This was disturbing.

Rachel had seen a lot of things, done a lot of things, and even ordered some of those things to happen-all before she was even twelve. She had seen giant kid-eating sandwiches, been to the moon and back in the span of twenty minutes, and even managed to get training some adults couldn't handle in their entire lifetimes. It was fair to say that she had seen quite a few things.

But this was something else entirely. This was disturbing.

"Ah, just the right amount of sugar."

Highly disturbing.

Rachel leaned against the kitchen wall, skin crawling every second she stood in the room, in Father's presence. It had been years since they met face to face, and she was slightly amazed he still had this effect on her. Father was the end-all to adult villains the KND faced in the current generation, only surpassed by his own father. She would remember the jokes they would make to lessen his reputation. Jibs of how he'd always run home, tail between his legs slurping on Rocky Road to make himself feel better. Or how, despite all his touting of adult-superiority, he hated broccoli just as much as any kid-maybe even more.

They tried to make him seem less of a threat than he really was, and they sometimes succeeded in the privacy of their rooms. But deep down they all knew it was all for naught, for all it took was one second in his presence to remember why the name Father made cadets everywhere wet their pants.

It seemed the simplest things he would and could do would send them all on edge, like now, for example. The man fluttered about the kitchen, a blissful smile on his face as he mixed numerous bowels, tidied up pots and counters, and every so often, attending to the ding of the ovens to remove hot pastries only to replace them with new ones.

"Oh, it's been years since I've bothered to bake anything," Father said lightly, his silhouette down and speaking in a voice that didn't match up to his image at all. "It's not just a hobby; it's a passion. The smile it brings to my face!"

Rachel only nodded, looking away and tempted to stick her other headphone into her ear. But she'd never risk that. There wasn't a kid alive who managed to make Father repeat himself. She tensed, her hand going to her waist as he invaded her personal bubble. She dared not to make the first move, and simply watched as the man smiled.

"And I have you to thank for it, my dear. Why, I even whipped you up a little something." He revealed what he had behind his back, a decent size tray of cheesecake, topped whipped cream, cherry icing, and coconut almond sprinkles. "Now don't be shy, you'll love it!"

Rachel looked down at the treat, her favorite dessert becoming more and more disgusting the longer Father held it in his hands. She raised a brow, noticing the sides melting a bit. As it slowly got hotter, she glanced up to see his face blank and eyes glowing.

"I slaved over this for you. Aren't you going to take it?"

"Of course," she quickly recovered, snatching the cheesecake from his mitts and a fork from the counter in one smooth motion. She plopped a decent bite in her mouth, making exaggerated sounds as she forced a smile. "I was just shocked, is all. You really shouldn't have."

"Now aren't you just the sweetest thing," he said, his voice mirthful and the heat quickly dissipating. He ruffled her hair, and it took every ounce of willpower not to slap his hand away. "It's refreshing to finally have SOMEONE who appreciates my cooking. Do I ever get a thank you, from my own children even? Nooooo! I slave over a gosh-darned oven afternoons on end and they have the nerve to be picky!"

Rachel was content to let him ramble on. The more talking he did, the less she would have to fill in. The man just kept talking and talking and it became exhausting just listening to it. It was never difficult getting Father to go off on a tangent, for it seemed the only thing he loved more than baking was whining about his daily struggles as a 'productive member of adult society', or so how he always choose to phrase it.

While his back was to her, she tilted to the left, trying to scrap the cheesecake into the trash before snapping back into place, smiling sweetly and taking another pained bite as he did an about face.

"Oh well, kids will be kids. Until you brainwash them into delightful obedient minions. COMPLETELY different story there." He shrugged, then returned to his kitchenly duties. He began squeezing out icing over one of the pastries, making agonizingly precise patterns before he suddenly stopped. "Rachel, dear, do you know why I love baking?"

The only thing keeping her from vaulting out the window was that nagging voice repeating that she desperately needed his help. "You secretly have a sweet-tooth?"

"No. Well, yes. But that's not it," he said, returning to his icing. "I love baking because it feels me with a sense of control. You must be careful and deliberate with every twist of the whisk, every spoonful of sugar you add to the mixture."

He finished one cake, then moved on to the next one and then the next one, Rachel feeling as if she was watching a one-man assembly line at work.

"I love baking because it's an art of precision. Everything must be correct. Everything must be perfect. The temperature, the mixing, the frosting; everything must fall in line according to your design. According to my design. All the ingredients have a place, a purpose."

He finished, hands on his hips, chest puffing proudly at his work. Four cakes sat all lovingly in a row, each perfectly symmetrical to the other. His looked at the last one, and he frowned. The last cake had been rushed. It had lumps, and the left side was deflated ever so slightly. Father's face hardened as he went to the cake, intent on icing it anyway.

"All the ingredients have a purpose, and they all know their place. They all just have to fall in line, do what I tell them to do, and the world just makes sense. Because the world needs to make sense, Rachel."

Rachel felt the room growing hot again, and her efforts to dispose of her dessert were paused as she watched Father, noticing how his hands were shaking and the icing patterns were becoming more uneven.

"But all it takes is one little error."

The shadows of the kitchen slithered towards the man, coiling around his ankles.

"One tiny mistake."

His eyes glowed as embers popped and crackled around him.

"One insignificant slip."

The icing dripped onto the counter.

"One rebellious little ingredient."

Rachel barely ducked in time.

"AND IT ALL GOES TO HELL!"

A shock-wave of heat exploded from the man, scorching everything in its path. Rachel avoided the brunt of the damage, but the aftershock slammed her into the wall. The smoke stung her eyes, and she hurriedly patted away the flames. There was a clatter, followed by another boom, and the girl simply tucked her head under her arms and rolled into a defensive ball as Father screamed.

"It's maddening."

Rachel's eyes snapped open, only to shut as a flare of heat streaked up her leg. She kicked away, crawling to escape the flames as Father spoke in a dead tone of voice.

"All it takes is one extra ounce of sugar. All it takes is one bad egg. All it takes is one little mistake to completely ruin everything."

She was trapped in an inferno. The smoke choked her and the fire eat at her skin. She was going to burn.

"ALL IT TAKES IS ONE THING FOR YOU TO LOSE COMPLETE CONTROL!"

She was going to die.

And then it was over.

Rachel slowly opened her eyes, the smoke gone and fire extinguished. For moment, she thought it all an illusion. This had all been some induced nightmare from her constant running and exhaustion. Then her exposed arms throbbed and she caught sight of the charred floors and counters. She slowly rose, taken an aghast at the ruins before her. The kitchen had been completely and utterly obliterated in a rage.

Yet there stood Father, calm and humming happily as he finished icing a smoking brick that was formally a cake.

"But that's why I love baking. In the end, those pesky ingredients don't matter. You just have to properly dispose of them, put them in their place, and start over," he said. He stepped back, and sighed happily, gazing upon his masterpiece. "You get to start over, and you're back in control."

Father's unnerving obliviousness kicked her survival instincts into gear, and despite herself, she couldn't help but ask, "Are we still talking about baking?"

"Why of course we are, dear. What else would we be talking about?" he answered, a crazed gleam forever scarred in his eyes. He blinked, then seemed to finally notice the devastation surrounding him. If he was shocked, he severely downplayed it; simply snapping his fingers and saying. "Well I'll be, looks like I made a little mess. Good thing this is what the help is for, right?"

As if summoned by pure will, a decrepit butler cautiously entered the room. He cowered under Father's smile, and lowered his head nearly to the floor as he began sweeping. His hands trembled, sweat rolled down his face, but he just kept on sweeping. Seeing the matter was being attended to, Father exited the kitchen, motioning Rachel to follow.

They walked down the corridor, Father saying nothing as Rachel reanalyzed her situation. Ever since joining up with the man, she had been sent on frivolous errands, house chores, and a whole list of trivial matters that annoyed her to no end. She expected more out of Father, considering she was practically begging him to take the information she had off her hands. Years ago, he would have jumped at the chance before she could set foot in his house. He would have already uploaded the data, and the KND would be crumbling before her very eyes.

Yet none of that was happening. Father had not amassed his forces. Father had no fortified his manor with layers of deadly defenses. Father had not taken the Kids Next Door by the throat and laughed while he watched it wither in his grasp. Father had done nothing she had expected him to do.

No, ever since she mentioned information about Nigel…

Rachel shook her head as her heart skipped a beat. She didn't want to think of him right now.

"So what exactly was that back there?" Rachel broke the silence. Father never looked her way, but she just knew he was paying attention. "Just felt the urge to pop something in the oven."

Father laughed. "It's more than that, you silly little goose. I'm simply making preparations for the party."

"What party?"

"Why my nephew's welcome back party, of course," he answered. Rachel froze mid-step for a moment, then quickly recovered before he noticed. "The timing couldn't be any more perfect, and I need to add some finishing touches before the little soirée I have planned for him can go off without a hitch."

Rachel's nails scrapped the inside of her palms, her mind running a mile a minute as she quashed down feelings she didn't want to acknowledge. "What about the Kids Next Door?"

"What about them?"

"My evidence. I told you I have everything you need to bring them down for good."

"Ah yes. That. Forgive me, I'm a bit rusty at this whole destroying the Kids Next Door business," he said, waving it off. "It's just after all these years…you'd be amazed at how you discover what really matters when you've got so much time to yourself."

Rachel suppressed an eye roll as they came to the main foyer. "Getting rid of them should be our priority."

"My word, what they must have done to ruffle your feathers," he tsked. "I've not forgotten about those brats and will deal with them accordingly with the evidence you've so generously provided. We must simply deal with Nigel first."

"Why?"

"Because we need to show the boy how much we've missed him."

Rachel caught herself before she ran into the man. She looked up to see he had stopped, facing her fully and looking down at her with a hollow gaze. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, and she tensed as he leaned in, his face uncomfortably close and the urge to squirm overwhelming. He just kept staring at her, smiling.

"I've come to realize how terribly I've missed him," he said softly, cupping a hand on her cheek. She shivered. His hands were so cold. "Surely you of all people would understand."

She attempted to pull from his grasp, but his grip suddenly became steely. "Understand what? I didn't miss him at all."

"You're lying."

Father squeezed her face, forcing her to look him in the eye. Her eyes widened at his smile, and she became paralyzed. His grip tightened, and she winced in pain, and she suddenly regretted coming to him at all. This was a monster. This was Father.

This was a mistake.

"Admit it."

"I have nothing to admit," she spat, using her fury to outright defy him. "I didn't miss him. How could I miss someone like him? He's still a spoiled little child that thinks the world will wait for him. He's still that uppity little punk that thinks he can get away with insulting my authority. But why should I be surprised? I never did anything about it, not once. I let him get away with everything. I let him walk all over me like the doormat I was."

"And you missed him."

"I didn't miss him!" she screamed. "He abandoned his post! He ran away from his duty! He left everything behind! He left ME!"

Rachel stopped, realizing what she just said. He stared past the man, not noticing when he let her go. She repeated the words over and over in her head, like some sick mantra engrained into her memory. Her entire went numb as she absorbed her own words, not feeling a thing as Father pulled her into a comforting hug.

"There there," he soothed, patting her back, but the girl didn't register it at all. "Dear old Father knows how you feel. He left me too. He disobeyed me and just up and left me to pick up all the pieces. He made off with my pipe and decided to stick it to me by running away from home."

He let go of Rachel, walking off to the side. The blond just stood there, staring a hole into the ground as she tried to get a grip. She looked off the side, and saw Father standing under the shadow of a massive portrait. She stood a bit straighter as she recognized the man in the picture; a younger version of Grandfather.

"But that's to be expected of unruly children," he spoke, gazing up at the picture as if in a trance. "Always making a big show of acting out, thinking they know everything. But that was my fault. I was too soft on him. You see, Rachel, you and I are the same. We let him walk all over both of us."

His form darkened, shadows enveloping him as the manor seemed to come alive. Rachel dropped into a defensive stance as whispers scratched at her ears, they seemed to move right through her, more intent on haunting the adult before her. Father trembled, for a brief second she thought he was in pain. But he stood straight and turned, suit up and yellow eyes narrowed as he walked towards her.

"But we'll amend that little mistake. We'll own up to our failure and throw him a little welcome home party, making him feel appreciated. Because that's all children want. In the end, they're all attention grubbing little brats, and Nigel Uno is no different." He clasped his hands behind his back and chuckled. "We'll welcome him with open arms, then embrace him ever so tightly."

Rachel stood firm as he got in her face once more. Though his face was encased in darkness, she didn't need to see his expression to know he was smiling.

"And make sure he never leaves us again." He reached into the recesses of his suit, the pulled out a blazing red envelope and passed it to her.

Rachel swiped the item from his hand, but Father didn't seem to care. She studied the sealed envelope with a skeptic gaze. "The hell is this?"

"That language is most unbefitting of a young lady," he warned. "That is Nigel's invitation. You are to deliver it to him personally."

Rachel growled. "That wasn't part of our deal."

"When the time comes, I'll bring Nigel straight to you," Father said in a voice that was an exact mimic of her own. "Well, the hour is nigh, and it is high time Nigel is brought to me, wouldn't you say?"

"Drop the parrot act, I'm creeped out enough," she grumbled. "You agreed to help me first."

"And I will once I have Nigel," he countered. "I'm a man of my word."

"You'll forgive me if I find that hard to-" She was cut off as she was forced back, Father's aura erupting into blue flame. "That's…new."

"You need me more than I need you," he said. "You wouldn't come to me otherwise. I'm well aware of how desperate you are, girl."

Rachel stood, not backing down. "You don't know a thing about me."

"I know you're a traitor. I know you're backed into a corner. And we both know you don't have a choice." He rose his hand, pointing to the door and it opening of its own accord. "Now go."

Rachel glared at him, not moving an inch. After what seemed like an eternity, she scoffed, pocketing the invitation and walking towards the door.

Father's eyes followed her up until the moment she slammed the door. Once alone, he surveyed the foyer with a scrutinizing gaze. Everything was nearly perfect and set into place. He would need to deal with the kitchen, but none of the pastries were quite right anyway. No, he needed to have a cake that would send his nephew charging through the door. It's how it always went. Nigel could never resist the lure of cake, for whatever inane excuse he cooked up for it.

He rubbed his chin. Something was still off. The festivities were days away, and now that Rachel was out and about to deliver the invite, he needed to insure everything was absolutely perfect for when Nigel arrived. Everything needed to be exactly as it was before the boy left. Everything needed to mirror the routine they had fallen into so many times before. This occasion needed to be excellent. It all needed to line up perfectly so he could relish in his justice, take back what was rightfully his and return things to the status-quo.

But he was forced to admit to a very unfortunate truth. He was an adult and Nigel was a child. He may have grown a few years, but he was still that insufferable whelp that ran off with his pipe. He needed the make sure he got into the right mindset. Everything needed to go off without a hitch. But as much as he hated to admit it, he would need some sort of counsel if he wanted to entrap his nephew once and for all. He needed backup to insure nothing went wrong. He needed support, those who would follow his every command without question, without hesitation. It was then he allowed himself a smile.

He just so happened to know five people perfect for the job.

The office was quiet as the three took up various positions. Maurice sat behind his desk, eyes closed as he went over several possibilities and scenarios in his mind. Beyond dealing with the immediate threat, there were thousands of micro-management duties he needed to take account of.

Abby was behind the Overseer, emotions in check and eyes scanning the screens before her. While she knew none of them would reveal her the location of a certain blonde bitch she was dying to get her hands on, they all still relayed relevant information that could prove useful if plans went south. Her eyes kept coming back to one monitor in particular, the screen showing a live-feed of the museum that held their current objective.

Nigel, meanwhile, had sunken into his bean-bag. The boy said nothing as he sat there, arms crossed, eyes focused, and his mind carefully processing every bit of information he had been fed. It was all so enlightening and confounding at the same time. After weeks of half-truths and dead ends, he knew every single thing about his target and things he never would have thought he didn't know. Rachel's movements and actions up from when she joined the teen ranks to when she went rogue were given to him, and it was a bit overwhelming as he tried to sift through it all.

The silence was becoming unbearable, so he opted to pose more questions if only to get conversation flowing again. "One thing I still don't understand is how she got access to galactic level information."

Maurice sighed. "I wouldn't know where to start looking. I was informed after it happened, and even then, both of you know more than I ever will."

"Still say Chad had something to do with it," Abby said. "Jerk always did have his own thing going on. Wouldn't be surprised if he gave her access then jumped ship to avoid going down with the rest of us."

Maurice stood. "That's not true. I know Chad-"

"No. You don't." Abby's gaze shot daggers his way, as if daring him to speak against her. "Chad was always jealous that Nigel got picked over him. Probably been playing us for years and saw an opportunity to use Numbuh 362 as his fall girl."

Despite his dislike of the teenager, that logic didn't quite sit well with Nigel. "Crazy as it sounds, I don't think he had anything to do with it. Chad was never afraid to go too far, but there are some lines I believe even he won't cross."

"Well if you're defending him then I guess Abby don't know squat," she said, rolling her eyes. She stopped, then groaned before regarding her old leader. "Sorry. Look, maybe you're right, but I really don't care how she found out. Fact of the matter is little miss traitor has the goods, ain't afraid to toss 'em around, and we need to stop her. That's all that matters to me."

"Cleaning up a leak means nothing if you don't find the source."

"We'll have to deal with that once the immediate danger is dealt with." Maurice intervened before their argument started going in circles. He ran a hand through his dreadlocks, and walked around his desk with Abby in tow. "Numbuh 5 is right. We have to stop Numbuh 362 before things spiral even further out of control."

Nigel nodded as Abby came to stand by his side. "What's our next move?"

"Numbuh 3 has locked down the Seriously Cool Museum of Artifacts and Stuff so we can procure the KNDNA Tracker. Numbuh 74.239 is in the process of retrieving it and should be returning with it shortly."

Nigel sent Abby a look at the mention of the scientist, but she simply returned it with a look that promised they would speak of it later.

"Until then, you two are to remain here and await further instruction," Maurice said. "Numbuh 1, I'd appreciate it if Numbuh 10 is the last teen operative to be aware of your presence, so I respectfully ask that you remain in my hub."

Nigel saluted. "I'd stay in this office if it came down to it, sir."

"Thank you," Maurice breathed, overly relieved. "You have no idea how much paperwork I've had to do because of you. No offense."

Abby rested her elbow on Nigel's shoulder, using her old leader as a prop to lean herself against. "Not that Abby's against some chill time, but we've haven't done a thing in three days. Now you want us to wait around more."

"You're welcome to my training quarters if you feel the need to stretch," he invited. "If that doesn't strike your fancy, there's always some filing I could use a hand with."

Abby rubbed her chin, she gave Nigel a light flick of the nose as she headed for the door. "Abby'll be in the training room should you need to get whupped back into shape, Numbuh 1."

Nigel watched her leave while Maurice whined. "Why do I even bother?"

"Numbuh 5 always did have a unique way of going about things," Nigel said. His look became somber as his eyes lingered on where she touched him. "I missed that about her."

Maurice picked up on Nigel's tone, and changed his slouch to a more serious stance. "Look, Numbuh 5 may have become a bit of a hard ass…well, a lot of a hard ass, but don't let that fool you. She missed you too, Nigel. They all have."

Nigel simply shook his head. "Wally and Kuki maybe, but I had to work for them to admit it. Abby…Abby will probably never forgive me for leaving. I don't even know where Hoagie stands."

Maurice gave him a sad look at the mention of sector V's old pilot. "How much has she told you?"

"Absolutely nothing. None of them have." Nigel then turned to Maurice, a pleading look in his eyes. "What happened, Maurice?"

"Your team's been through a lot, Nigel. More than you know. I don't know exactly what happened right after you left, but I tried to keep a close eye on them after Abby became Supreme Leader."

Nigel seemed to only become more depressed at that mention. "I can't imagine what it must be like for her. Rach…Numbuh 362 chose her as her successor, and now she's forced to hunt her down."

He missed Maurice's surprised look, and only glanced up to catch the Overseer thinking to himself. After a moment, the older teen broke the silence and offered the old sector leader a bit of advice.

"Abby's story is not mine to tell. You'll need to hear it from her to fully understand." He then came up to give Nigel's shoulder a comforting grip, coaxing the boy to look him in the eyes. "And she will tell you, Nigel. You haven't lost her, you have to believe that. Just talk to her, you have time before the storm starts again."

"But how? It's all about the mission for her."

Maurice gave him a rueful smile. "Huh. Seems you two have a lot in common then."

Nigel made to retort, but found Maurice had a fair point.

"You and Abby have always have had a special connection. You just have to give it a little kick-start again, is all." Maurice patted him on the shoulder before sending him off. "Go talk to her. I've got to try and get in contact with Numbuh 74.239 to find out what the holdup is."

Abby inhaled.

The lights flashed, the sounds of machinery closing in.

Abby exhaled.

She moved with a rhythm only she knew, leaping away as the dummies crashed into each other.

Abby inhaled.

She landed in a roll, finishing with a sweep of her leg. The dummy's legs snapped in two and it fell.

Abby exhaled.

She let the flow of her swing guide her, spinning herself a complete one hundred eighty degrees, still low to the ground.

Abby inhaled.

The dummy's arm came to grab her, but she used her leg to stand, moving with the flow and letting it carry her leg up and over in a perfect arch.

Abby exhaled.

Her foot crashed into the dummy's chest, forcing it down to the floor and her heel digging into deeply. The last bit of energy it had died with a flicker, and the machine slumped as it shut-down.

Abby sighed.

A dummy snuck up from behind, and she noticed a second too late. That was when a bolt of red and black came in, jumping into a spinning kick and knocking the dummy's head off. The last training dummy down, the lights of the room came back to life.

Abby watched as Nigel gracefully landed, taking care to keep his weight balanced as he stood. He turned to her, and he gave a small smile. The kind of smile he used to give whenever one of them completed a mission objective to the letter.

"Pretty good," he said. "That bad habit of exposing your rear has gotten worse though."

Abby's face was blank, before she smirked as she walked up to him. "That so?"

Nigel was about to speak, then suddenly found himself flat on his back. He hissed with pain, then flinched as Abby's foot stopped mere inches from his face. He could make out the fine detail of the sneaker's grooves from this close up.

"Could say the same about your bad habit of letting your guard down."

Abby pulled her foot away and revealed Nigel's frown. "Used to be able to afford lowering it with you around."

"And Abby used to think you'd always have her back, no matter what," she said. She shook her head then offered him a hand. "Funny how things change, huh?"

"I never could take a joke," Nigel said, more than a bit agitated as Abby helped him to his feet. There was a pause where they said nothing, and Nigel looked around searching for a new topic. "What routine were you running?"

"Nothing fancy," she said. She walked over to the dummy she brought down, bending her knees to get a more up close look to assess the damage she dealt. "Need to stay in shape, but didn't feel like trying to kill myself today. More of an extended warm-up than anything."

Nigel scratched his chin, judging the facility. It was nothing compared to his galactic training camp, but nothing ever would, honestly. The fallen dummy's head rolled his way, and he stopped it with his foot-applying pressure to get a proper feel for its true durability. "Perhaps some tougher models are in order? If we're going to stop Numbuh 362, we need to learn to work together again and also be prepared for anything."

Abby looked him up and down as she registered his suggestion. After a moment, she stood up as an idea formulated in her mind.

"We can go through another routine, but no dummies." She stopped a few feet away, then slowly slid into an offense stance and waited for him to pick up the hint. "Ain't no better way to get reacquainted than getting a lil physical."

"How Numbuh 4 of you," he said, though he rose his fists regardless. "You sure about this? Galactic training is a bit more advanced than the drills TND puts you through."

"Show me what ya got then, spaceman."

Nigel rushed forward, knowing he'd never get Abby to make the first strike. He jabbed with his left hand, but Abby swiftly caught it and twisted his arm around. Expecting this, Nigel moved with his arm, jumping off his feet and twirling himself around Abby. He wrestled control from her and pressed her arm into her lower back before shoving her down.

He was trying to get her to submit, but she wasn't about to let him have his way. She hooked her foot around his, then tripped him, freeing her arm as he stumbled. Abby then balanced on one leg, winding herself up then uncoiling as she rose her other leg to kick Nigel away before he hit the ground.

Nigel bounced once, but recovered to flip himself on his hands and toes. He pushed himself up, leaning back to dodge Abby's fist. He kept backing away, avoiding Abby's blows. She cocked her arm back, then brought it in fast. Nigel caught it, then slid underneath her as he threw her away.

As Abby went flying, she looked down. She then smirked, realizing what had just happened. The girl righted herself mid-air, and her hands hit the wall. She pushed herself back, then dove towards Nigel.

The boy himself stood - looking smug as he turned expecting to see Abby face down on the ground. He blinked, confused to not see her anywhere. Before he could even ask, something landed on his shoulders and hooked around his neck. He went down on one knee, his hands flying to support whatever had just fell on him. That's when he heard a familiar chuckle, and a pair of sneakers with their shoelaces tied together lifted in front of his face.

"It's called the oldest trick in the book for a reason, baby," Abby said, teasingly tapping her finger against Nigel's scalp. Her hands snapped down, grabbing his wrists and yanking them upwards as she cupped her heels under his chin, gently forcing him to look up at her. "Thought you were gonna show Abby something new?"

Nigel awkwardly laughed as Abby pressed her heels into his Adam's apple. He quickly recovered, mirroring her cocky look as he tapped his heel against the ground. "You asked for it."

Soon as the words left his mouth his boots gave a sputter. The light propulsion was meant to send him into a flip, using the shock to knock Abby off of him so he could show-off his neat mid-air grapple attack he made up all by himself. It was meant to subdue and impress her all in one swoop.

However, Nigel had forgotten that his boots had malfunctioned after Rachel pushed them out of the SCAMPER. He had also forgotten to re-tune them between then and the current moment he found himself in. So what he thought was going to happen, of course, didn't happen at all. Instead, something else occurred.

His foot shook as his jets roared to life, and he and Abby shared a collective blink before screaming as they were rocketed into the air. They left behind a comet's tail of jet exhaust and echoes of their terrified voices as they zipped back and forth through the chamber. After what seemed like an eternity, Nigel's boots gave out. The two shared a panicked look then fell to the ground.

The former commanding officers of sector V fell into a heap that was most unbecoming of former commanding officers of sector V. Abby's laces had somehow came undone during their impromptu flight, and her legs were no longer wrapped around the boy's neck. That wasn't to say they weren't wrapped around something, but their limbs had tangled together so wildly, the world's best jigsaw puzzle expert would be hard pressed to determine where Numbuh One began and Numbuh Five ended.

Nigel buried his face into the ground to hide his shame. What was meant to be an incredible display of skill and prowess to win his partner over and prove himself capable turned into some flying circus act gone horribly wrong. He was supposed to prove to Abby he could handle himself, and maybe then they could start talking once he convinced her he was her equal.

Now here he was, face riddled with embarrassment and Abby shaking above him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the oncoming tirade and effective end to any chance he had at salvaging their friendship. But so caught up in his failure to show off his combat skills, Nigel was oblivious to what he had accomplished and was finally clued in when Abby did the last thing he expected her to do.

She laughed.

Nigel looked up, watching her bobbing face as she howled. Tears streamed down her eyes, and her laugh became broken as she struggled to find equilibrium between expressing her joy and her bodily need to breathe. His first thought was to assume that she was laughing at him; his ineptitude so outrageous that she couldn't help but laugh.

Yet the longer she went on and the longer he looked at her, he couldn't help but find the laughter infectious as his own chuckles soon evolved into full blown hysterics. Well into their fit he soon realized that his first thought was wrong, and Abby wasn't laughing at him at all.

"Man oh man," she said, nipping at her fist to halt her laughter. "I forgot how crazy you were."

Nigel grinned. "What was that about things changing?"

"Shut up," she said, playfully shoving him off of her. The two eventually stood up, but had to hold their hands on their knees as they caught their breath. "Why didn't you warn me about sparring with you? Our one-on-ones always ended up with both of us falling on our asses."

"But we always came up with great ideas once it was all said and done," he said, gesturing his hands faster than he could form words. "Like, like that one move we made up. It managed to bring down Mr. Wink and Mr. Fibb when all else failed."

Abby paused, only to break into another fit of laughter. "It was so stupid though! Heh heh, I can't believe those suckas fell for it!"

Nigel had managed to calm down, though the smile was still fully present on his face. He raised an amused brow as Abby seemed to be having a difficult time regaining her composure. "That funny, eh?"

"No, no no," she waved off, taking a deep breath to right herself. "It's just all that back there…heh heh, Abby never trained with a partner here. She forgot how fun it could be once she gets into it."

Nigel clasped his hands behind his back, standing in a mock serious posture. "We're Kids Next Door, Numbuh 5. Having fun is a top priority."

"We ain't kids no more, man," she scoffed. "We're big, bad-ass, secret teen operatives. Well, Abby is, at least. You're technically…"

Nigel noticed as she trailed off, her grin disappearing as her face wrinkled in thought. Worried, he let his hands fall loose and took a step closer. "What's wrong?"

"It's what Abby said: secret teen operatives. She just wondering how much of a secret they really were." She looked at him, unsure how to feel as she brought up what was bothering her. "What you said back there with Maurice: you knew about him being in the TND the whole time?"

Nigel nodded. "Yes. I told you that trusted sector leaders are kept in the know to avoid serious foul-ups. Surely this isn't news to you; you were Supreme Leader, after all."

"Yeah, but it ain't like I was told who knew before I got the stupid job. You mean to tell me you knew about them the whole time?"

"Well, not all of them." He began shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I'm only informed about those operating within my sector's area and there were special cases even I was left in the dark about; Chad being a prime example."

"But you knew about Maurice," she said. "You knew about Maurice, yet still suggested we keep an eye on him."

Nigel tilted his head. "That's what this is about?"

"It's against the rules for us to interfere with teen operatives," she reminded him. "You knew that, but did anyway. Why?"

Nigel opened his mouth, but slowly closed it as it suddenly became hard to look Abby in the eye. His hands went behind his back and he gently kicked his foot back and forth. "Well, you were highly distressed about Numbuh 9, and I couldn't tell you outright about the TND. I was worried about your mental state, and simply picked the lesser of two evils, as they say."

Abby's features softened, her hand slowly raising only to come resting against her chest as she looked down. "You broke the rules because you were worried about me?"

"Broke is such a strong word," Nigel slowly said. "I just decided to overlook a frivolous regulation or two…or six, but who's counting?"

Abby's eyes wavered, the truth of Nigel's actions affecting her more than she was willing to admit. By the book Numbuh One had flubbed on extreme policy just to look out for her.

Yet the more she thought of it, the less shocking it seemed. Abby always did wonder why no one from the Moonbase came snooping around their treehouse after Hoagie accidentally aged himself into a teenager. Just like how there were never any serious marks on Wally's record despite him clearly engaging in anti-KND activities such as the bully matador fights.

Come to think of it, she seemed to recall from her stint as Supreme Leader that there was a ton of paper work that needed to be filed and process before any sector could be given clearance to venture out into the solar system beyond Mars, yet the night Kuki's rainbow monkey had been abducted, Nigel had mobilized them pretty darn quick to get to Saturn…

The girl finally looked at the bald boy, completely ignoring his rambling defense of his actions. As the stared at him, years and years of his subtle kindnesses towards them all becoming more and more obvious.

"Well, well, well," she said, interrupting whatever he was talking about. "All that talk of following code and you're just a walking infraction. Mmm-mmm-mmm," she said, shaking her head. "Think there's only one thing Abby can say to that."

His face twisted with anxiety, mind pacing to come up with a better excuse. "A sector leader has to look out for his team, so I was well within code! Okay, sure, maybe there were some questionable decisions made that could've gone better, but I was only thinking as a-"

Abby put a finger to his lips, smirking a tad at his befuddlement. "If you would stop talking for a second, then maybe I can actually get to say thank you."

Nigel rubbed at his lips as she pulled away. The boy was more than a bit flustered, but quickly coughed into his hand, thinking that would cover up it and they could brush it all under the rug. Abby chose to indulge him, and he gave a quick nod.

"You're very welcome," he said evenly. The girl crossed her arms, smirking him down and he groaned as he slumped. "What?"

"Nothing." She shook her head, still smiling though she reeled it in. She lifted her shades to her forehead, looking at him warmly. "It's…it's good to have ya back, Numbuh 1. Even if it's for a little while."

Nigel smiled, Maurice's words ringing in his mind. "It's good to be back, Numbuh 5. Even if it's until everything is over."

Their smiles dropped as the door swooshed open. In came Maurice, brows crinkled and body tense as he marched to them. Abby's arm dropped, bobbing her head to knock her sunglasses back into place. She'd recognize that look anywhere, and it never meant anything good.

Nigel felt similarly, but was much more vocal about it. "What's the situation?"

"You two need to gear up and move out immediately," Maurice ordered, his tone brokering no argument. "We've lost connection with the KND Museum, and Numbuh 74.239 just activated its distress beacon."

"Dammit," Abby said, fists clenching. "Idiot can't even pick up a calculator without someone holding his hand."

"We'll criticize him once we've brought him back here," Nigel said before looking to Maurice. "What can we expect?"

"I don't know, we've lost all feeds," Maurice said. "Numbuh 3 has to be informed, and we can't belay the signal from the Kids Next Door for too much longer. You two need to get in and out; find 74.239 if you can, but your top priority is to secure the KNDNA Tracker, understand?"

"Understood," Nigel nodded. He gave Abby a look. "You ready?"

"Baby, the only one I've been waiting on is you." Without another word, the two broke into a run, heading out of the training room and leaving Maurice to his thoughts. Once they were gone, the teen sighed.

Clichéd as it sounded, he had a very bad feeling about all of this.

Kuki allowed herself a yawn, the wind rushing through her hair as she fell at blinding speeds. She shifted a bit in her bindings, hoping she could maybe itch that annoying scratch on her shoulder blade. The Science Nerds had approached her recently about an idea for a turbo-engine back-scratcher, and given her current dilemma, she was already trying to remember where the form was so she could sign off on it once this silly affair was done.

Reminded of her troubles, she looked forward as a mental alarm clock went off. There, coming in at blindingly fast speeds, was the pavement. The cold, hard pavement. Kuki only groaned, blowing out a tuft of air as she tumbled to her apparent death.

Suddenly everything stopped, the line vibrating as it pulled her to a halt. The sidewalk was about an inch away from her nose, and she hummed a bit; impressed. Seemed Tommy was getting a bit more audacious.

As if thinking about him triggered his response, she found herself being towed back up, much more slowly than her fall. She looked at the passing windows, analyzing her reflection as she passed. She narrowed her eyes, then stretched her tongue in attempt to lick away a bit of sugar on her upper lip.

The side of the building gave way to a flipped skyline, the city bustling in the night-life background while a pre-teen vigilante glowered at her in the foreground. Kuki's composure cracked for a second as she giggled. She always did find Tommy's attempts at playing hero cute when they were younger.

"Cease your giggles. Justice is no laughing matter!"

Then stopped, but of her own accord as she remembered they weren't young anymore and Tommy was beginning to annoy the heck out of her.

"This is your last warning; for real this time!" he said, lowering his voice to a gravelly tone. One hand dramatically swept his cape across his face, while the other gripped the lever. "Now tell me where Numbuh 1 is."

Kuki stared at him.

"Be that way! Let's see how you like-"

"Tommy." The boy flinched, Kuki's utterance surprising him. That was the first he heard out of her since his interrogation began. He knew he'd get to her eventually. He looked up, and his hopes were dashed as the girl was clearly more frustrated than frightful. "If it didn't work the first six times, I doubt shooting for seven is going to change anything."

"Oh yeah? Well what do you know about the art of intimidation, miss I'm-the-leader-now-so-I-know-everything pants?"

"I know enough not to rip something off from a movie a gazillion people have seen already," she said. "Look, it's late. You've had your fun, so let me down so I can finally go home to a nice cup of soda and cuddle with my rainbow monkeys."

"Not until you tell me where Numbuh 1 is!"

"I told you, Numbuh 1 disappeared over three years ago. I have no idea what happened to him." Kuki added a slight inflection to her voice, years of elementary school pay theatre finally starting to pay off. "He was one of my best friends, Tommy. Don't you think if I knew where he was-"

"Your mind tricks have no effect against my cunning intellect, Sanban," Tommy rebuffed. "The Tommy's mind has undergone immense training and discipline to resist your girly wiles and lies! I know Numbuh 1 has returned, and you would do anything to protect him. But you shall not protect him from me!"

Kuki dropped her act, opting to glare at the boy and he had to suppress his shiver. "You have a lot of nerve attacking me without any credibility."

Tommy snorted. "The Tommy has his sources."

"Oh yes, and let's give a hand to your sources, shall we?" She averted her gaze, looking out somewhere behind him. "Numbuhs 83 and 84, stop hiding now. That's an order."

Tommy's eyes widened as he turned, seeing the two members of sector W sheepishly walking out of the shadows. Lee had his hands stuffed in his pockets and grumbled while Sonia fidgeted in her boots, fingers twiddling together as she tried to stand strong.

Tommy snapped back to Kuki, not even bothering to hide his surprise. "How the heck did you know?"

"You used a MARBLE to knock me out, and you don't have access to KND 2x4 technology. No, you needed help and Sonia and Lee are the only old friends you still had in our ranks. Why they did help and the consequences for doing so is something I'll deal with later." Her frown deepened as another thought occurred to her. "Though my meeting with Stickybeard was highly classified information, though I suppose you didn't mind sharing that with your old sector now did you, Numbuh 85?"

"I told you she'd figure us out!" Patrick rambled as he stumbled out from his hiding spot. The poor boy paced back and forth, hands pulling at his curly red locks as he muttered to himself. "We're in such deep doo-doo! It's game over, man. Game over!"

Tommy composed himself, far from calling it quits. "Very clever, Sanban. You're a worthier foe than I expected."

"No, you expected sweet little Numbuh 3," Kuki sweetly smiled before her face went blank. "That's what they all expect. You all still think I'm some airhead who's in way over her head. Well newsflash, Tommy, I'm not the same operative you knew all those years ago. I am the Supreme Leader of the Kids Next Door, and when I get down from here, I'm going to show exactly why I am."

Tommy gave a curt nod, reaching behind his back. "True. You are the Supreme Leader. But you're wrong, Sanban. Behind that rough and gruff wall you've had to build around yourself, you're still Numbuh 3. And The Tommy knows exactly how to deal with Numbuh 3."

Kuki was about to go off, but stopped as soon as she saw what Tommy had in his hands. Her eyes widened, her frame trembling in shock as she tried to form words. "That's…that's-"

"-Lunar Lumpkin Rainbow Monkey!" Sonia gasped, recognizing the rare doll in her friend's grip. Tommy's hand came to the plush's head, and Lee slowly came to Sonia's side as she twittered about. "Tommy, what are you gonna do with that?"

The vigilante tightly gripped the rainbow monkey's head. He stared straight into Kuki's eyes before violently yanking his hand. "What needs to be done."

RRRRRIP

"AAAHH!" Kuki screamed, body reeling as if she had been struck. She glared at Tommy, eye's twitching in pain. "You monster."

Tommy said nothing as he threw the decapitated doll away, reaching back to produce another. "Tell me where Numbuh 1 is."

"I don't know."

RRRRRIP

"AAAHH!"

"Tell me."

"I don't…know!"

RRRRRIP

"STOOOOP!"

"Tell me!"

RRRRRIP

"NEVER!"

"TELL ME!"

"Tommy stop!" Sonia pleaded, falling to her knees. Her hand went to her heart, small ripples of pain tearing through her as well with each fallen doll. But that was nothing compared to what her leader was feeling. Kuki writhed in agony, drawing ragged breaths, but the boy was giving her no mercy. When Kuki started visibly crying in pain, spasming wildly, Sonia tore her gaze away. "You'll kill her!"

Patrick scooted closer to Lee, leaning over to whisper in his ear, "Dude, they're just dolls."

Lee shook his head. "Girls are weird, man."

"You know how to make this stop," Tommy said as he nonchalantly tore another rainbow monkey's head off. Where he got all the dolls was a story for another day. "Tell me where he is."

Kuki panted, her head lowered and sweat dripping profusely from her skin. Her lips trembled, and small mumblings could be heard.

"That's it."

"He's…he's…"

"Where is he?"

"He's…hold up in New Jersey."

Tommy blinked. "Wait, seriously?"

"No!" Kuki shot back, snapping at the boy with fire in her eyes. "I don't care how many rainbow monkeys you maim, I'll never sell him out like that! Ever!"

Patrick gasped, pointing an accusing finger Kuki's way. "So it's true, he is back. I knew she had something to do with it!"

Lee slowly turned his head towards Patrick. He looked ready to say something, but decided against it and shook his head.

Tommy hummed in satisfaction. Now he knew for certain that Kuki had information regarding the bald one's whereabouts. However, with the way she was growling at him, he doubted he wouldn't get any further using the same old tactic. The whole dropping her from a building approach was still clear in his mind. Yeah, that really didn't work out too well.

"I could do this all night, Sanban. Do you want to come clean before it gets any worse?"

Kuki threw her head back, made a horrible retching noise in the back of her throat, and then hocked a massive loogie at the boy's feet.

"Ew!" Tommy whined, bouncing on his toes to avoid girly saliva. Getting himself together, he snapped his fingers and motioned for Patrick and Lee to pull out the big guns. "Very well, Sanban. If you can play dirty, then so can The Tommy."

Kuki was actually a bit hesitant now. She hadn't thought much of the boy, and that was clearly her mistake. Anyone who was willing to inflict harm on sweet, innocent rainbow monkeys were clearly off their rocker. She squirmed in her bindings as the two young operatives dragged out something from behind the ventilation duct. It was someone with a bag over their head, hunched over and clearly unconscious by their lack of movement. She watched Tommy carefully as he walked towards his second hostage, turning to her with a smug grin on his face.

"The Tommy grows quite bored of playing with rainbow monkeys. So if you won't tell me where Numbuh 1 is," he said, ripping off the burlap sack to reveal a painfully familiar face, "then I'll have to play with your boyfriend instead."

"WALLY!" Kuki couldn't believe her eyes. There was Wally, her poor Wally, tied up with a gag over his mouth. Her voice caused him to stir, and he groggily blinked as he joined them in the land of the living. He growled as he noticed the children around him, but the second he spotted her tied up, he violently jerked around, Lee and Patrick having to quickly restrain him. "That's impossible. It took a combined force of elite Teen Ninjaz and the full DOH-DOH squadron to capture him. How did you get your hands on him?"

Tommy smirked as he folded his arms. "The Tommy has his ways."

EARLIER THAT DAY

Wally jumped off the bus, backpack slung over his shoulder and a pep in his step. His day had been going perfect so far. Ever since he stopped worrying about meeting up with the Teenz he could actually sleep a full eight hours a night. His mom had made an amazing breakfast, and he managed to pass his test with a B plus. He couldn't remember the last time he felt this great.

He jaunted down the street, head bobbing to a tune only he could hear. The boy paused for a moment, catching a glint out of the corner of his eye. Curious, he wandered over to the item in the middle of the sidewalk, and grinned as he knelt over. His luck just wouldn't quit!

"Hey, look," he said, bending over, so distracted by his find that he failed to notice the figure creeping up behind with a raised crowbar. "A quarter!"

BONK

PRESENT MOMENT

Sonia rubbed the back of her head. "You know, we could've saved a lot of time and resources if we had done that years ago."

Lee just shrugged.

"Ahem." They both looked to Tommy, whom was giving a stern look. "We're in the middle of an interrogation here!"

"This is low, Tommy," Kuki growled. "Even for you. You'd never go this far, not in a million years."

Tommy simply replied by putting his blaster to Wally's head. "This is your last chance. Before this day is over, I'll either be remembered as the kid who found Numbuh 1, or the kid who finally brought down the traitorous Numbuh 4. It's your choice!"

Kuki wavered, honestly terrified of what Tommy would do. Her eyes shifted, as Nigel's image flickered in the forefront of her mind. But upon seeing Wally, she clenched her eyes shut, sending a silent apology to her old friend as she began speaking.

"Don't do it, Kuki!"

She snapped up to see that Wally managed to wiggle out of his gag. Patrick scrambled to stuff it back in place, but Wally simply bit his finger and sent the decommissioning officer yelping away. "Numbuh 1's gotta finish his mission! Ya can't let these brats ruin it!"

"But Wally-"

"Ain't no buts about it!" he argued. "You know what'll happen to all of us if the traitor wins!"

Sonia blinked. "Traitor? But you're traitor…aren't you?"

"Wally listen to me, if I don't tell them where he is-"

"And you listen to me!" He would not let up. "Don't make the same mistake twice, Kuki. Numbuh 1 risked everything to help me- help us when he had no reason to. We gotta be willing to do the same for him!" Kuki looked torn, but the Aussie would not relent. "He's our friend, and friends don't sell each other out; no matter what!"

"Shut up!" Tommy snapped, cocking his blaster and pressing it into Wally's ear. "You tell me where that no good loser is right now!"

Kuki looked between Tommy and Wally, indecision written all over her face. However, once her eyes locked with the blond's, she knew what she had to do.

"I'll tell you where Numbuh 1 is, Tommy." She said. Wally protested and the boy cheered, but that would soon be reversed as Kuki shot him a defiant smirk. "I'll tell you where he is the day Father's furnace freezes over."

"No!" Tommy raged, pulling away from Wally and running up to Kuki. He fired a warning shot, the blast grazing her cheek before aiming dead center between her eyes. "I don't care about your stupid loyalty, his stupid mission, your stupid friendship- I don't care about any of it! I don't know where he's hiding, but I'll hunt him down to the ends of the Earth if it means I can get Hoagie back!"

Kuki's expression made a complete turn as Wally ceased his struggles to free himself. "Hoagie?"

"Oh, so now you decide to remember?" Tommy sneered. "You all forgot about him-all of you! You put him off on us, brushed him under the rug and completely forgot about him. You all stopped trying to help him, saying he was gone forever. Well I never forgot about him. I never stopped trying!"

His head lowered, tears dripping out between his goggles as his blaster shook. "I'll never stop trying. I won't! I'll take on you, Numbuh 4, the Kids Next Door-I'll take on the whole world if I have to! I'll get my brother back no matter what it takes!"

Kuki was silent as she chose her next words carefully. "Then why do you need Numbuh 1?"

"Hoagie…Hoagie's a detective, right? It's a mystery. It's a mystery he wants me to solve and he's left clues," Tommy said. "They all point to Numbuh 1. He's the key, I know he is. I don't know how and I don't know why, but Nigel is the only one that can get Hoagie back. He…h-he has to be. He has to... he has to bring my big brother back."

Kuki looked at Tommy again, and it was as if everything he had done prior had never happened. She was taken back to that day on the Moonbase. That horrible, horrible day three years ago when he had been delivered the news about his brother. She remembered finding a scared little boy crying alone in one of the lonely hallways, and remembered herself comforting him as he cried into her sweater.

She was then brought back to the present moment, again finding herself before the same crying little boy who only wanted his brother back. Kuki looked past Tommy, locking eyes with Wally. He caught her gaze, and after a second, he firmly nodded. She returned it, then looked back to Tommy. Three years ago, she could only give him empty promises and words.

Now, she could finally do more.

"I'll help you."

Tommy looked up, almost terrified to be this hopeful. "You will?"

"I will."

"F-For real?"

"For real. I'll help you," She smiled. "And Hoagie."

The Kids Next Door Seriously Cool Museum of Artifacts and Stuff was truly a sight to behold, even in the dead of night. Relics to great kid ages long past stood silent, frozen in time under the silver beams of moonlight. Villainous figurines and decommissioned 2x4 aircrafts stood proudly, paying homage to generations and ages that had come to a close long ago.

Numbuh 74.239 stood on the upper balcony, keeping vigil over the museum. The scientist looked around him, wrinkling his lips at the sights laid out in front of him. Time was such a fickle concept to children, he concluded. An operative's career lasted about seven years if they were lucky. Even more if they were more privileged to join the oh so acclaimed Teen Covert Ops. But it was never enough for them, however. They had all that time and wasted it running away from decommissioning. Running away from responsibility. Running away from potential progress. All that precious time.

Wasted.

Utterly wasted.

They could have used all that time to further scientific pursuit, and what did they do?

They built statues of villains to keep as trophies.

All that time in the KND could have been put to such great use; they could have furthered 2x4 technology to the point that adults truly feared their capabilities and what did they focus on instead?

Cleaning up broken down junk and displaying it like a tourist attraction.

Numbuh 74.239 could not possibly understand how children could waste such precious time. They had so much to offer the world, they had the power to bring it out of stagnation and push into the future they had all been denied so long. A glorious future where kids reigned absolute and free from the disease of adulthood, the disease that stole so much of their time.

Numbuh 74.239 hated wasting time.

He hated that he had wasted so much time, so much time preparing an undeserving kid for the opportunity of a lifetime in hopes that his contribution might save them all. But no, that was not meant to happen. That kid failed, and the promised cure had not been found. He put all that time and effort into Nigel only for it to be all wasted.

And now he was sick.

So terribly sick.

So terribly sick of his time being stolen from him.

It made him do things.

Bad things, he'd admit.

Bad things he regretted, quite honestly.

But only because now he was in danger of losing all his time.

Losing all his time when he had so much to offer the world. Soon he would run out of time and end up a mention in a museum like this.

He would become some forgotten relic to wasted time.

Yet as he looked down, seeing two living relics exist from the secret entrance of the treehouse bark, he smiled and stepped back into the shadows.

It was time to get his time back.

"You know, I never did like that fact the TND had access to treehouses like this," Nigel said as he exited the hub tunnel, following closely behind Abby. "Sure, they're on our side, but how would you feel knowing a teenager could pop in at any given moment?"

Abby carefully looked around a large statue of the Big Badolescent, and rolled her eyes. "They only have access to special locations like this, you know that."

Nigel scoffed, readying his blaster as he hugged the wall, sweeping his weapon across the room for intruders. "Sure, that's what they want you to think."

"Numbuh 1, this may come as a bit of a shock to you, but they is us now," Abby groaned. "Now would you kindly shut up? Numbuh 5's heard enough on the way over here."

"I'm just saying-oh never mind," he caved. He slowly advanced, raising a brow as he scanned his surroundings. "Odd, I don't remember this exhibit."

"Probably a new one about to open up," Abby answered as she rolled to the side, leaning against the wall as she signaled that the coast was clear. "Or maybe it's an old one. I ain't been here in forever."

"You and me both."

Suddenly a group of overhead lights snapped on, and the two stood side by side, blasters humming as they looked everywhere for enemies. They lowered them slightly as no one jumped up to attack them, then carefully moved up to search the objects the lights were shining down on. Abby and Nigel approached the podium, feeling oddly unnerved as they looked upon the figures before them.

Nigel's eyes widened a tad as he motioned to the five statues. "Is that-"

"Us." Abby answered.

Before the two stood life-sized figurines of themselves. For the most part. Nigel stood in the center, Abby included, but flanked on their sides were also Hoagie, Kuki, and Wally. The gazed upon the figures, feeling as if they were looking through a scrapbook. Abby's eyes lingered on the imitation of her kids self before looking over to Hoagie's.

She stared longer than she meant to, then looked away as her face became awash with grief. "This is…definitely new."

"I'll say," Nigel said, missing Abby's reaction and critiquing the statues. He looked at his own, and frowned with disapproval. They completely exaggerated the size of his butt. "It's a step up from macaroni, though that's not saying much."

"Don't be so harsh, Numbuh 101 made those out of his own ear wax. Quite the fanboy, that one."

Nigel and Abby jumped, turning around to see a figure stalking in close, tossing the KNDNA Tracker up and down in his hands. Abby frowned, but Nigel was the one to greet the newcomer. "Numbuh 74.239?"

"Why hello again, Numbuh 1. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm sorry to say that there will be no promises of cake at the end of this scavenger hunt," the boy said with a dark grin as he held up the device. "I honestly doubt that lie would work on you a second time."