'd you get that scar?"
"Actually, Danika gave it to me. Hehe. She was having a moment of weakness and depression, and… she had a hard time controlling herself."
"Hmph. Typical freaks."
"Well, I see you haven't changed a bit."
"Can you blame me? You did just sort of leave us to work for those 'Prospectors'. I kind of thought we were a team."
"We're all a team, Gwen. All of us operatives, Prospectors included. But they had a hard time being accepted by other fellow operatives, so I needed to help them."
"Who said you needed to help them?"
"I did. In fact, that's also the reason I worked for the Brotherhood in the first place. They were an organization of metahumans 'freaks', and The Brain said its entire purpose was to give them a rightful place in the world. It just… didn't work out the way I'd hoped. They were, well… evil. But I still have morals, Gwen. And as long as I'm here, I'm going to continue to help 'freaks' like Rack and Ruin find their place."
"Hmph. Figured." They stopped as Gwen turned angrily toward him. "That's all you ever cared about. Cared about those freaks way more than your own girlfriend. It's no surprise that you'd end up dating one."
"Well, clearly it was worth it, 'cause apparently, you weren't the one for me. Any real girlfriend would respect her boyfriend's morals, and offer him support. I mean, just look at Danika. Our whole partnership, I've been suffering from nightmares and confusion thanks to Brain. And she stuck by me the whole way, always offering comfort. Of course, she was always suffering a little deep down, too. Still, that's way more than I can say for you. In fact, it was people like you that led me to leave in the first place."
Gwen gave an angered 'huff' and began to stomp away.
"Where are you going?"
"I'm going home!" she yelled back. "I wanted to try and make up with you, but now, I don't really care anymore!" And in only a few moments, she was out of eyesight.
Nolan only sighed depressedly and rested his head on his hand. "Well, that could've gone better." A British voice said from behind. Startled, Nolan shot around to find Nigel Uno.
"Have you been spying on me?"
"I just wanted to see how well you're doing. We did use to be allies back in the day." Nigel replied, walking beside him.
Nolan sighed. "It just isn't easy getting everyone to accept you when you come back from the Dark Side."
"Mmm. I know that. I still remember when people were trying to adjust to Dimentia."
"The thing is… I'm having a hard time getting used to coming back. The Brain's been filling me with lies for so long… all I can think about this place is all the things I hated about it."
"Yeah. The Kids Next Door isn't totally great in all areas. I can't think of one person who likes decommissioning, even Numbuh 86."
"Gwen and Doug probably like it."
"Hehe. Well, considering their hatred towards you… erm, never mind."
"Hey, Nigel… you were the Demon King's grandson, right?"
"Great grandson, and… yes." Nigel rolled his eyes, not wanting to remember his relation to Malladus.
"And if Malladus hated mortals… did he try to spread his influence to you?"
Nigel sighed. "Yes. Malladus hated mortals with a passion, and that dark passion was what made his power so great. The powers of Hellfire. And he hated how his own descendants ended up mating with mortals. But despite this, he tried to spread his ways to me. He wanted me to rule by his side as the Demon Prince. But I never gave in to his darkness. I knew that my passion, my fire burned for the Kids Next Door, and my friends. And it was because of that passion that I was able to defeat him."
"Wow… that's actually pretty cool." Nolan smiled. "It's no wonder the GKND chose you… heck, they would've chosen Rachel if they wanted. Neither of you gave in to the darkness inside your hearts… but me: Brain's influence is all over my mind. I feel…I feel like the darkness has completely taken over my heart. I might become a Heartless before you know it."
"Ahh. You're being overdramatic. If you're really confident with who you are, you'll never turn up anything like Brain. If he's got his influence on you… then you've got the advantage. Because Brain won't see you coming. When Malladus took over, he was blinded by his own anger and hatred towards mortal beings. He saw them as nothing but incompetent. And it was his very cockiness that led to his downfall. He became overcome with the darkness, and it was the darkness that ended up swallowing him. And the same thing will happen to Brain."
"But what if everything goes like he planned? What if I do end up like him."
"Ah, you worry too much. Heh, you're just like Rachel. And me a little bit. All you need to do is keep your faith, and everything will be fine."
"Yeah… you're probably right." Nolan smiled.
"'Course I'm right, I'm the best operative that ever lived. Hm. And by the sound of things, you seem to look up to me and Rachel."
"Don't get so proud of yourself." Nolan laughed, playfully punching his arm. "But anyway… thanks for the support. Maybe things will turn up for the better. Mostly, things HAVE been working out so far. There is just… ONE thing…"
"What's that?"
"Well…" Nolan scratched his head. "I never had a chance to see my mom again ever since I left. She was the only family I had. Not like Danika, with all her sisters and brother. And now that I'm here, I'm sort of afraid… how she'll react. I mean, she wasn't MEAN or anything, but, still."
"Well, let's go find her! She lives at the house where Sector Q is, right?"
"Last I was here."
"Then let's go!" Nigel insisted, already pushing Nolan's wheelchair back the way they came. "She'll probably be relieved to see you again."
Goofy Goober's
"Hu hu, hi, kids!" the peanut-dressed man called upon the stage, dancing with a giant lollipop in his hand. "I hope you've got your blood-sugar-levels up! 'Cause we're taking Candy Land to a whole new era!" He then began to sing his 'Goofy Goober' song while Sector W watched in the very back of the restaurant with April.
"Ah, Goofy Goober." Harvey spoke, kicking back in his seat with his feet on the table. "Hard to believe he started off as some hobo living in a dumpster at McDonald's, spying on little children at the playground."
"I forgot how much I liked this place!" April smiled, taking a drink of her chocolate shake.
"I'm glad we finally get to spend time together, other than just… trying to kill each other." Sonya said.
"Me, too. You know, Sonya, The Brain said my powers were emotionbending."
"You mean we have a type of bending?"
"Apparently. I kinda assumed it was Bang Gas or something. …In fact, the only reason Brain recruited me to begin with is because he thought I was a Firstborn Guardian. But when he learned YOU had the same powers, he thought he made a mistake."
"Does that mean… I'm a Firstborn Guardian?"
"It may be one of us." April shrugged.
Sonya became lost in thought, taking another sip of her shake. She then spared a glance toward one of the ceiling corners of the restaurant, up-right of the Goofy Goober stage, where she spotted the apparition of some silver figure with a pink head, who smiled, winked, and gave a wave. Sonya rubbed her eyes from this and looked again, then tapped Lee's shoulder. "Lee, did you see that?"
"See what?" Lee took his eyes off the stage and looked to where Sonya pointed. There was nothing there. "I don't see anything."
Sonya looked up as well. "Hm. Must've been my imagination."
Quahog; Nolan's House
Soon, Nigel and Nolan had arrived back at Nolan's house, standing before the front yard as they stared at the entrance. "Nigel… I'm still not so sure about this."
"Relax, Nolan, she's your mother." Nigel smiled. "I'm sure she'll understand if you explain everything. I mean… adults are usually dense like that, but, you never know."
Nolan just took a nervous inhale and left Nigel standing there, rolling to the house by himself and creaking open the front door, which had apparently been left open.
"Hellooo? Mom?" Nolan called, entering the dark, vacant house, except for all the furniture. "It's me, Nolan. Are you home?" The operative proceeded to search around his old home. The entire house seemed completely quiet, and yet everything Nolan remembered from before he left still appeared to be there, including photos of him and his family, so that led him to believe his mom still lived there. "Hmm… she's probably not home, either." He assumed. "But, wait, that was her car parked in the driveway. So, where could she…" It was then he decided to search upstairs in the bedroom. He had a bit of trouble getting upstairs by himself in his wheelchair, so he shot his grappling hook up, lightly so it would grab on at the top, then used it to haul himself upward.
"MOM?" Nolan called once more, entering his mom's bedroom. He stopped and gasped in absolute shock when he noticed how torn-up the room seemed. He rolled toward the wall on the other end, observing what looked to be many bullet-sized spots burned into the wall, possibly by lasers rather than actual bullets. But then, who…
"Surprise, Nolan."
"AHHH!" Nolan screamed and shot around. His blood seemed to boil with anger at the sight of the evil Sith Lord, hiding in the closet. "YOU! ! What are you doing here? !"
"I was just going for one of my leisurely strolls… when I stumbled upon a house that seemed rather familiar." The Brain spoke, rolling out of the closet. "Your house, if I may add."
"Well, what business do you have here? It's not your house, and I don't welcome you here, so get lost!"
"My, somebody is temperamental today. When I awakened this morning, I never expected my star apprentice to abandon me out of nowhere. Back with the KND again, are you?"
"That's right, and I don't care what you say. I knew you were lying, so I'm THROUGH listening to you! The KND is my true calling, so I'm done!"
"Your true calling, now? Perhaps you've forgotten what it was that forced you to join me. It was they who wrongfully imprisoned you. It was they who so dared to shun your Prospector friends away, it was their fault that they were injured, and required early decommissioning. Have you forgotten?"
"Yes, I have. It may not be the 'best thing in the world', but I know they're working to change everything for the better, and I wanna help them. And if I'm coming back, a good start would be capturing you and letting that little jar of yours freeze in the Arctic Prison."
"How interesting. And what of your mother? You cannot find her, can you?"
Nolan gasped. "What do you know about her?" he whispered through gritted teeth.
"I expected you to go through this type of rebellion. Which is why I needed something… to further influence your decision. A hostage, if you will, of someone else whom is rather important to you."
"YOU LET HER GO!"
"First… you must do something for me."
"NO! I'm not doing ANYTHING for you!"
"Really, now. Then I cannot say for sure, what her fate will be. It mayn't be a happy ending… unless you say otherwise."
"Grrrr! What?"
"You have already gained their trust, Nolan. The first step is complete. As you know, Dimentia is up on that Moonbase with Jirachi. And Jirachi's powers are the only thing I still need to complete my ultimate plan. However, considering my attempts to retrieve him during that invasion, she has decided to remain up on Moonbase where they both will be safe. Now… this part, you may be familiar with."
"No…" Nolan already had a feeling where this was going.
"My villains are all ready. I want you to return to Moonbase. Disable the defenses of the fortress, and my villainous army can invade without problems. During the chaos that will ensue, you shall attack Dimentia, and we shall retrieve the Firstborn from her. The Moonbase will fall under our control, and our final invasion will be imminent."
"No… I…I can't do that. I've just now gotten their trust. I don't want to betray them again!"
"Open your eyes, Nolan. It may seem like you are back on their side, but your time as a Kid Next Door is done. Now, you are a Brother of Evil. If you do not go through with my plan… you may never see your mother again." Nolan already fell into a state of weakness, gripping his head, struggling to make this impossible choice. "I must be off now. Decide soon… my apprentice." With that, The Brain backed up into the closet while Nolan rolled away.
Nigel leaned against the mailbox outside, tapping his foot patiently as he awaited Nolan, then saw said boy rolling out. "Oh, hey, Nolan! Did you see your mother?"
"N-No… she wasn't home. No one… was."
"Oh. Well, that's too bad. Oh well, come on. We might as well go see if Matt and Rachel are any close to finding that whatshisname. Hm. Knowing that fanboy, that computer's gonna be on all night."
Nolan followed the sector leader as he led them back to his S.C.A.M.P.E.R.. He stopped and spared one last glance toward his house, remaining lost deep in thought, unable to think of what to do.
Hoo. And so begins the first step. Short chapter, but it's gonna get better as it goes! Anyhoo, trivia time! The remaining 3 Firstborn Guardians appeared in this chapter. Try and guess who they are. ;) Also, guess who Numbuh 23 BBY is. -_- Later!