As soon as everyone had woken up, gotten dressed, and had their breakfast, Nigel looked at the clock on the wall across from the trailer serving as the refrigerator. It was 8:39, just 21 minutes until the important announcement from the Kids Next Door's Supreme Leader Rachel McKenzie, Numbuh 362, at the Moonbase.
I do hope nobody's late for the meeting, Numbuh 1 thought, remembering they still had to set up a few things in the briefing room. It will definitely be unprofessional if we show up on Numbuh 362's huge screen looking disorganized, and we can't show up past 9:00. That would put all our hard work to waste; especially after we went to all the trouble recommissioning Numbuh 0, uncovering the missing Sector Z, and putting an end to that evil Grandfather's tyranny; not to mention saving the Kids Next Door's annual bike race from that nefarious Hoagiemobile. His eyes started to shake a little at this thought. We have to get going and make it look presentable, or else we might not be considered for another inspection day.
"Hey, what are you doing, Numbuh 1?" Hogarth "Hoagie" Gilligan Jr., Numbuh 2, asked his leader. "Why are you staring at the clock?"
"I'm just worried we won't look presentable for our briefing," the sunglasses-wearing British boy responded, his teeth chattering at the thought of his sector being passed over for a promotion just like he had been for the position of the Global Tactics Officer (he'd allowed Francine "Fanny" Fullbright, Numbuh 86, the Head of Decommissioning, to keep this position, but the thought still created a bridge toward that memory in his head). "Our reputation could be at stake if the room isn't tidied by the time the meeting starts, and I also don't want us to be late because we took too long tidying it up."
"It'll be cool," Numbuh 5 said, a relaxed smile stretching across her face. "We'll get it done in no time. And besides, Numbuh 362 won't notice if things are a little out of place. Who cares if there's some stuff here and there?"
"We still can't have the room looking like a disaster movie," Numbuh 1 replied, an authoritative air coalescing about him, "so we have to get going. We have about twenty minutes before the meeting starts, so we can't dillydally. We also have to brush our teeth, because like Dr. Teef said, two brushings a day…"
"…keep Knightbrace away," Numbuh 2 finished Numbuh 1's statement, remembering that painful encounter they had with Dr. Shinygood/Mr. Jelly/Knightbrace when he was running that dental torture ring.
"Right, Numbuh 2," Nigel agreed, also reflecting back on that time and hoping he wouldn't see the deranged dentist villain wherever he'd be transferred to. "We have to keep that Knightbrace away." He quickly looked at the clock again—8:41—and turned back to his team. "Now, everyone, we have to get cleaning and brushing our teeth! This special announcement about the inspections will be upon us in nineteen minutes, so we don't want to miss out on where we'll be sent. Got it?"
"Got it!" yelled the others.
"Good!" Numbuh 1 agreed, an anticipant smile printing itself onto his face. "Now let's get rumbling!"
With that; the team ran to the bathroom to brush their teeth; took turns spitting at the sink; and then darted to the briefing room; tossing things onto selves, organizing the files by their designated orders, testing the machinery to ensure it was in tip-top shape, priming the weaponry to deal with any villains sneaking up on them, sweeping the floor, and doing whatever else was necessary to keep the room in presentable shape. They talked amongst themselves as they did it, joking about where they would be sent and all the challenges they'd face there, and making hypothetical guesses about where Numbuh 362 would position them when the time came. They also shared their feelings about how the day would go, discussing what might happen during their inspection of the sectors, laughing about how everyone (inspectors and inspected) would be onto something the other party hadn't seen, and expressing hope they wouldn't see any villains. They also showed off some of their moves at times (albeit briefly so they'd get the cleaning done in time at Numbuh 1's insistence), laughing nonstop about how they'd inspect the new operatives so well they'd be imitating the moves of the best of the best sectors in the KND, and grinning in anticipation at all the fun adventures they'd be having for the day. Little did they know, however, that there would be some nasty surprises awaiting all of them, especially Numbuh 4, who was about to find a dark secret afoot at his chosen sector.
Kids Next Door Moonbase, Moon
Eighteen minutes later
Numbuh 362 was standing on stage at the auditorium, ready to deliver her message to the selected sectors for inspection day.
She had been rehearsing all week in her spare time, reciting the contents to herself in the mirror, holding a pretend conference with other high-ranking operatives, setting up her toys as an audience in her room to address, doing a few phone calls with her friends and other operatives, asking for feedback, and revising wherever it was needed. She'd looked over the list thousands of times, taking note of each of the chosen sectors' unique needs and leadership styles (either personally via her screens, sending Moonbase operatives to observe their missions and report back to her, writing down notes in various personal meetings with the operatives, sending them on missions and having them report back to her, or some combination of the above), tailoring her speech to directly address each operative's interests and strengths, and poring over which traits would work well with the sectors they were chosen to inspect. She'd also written out a plan for which sectors would see the inspectors and when; analyzing their activity through the methods mentioned above; recording which of their traits would correspond best with each operative sent to inspect them; talking with the soon-to-be-inspected sectors' operatives to decide on the right time for the inspections to happen; and then relaying the information back to Herbert P. "Herbie" Callagher, Numbuh 65.3, the Global Communications Officer, and his team to ensure everything was up to date and accurate. She had spent a lot of time, effort, and some of the KND's money and resources into making that speech sound as good as she could make it (pushing herself past her limits multiple times in the process); and she wasn't about to let all that go to waste when the time came. Clearing her mind of all doubts, she looked around and inspected every corner of the room one last time to make sure it was all in good shape for her presentation.
"Numbuh 86, is everything accounted for?" she inquired, turning to face Fanny. "The Code Module in place?"
"Yes, sir!" the Irish decommissioning operative yelled, authoritatively nodding her head.
"You sure you and your Decommissioning Squad have guarded it well?" Rachel continued, staring deeply into her eyes as if sharing a National Secret with her pseudo-second-in-command. "No crazy slumber parties?" she added, a dash of suspicion flittering across her eyes.
"Affirmative, Numbuh 362, sir!" Numbuh 86 responded, a confident grin spreading across her face as her gaze hardened.
"Good. Numbuh 65.3, are you sure everything in this script is accurate? You and your team been working hard…or hardly working?"
"Yes, sir, all accounted for," the glasses-wearing communications operative responded, looking over his copy of the script for any errors and writing check marks on every paragraph with a red pen as he fought against the gravity pulling his eyelids downward. "Everything's all worked out. We stayed up really late eleventy-billion-tuple checking it for any proofreading errors, and we eliminated any we could find." He yawned loudly, rubbing his exhausted eyes once again to get any remaining sleep out. "Then we checked it all again to make extra-super-mega-double-triple-undecuple sure there really weren't any errors, and guess what? After a few more checks, there were none!" His head fell flat on the desk, sending many of the many haphazardly organized papers flying in all directions as he began to snore quietly.
"I see you've been working hard over there, Herbie," the Canadian girl responded, nodding her head in approval, and then whipping her head in another direction toward the hallway. "Numbuh 3/4 Time!" she yelled.
"Yes, sir, what is it?" Eugenio Geraldberger, Numbuh 3/4 Time, one of the KND's high-ranking threat trackers, asked in response, holding his baton high up in the air.
"Are you extra-super-portanic-triple sure there are no evildoers in the areas the sectors are situated?"
"Absolutely," the Italian-Austrian boy responded, putting his baton in his tailcoat jacket pocket. "My team and I have been working on updating the tracking systems all day yesterday and some of the morning, and we've spent hours researching how exactly to tell operatives to respond to these threats." He reached into the jacket's left sleeve and pulled out a folded piece of paper that slid across his KND uniform. "And that's not all…" he continued, unfolding the paper, "these are the codes in case you need them to send backup to the inspecting sectors' treehouses!" He turned it into a paper airplane and tossed it at the Supreme Leader.
"Very good, Eugenio," Rachel responded, unfolding the paper and looking it over. "Very good." She looked around the room at the others, who either saluted her or gave her an acknowledging nod. "Now, is everything else accounted for around here?"
"Yes, it is, sir!" many said at different times, while others smiled and nodded.
"Good," she said, a huge grin spreading across her face as she took a deep breath. "Let the show begin!"
Sector V's treehouse, Lebanon, Virginia, United States
Exactly 9:00
The operatives of Sector V were all sitting in the briefing room, having straightened everything up to the KND higher-ups' standards. They looked around the room, gazing upon the shiny areas they had uncovered, taking in their reflections of varying hues and intensities (which smiled back at them with pride in their equally shining eyes), and feasted their eyes upon the neatly arranged space between these reflections (which promised them a grand festival by the time inspections were done). They tested out all the machinery around them one more time, planting the seeds of that festival via the flashing lights and the hum that came from the controls and screens, nodding their heads and doing thumbs-up in approval in a manner reminiscent of dancing to techno hip-hop music. They also peered down toward the ground one last time to make sure no villains were coming to disrupt their plans, sliding the palms of their hands across the glass (which squealed happily as if they were having a fun time on the playground) and nodding back and forth amongst each other. When they were finished; Nigel saw a flash coming from the TV screen used to connect Sector V to the Moonbase, other sectors, and other areas and parties of interest; and motioned his sectormates toward what was happening onscreen. An image of Numbuh 86 popped up to greet them, her fiery eyes burning a brighter hue of orange than that of her hair, her teeth gritting as if grinding a 54-karat diamond to fine meal, her hot breath blowing like a tornado ready to level an entire neighborhood off its foundations, and her knuckles cracking louder than an earthquake devastating a row of steel buildings in one of the world's most major cities.
"Attention!" Fanny yelled shrilly at the operatives. "This is an important message from the Moonbase!"
Numbuhs 1-5 leaned forward in interest, their taste buds volcanoes erupting with saliva, their eyes clouded with stars from invisible fireworks, their skeletons full of Jell-Oed marrow ready to collapse at any moment, their frontal lobes lighthouses pointing them in the direction of the nearest unfamiliar island on the sea ahead of them they could explore, and their temporal lobes computers beeping to decipher the language of their red-haired superior's orders from the Earth's satellite. They stared at the colander-wearing Irish girl, looking up and down from her hat to the bottom of her uniform shirt, hoping to get her to take them out for a fun get-together sometime, and fantasizing about all the awesome adventures they would go on when they finished their inspections; but her expression said otherwise. "In case you idiots didn't remember," she continued, the air around her surrounded with dangerous fumes of fury, "it's inspection day, which means the inspection of new sectors to make sure those porridgeheads are following the rules of the Kids Next Door…"
"OK, Fanny, that's enough," Rachel said in a firm but calm manner, moving her out of the way as she moved into the center of focus. "You've said what they need to know. Let me take it from here." She straightened her helmet and quickly read over the script in her hand before putting it down on the table. "As Numbuh 86 was saying, today is inspection day, which means the best and greatest sectors are coming to inspect new operatives to make sure everything's up to code for the Kids Next Door." She took a piece of lined paper out from under her hoodie. "I have our list of inspectors right here, and your sector might be called, so everyone listen closely."
Nigel motioned his sector toward the screen, waving his finger upward to snap them out of their trances (several times for Kuki Sanban, Numbuh 3, who was off in some fantasy world about hugs and smiles from wherever she would be chosen to go to). "Sorry, Numbuh 1," she said. "I'm just excited about all the happiness we get to spread around the world."
"I understand, Numbuh 3; I'm kind of excited too," he assured her, "but that can wait until we find out where we're actually going. So please pay close attention to what Numbuh 362 has to say."
"Okey dokey, artichokey," she giggled, turning her attention toward the Supreme Leader onscreen.
"Now, if your sector is called," Rachel continued addressing her audience, "that means you've been chosen, and the sector for each individual member will be called out; but if it isn't, don't worry—there'll always be next year and the years after that. We value everyone's contributions to the Kids Next Door no matter how great or mundane, no matter how big or small, no matter how long or short, and we appreciate your effort to keep this planet free of adult tyranny. I've gone ahead and told some of these sectors, so some of you already know you're participating, but the rest I haven't revealed yet, so pay close attention to what we have to say, because you might be chosen. With that being said, let's move on to the sectors, shall we?"
The operatives around the world watched eagerly, their eyes wide with anticipation, a powerful breeze pushing the sails in their skin and hearts upward, the space around them silent with the suspense of Olympic Games results, the morning breeze delivering the sweet scents through the windows, and the tingling in their muscles vibrating like an earthquake pulling Tokyo toward sea level, as they awaited the identifiers of the sectors that would be chosen. They leaned forward in interest like Sector V, their brains barely holding up their Jell-O marrow, hoping intensely that their sector would be chosen to show their example to the huge world around them, and eager to write down their accomplishments in the history books of the KND that were stored in the Moonbase and beyond. This was the moment of truth, their potential opportunity to shine, their fate directed by the paper in Numbuh 362's excitedly trembling hand, their key to explore certain corners of the Earth they had never visited in their lives, the time to prove themselves to the KND's Global Command and cement their places in history.
"OK, let's see here…" the Canadian Supreme Leader began, looking at the top of the paper. "We have several sectors participating in the inspection. For some it's their first time, for others it's one of many, and we've got many in between." Her eyes suddenly bulged quickly like balloons on the extra high-speed helium dispensers, levitating her head upward as an elated toothy grin broke out across her face. "Here are the sectors who'll be participating in the inspection this year…" she continued, looking more closely at the top writing. "Sectors F, G, C, V, BE, BW, DE, J, JP, IT, CAN, MZ, C², TR, MY, and Q, you'll have the honor of inspecting these new operatives."
The operatives of these sectors glowed with excitement, ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead, while those who weren't chosen gave sighs of disappointment (some even throwing tantrums or having other reactions, but the others were mostly able to calm them down), but still leaned forward eagerly to find out what inspection day had in store for them. They all looked closely at their screens with varying degrees of nervousness mixed in with their excitement, their hearts beating faster than a massage gun on a person's tight body, their eyes illuminating brighter than the stainless steel at the top of the Chrysler building, their saliva running down their mouths at a greater volume than the pressure of Niagara Falls, their skin shaking more intensely than the jostling pressure of a car on a wooden roller coaster, and their spirits soaring at a rate similar to a rocket escaping a planet's gravitational pull.
"Each of your operatives will be looking at a very specific sector we've chosen for you," Rachel continued, her eyes moving further down the list toward some writing with arrows and various marks in red and blue. "Based on your strengths, interests, traits, successes, and areas of improvement; and these sectors' strengths, traits, and interests and areas of improvement; we've carefully tailored the inspections to everyone's needs and wants; so listen carefully to what we have to say. Sector F, let's start with you."
She immediately started reading off her list, assigning Sector F to go everywhere from Corneliskondre and Leuven to Rajshahi and Tyumentsevo, and explaining why they were chosen to go there. She then moved on to Sectors DE and IT, stressing the importance of their incredible prowess and transparency among other traits in the sectors they were assigned to go to, and then Sectors JP and BE, talking about the importance of community and egalitarianism and their other most prominent qualities that would take their assigned sectors far in the KND. She eventually got to Sector V, which prompted its operatives to clear their mind of any distracting thoughts like Numbuh 1 had talked with them about.
"Numbuh 1," Rachel began that part of her speech, "I have seen your selfless dedication to your team and the Kids Next Door over the years, and I really want to commend you for leading the charge against that Grandfather villain and putting a stop to his tapioca operation. I'm sure other operatives could learn a thing or two from your leadership, and there are a bunch of sectors that fit that description, like the one I've picked out for you: Sector TB in Tbilisi, where they could really use your guidance."
Numbuh 1's heart skipped several beats as he jumped back and landed flat on the floor. He looked up at the ceiling, envisioning the monster from his dream coming to check up on him and glaring down on him for answers in his inspection. The latter interrogated the former, firing a barrage of questions at him with super sensitive answers that froze his heart in Antarctic ice, holding a light up to his face that shined brighter than the sun from just a mile away, and roping him in chains that could constrict even the most persistent armored trains in war. This interrogation kept pushing him further and further toward the center of the Earth, chipping away at his confidence little by little, reddening his face more and more quickly, causing his eyes to shake more and more violently, causing his elasticized marrow to keep bounding off the walls of his bones faster and faster, sinking him deeper and deeper into panic, until…
"Numbuh 1?" A childish voice said from behind the monster. "Are you all right?"
"Yes, yes…just anxious, that's all," he responded, looking at Numbuh 3's concerned eyes as she waved away the monster with her hand. "Just had a scary daydream."
"That's OK," the green sweater-wearing Japanese girl reassured him, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder and pulling him up with her other hand. "You'll be feeling better in no time. Just take some deep breaths and you'll be back on track."
"All right," the bald British boy said anxiously, doing as his Japanese teammate told him. She motioned her hands up and down, instructing him to keep in rhythm with her movements, and gave him a sweet smile as soon as his anxiety had gone away, turning his attention back to the Supreme Leader's speech.
"As I was saying, Numbuh 1," Rachel continued, "Sector TB needs your help in guiding them through some pretty tough times. They've been hit really hard with a Cidergate Scandal, where the notorious Numbuh 2003-R was secretly hoarding most of their apple cider for himself and stealing a lot of money from our bank, if you know what I'm talking about."
"I know," the bald-headed British sector leader responded, his inner pandemonium slowly dissipating. "That was truly devastating."
"Good," Numbuh 362 continued, "you'll need to look at their supply and give them tips on how to divide their resources more equitably. Their 2x4 Machines have also suffered a significant amount of damage that's still lingering to this day. They've taken care of some of the damage, but they could really use that mind of yours to help finish doing the rest. It'll be hard, but I know you can do it."
"Sure thing," Numbuh 1 responded, the forefront of his mind now clean of any lingering tensions. "I'm ready."
"Great to hear!" Numbuh 362 said back, moving her eyes down her list. "Numbuh 5."
"Yes?" Abby said, her eyes sparkling like the sugar in sour strip candy.
"You'll be headed to Sector OST in Bruges, where your leadership skills and stealth will really come in handy."
"Sweet, baby!" the French/African-American girl shouted excitedly, the adrenaline in her body rushing as if it were a river overflowing its banks. This mission was going to be fun, just like last year—she'd been assigned to Sector UDH in Ooty that year, where she'd guided its operatives toward improving their C.H.O.C.O.Z.O.O.K.A. system to better target attackers and conducting their operations in a manner that wasn't overly bombastic among other improvements—and this year, she'd be going to one of her favorite cities, where she and Henrietta von Marzipan would often search for candy before the latter turned into Heinrich—and she'd be tasting all kinds of new chocolate with the operatives of the resident KND sector.
"And that's not all," Numbuh 362 continued, taking a deep breath in and out and licking her lips. "I've heard there's a lot going on outside their treehouse. They've been at war with the Cocoa Butter Cartel for over five years now, and they really need some tips on how to conduct their operations so they can finally put it to an end. You in?"
"Numbuh 5's ready to roll!" Abby shouted excitedly, giving a finger gun gesture and pretending to shoot it at the screen.
"Awesome!" Numbuh 362 replied, making a finger gun back before turning her eyes back to her list. "Now for Numbuh 3. You'll be going to Sector PEZ in Port Elizabeth."
"Fun!" the Japanese girl burst out, jumping up and down at the thought of making new friends in one of her favorite South African cities. "There's gonna be lots of fun games, lots of sports, tons of yummy food, and even lots of cute and cuddly Rainbow…errr…stuffed animals at the store! It's gonna be a BLAST!"
"I know, Numbuh 3, I'm excited too, but I need you to listen carefully," the Supreme Leader responded, turning her attention back to the paper. "This sector is really caught in some deep conflict with the Anti-Friendship League, and they've really had some wedges driven between their members, so I figured your kindness and your empathy would make you well-suited for this mission."
Kuki just giggled, trembling in excitement for all the fun adventures she would have during her mission.
"But let me warn you, though," the Canadian girl continued, "the Anti-Friendshippers don't take kindly to anyone who doesn't share their mean-spirited beliefs, and the South African chapters are especially hostile to kids in their territory, so you'll have to be super on-guard with this—some of them might deceive you and pretend to be your friend, which can be hard to see at first, so you'll have to keep your eyes extra peeled. It's definitely challenging, but I know you can do it. What do you say?"
"I'm ready!" Numbuh 3 screamed elatedly, throwing her hands up in the air.
"That's the Numbuh 3 we know and love! Now, up next, we have Numbuh 2," Rachel resumed her speech, staring slightly further down the paper. "You'll be going off to Sector GYUT on the outskirts of Lethem."
"Cool!" Hoagie smiled, the gears in his head whirring in excitement over the knowledge he'd acquire there. "I've always wanted to visit southern Guyana!"
"I know," Numbuh 362 said, also smiling, "I've heard you talk about it a lot on the Moonbase, and now you're finally getting your dream. And what's more, you'll get to share it with others!"
"Double cool!"
"I agree," Rachel continued, a spark of determination simmering in her eyes. "Now listen up to what you'll need to do there. This sector is relatively new, but they're becoming notorious for their inventions, which the Six-Bit-and-Piece Gang don't like, and they're trying to steal their ideas. So I'll need you to look at their machines and point out any faults, but you'll need to keep it hidden from these evildoers. Are we on board?"
"You bet we are!" Numbuh 2 smiled, doing a thumbs-up in front of the screen.
"Right on!" the Supreme Leader agreed. "I know your brilliant mind is definitely a good fit for this mission, but there are some things I want to warn you about. You see, there's a smart urban area being planned where the sector is situated, and there's a ton of wise-minded people running around there, both good and bad. You never know who you can trust, how well their ideas will work, or even if they themselves have any confidence these ideas will work. So you'll need to help the operatives see the allies and enemies among these minds, combine these ideas to create better weaponry and stuff—with these people's permission, of course—and help them improve their defenses, both mechanical and mental. Are you ready to undertake this?"
"I'm ready," the goggles-wearing Jewish-American boy replied, spreading his arms out in an airplane fashion. "It may be challenging, but I can do it!"
"That's what I like to hear, Numbuh 2!" Numbuh 362 responded, her excited smile growing huger as she went slightly further down the list. "And Numbuh 4," she finished, the corners of her mouth stretching in an effort to form a crescent moon, "I've got a surprise for you."
"Whatever it is, bring it on!" the Australian boy yelled, feigning the moves he would use whenever he sparred with the training robot in his wrestling ring. "I'm ready to rumble!"
"You're flying off to Sector EL in Sutherland, where the operatives are…a little off, to say the least. They have their ways that they like to share with others, and they'll do anything to make sure the Kids Next Door knows it."
"What is that supposed to mean?!" Wally asked indignantly, jumping up and forming his hands into fists. "I mean, what is wrong with these operatives?"
"You're about to find out, Numbuh 4," the Canadian Supreme Leader responded, motioning him to take a few deep breaths to calm himself down, and checking the paper airplane Eugenio had thrown her. "Numbuh 3/4 Time says there's some strange readings over at their treehouse that are of interest to us, and they're creeping around in the walls, but we can't exactly pinpoint the source. The operatives say they're enjoying their playtime, and they're always smiling and giggling, but I doubt they're all right. So I'll need you to put your fighting skills to good use and help them find the cause of this anomaly, or it could mean the end of them."
"I suppose that could work," Numbuh 4 replied, a tinge of doubt sprinkling his voice as he faked his fighting moves again. "I'll be ready to take out these baddies and show them who's boss!"
"I appreciate your willingness to do so," Rachel went on, nodding her head, "but beware: no one has ever returned normally since this started five months earlier. I'll need you to put the pedal to the medal, find the source of the problem, and get these operatives back on track!"
"I will!" Wally answered with newfound confidence. "I'll get to the bottom of this and do such a good job that Sector EL will be at the top of the line with the Kids Next Door!"
"Great to hear! Now, all of you good?" Rachel said, enthusiastic about the affirmation from each Sector V operative as she looked further down the paper in her hand. "You ready?" They all nodded their heads and gave thumbs-up. "Good. Let's move on to Sector J."
With that, she continued her speech, talking to the operatives of Sector J about their sectors and how their close-knit community and love among other traits would be useful in taking down whatever threats (internal and external) threatened their sectors, and describing these sectors' unique situations to them as she awaited their affirmation.
"What's so dangerous about Sector EL?" Numbuh 4 asked as Numbuh 362 moved on to the rest of the chosen sectors, looking around at his sectormates for an answer. "What's the point in going there when no one has returned?!"
"You'll see once you get there," Numbuh 1 responded, a tinge of sadness darting around his eyes. "That sector has definitely shown their ways to kids who come to their treehouse, and I've heard they've been spreading them like wildfire, though I doubt any of it is their fault. So I'll need you to be on your best inspection mindset and get them back to normal, or else it could mean the doom of the Kids Next Door. Do you understand this?"
"Yes, I do!" Wally nodded, pumping his fist in the air. "I'm on it!"
"Good," Nigel affirmed. "I appreciate your commitment. Now let's get to it!"
The operatives walked over to the entrance of the treehouse to wait for the ship to pick them up, laughing and joking about the dangers they'd face when they did their inspections. They faked fighting moves, weaponized imaginary 2x4 Technology gadgets, and pretended they were various villains and other operatives, expressing hope their efforts (and those of the operatives they were inspecting) would be known throughout KND history as the greatest to ever come about. They also talked about their new ideas for the Science Fair, wondering if the operatives they were inspecting would take inspiration from their ideas. None of this was certain, but any way, they would soon undertake the sacred responsibility of inspecting new sectors to ensure they were up to code, defeating any threats along the way. It wouldn't be an easy task, but with their resources and abilities, it was achievable.