Alas, all good things must come an end. And this is the end…for now.

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Chapter Twenty

Hoagie's POV

We were losing the fight. The zombie people were too strong, no matter how much back-up Nigel calls. We were all battered badly. I looked around the chaos to see 35-T picking up a wounded 23-T, 362-T and 60-T holding each other breathing heavily and the other sectors and operatives were cut and bruised, not knowing how much longer they'll be able to fight.

But we kept fighting, even though we kept getting thrown back, knocked out and beaten down. I looked at the red ship Fanny was in. Was she alive? Is she okay? How's Kuki holding up? Then the ground started to shake.

Out of nowhere came a gigantic machine resembling a spider. It wasn't being piloted by anyone but wandered around like it had a mind of its own. The twins laughed menacingly as the robot took down each operative one by one. It shot lasers at us and knocked us back with its claw-like legs. It was too strong and we couldn't fight it.

Nearly everyone was out cold including me. I lay on the floor beaten real badly. My clothes were shredded, my goggles were cracked and my hair was tangled and messy. I looked up and as the robot was beating around the rest of the operatives left standing, the Twins jumped in and took off to the sky.

"Teens Next Door, stop them!" Rachel could hardly get out.

We got up, but with struggle. I heard a groaning not too far off. "The zombies are still here!" I called out to the rest of the operatives.

"Well then we're just going to have to-"

"No!" I cut Rachel off. "They're practically unbeatable. The only way to defeat them is to kiss them."

"Ugh!" Everyone made faces that looked like the just sucked a lemon.

"That is nasty…" I heard Abby mutter.

"Couldn't agree more Numbuh 5-T." Said Rachel. "There must be some other way…?"

She looked at her boyfriend, but Patton just shook his head. The zombies were closing in on us and there really weren't anytime left. Then my eyes fixed on the ray gun sitting behind the army.

I turned my head towards Numbuh 362. "Hey, Rach, you know that ray gun over there."

She looked at it for a moment, and then nodded. "It's what turns us into zombies. Give me every 2x4 technician here," I continued. "Maybe we can reverse the effects of that gun."

"Right." And with all her might she had left she yelled, "CAN EVERY 2X4 TECHNICIAN IN THE AREA REPORT TO NUMBUH 2-T IMMEDIATELY!"

Before I knew it TND operatives crowded me. "Okay, Numbuh 362-T we need you to hold back the zombies while we get to the gun." I instructed Rachael.

"Right, you heard him. Teens Next Door, BATTLE STATIONS!"

Then a war broke loose. I took another look at the ship Fanny was in and sighed. Me and my 2x4 techie comrades forced our way through the army using machinery and weaponry to force them back if the zombies came too close. Virginia threw chocolate pellets that exploded forcing the zombies to take a few steps back. Rachael was kicking their butts with major cool kung-fu moves. Patton wasn't doing so bad either. Well he's not drill sergeant at the Arctic Training Base for nothing.

We managed to reach the ray. We took the cover off of the control panel and studied it hard. "Maybe this goes here…" Numbuh 990-T suggested.

"No… that'd totally cause the ray to blow up." Numbuh 795-T replied.

"I know what to do." I said. I explained it to them and we got straight to work. It took a while but we finished. Now to test it out. "Everyone!" I yelled. "Get out of the way!"

Everyone retreated backwards and I pressed the 'ON' button. There was a flash of light causing everyone to shield their eyes.

I opened my eyes slowly and lowered my arm. I blinked a couple of times and I saw a sea of unconscious teens on the floor. For a second I thought it was my fellow TND operatives but they were all standing there.

"Hey, now what to do with all these teens?" Asked Numbuh 4.

"Wake them up, erase their memories and send them back on the streets of Manhattan." Instructed Rachael, so we did just that.

Everyone started to leave to go back to their sectors but 362 stayed behind. She was talking to Numbuh 1 and it looked almost secretive.

I didn't waste another second. I dashed into the ship and ran straight towards Fanny. "Oh hey Hoagie. We win?" She said. I was so happy she was alive tears welled up in my eyes.

"Oh god Fanny!" I choked as I knelt down beside her and held her hand. "How you're holding up?"

"Oh great considering that my chest and arm hurt." She chuckled.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Sorry for what?" She asked.

"For being too much of a pain on this mission."

She smiled. "It's only natural for you to be a pain anyway."

I chuckled. I stared at her.

I caressed her cheek gently and leant my head in. "Toots." I whispered before I pressed my lips against hers. I could feel her anger burning up but she soon calmed down and put her arms around my neck as we went more passionate with the kiss.

"Well, well, well…"

We broke apart and saw Abby standing in the doorframe. She walked right in. "Hoagie and Fanny sitting in a tree. Looks like I caught you once again Fanny."

I looked at Fanny in confusion. "Okay just for the record Numbuh 5-T." Fanny said raising her hands up. "Numbuh 19th century was a better kisser anyway."

Abby cracked up. I looked over to Fanny and frowned. "Oh yeah?" I said sarcastically. Fanny just smirked at me. "Kidding." She said. "Actually if I did my time over, I never would have kissed him anyway. Ugh don't know what I saw in him."

"Okay can we please stop talking about him?" I groaned.

"What? It's only natural for new couples to talk about their exes." Numbuh 3 chimed in as she stepped through the door.

"Oh yeah, you still owe me." Fanny said and she cocked an eyebrow.

"Well I kissed you what more do you want?" I shrugged.

"Hey Gilligan, I took a bullet for you." She started to raise her voice. "A kiss isn't exactly going to cover it."

"Oh yeah? What will then?" I asked grinning as dirty thoughts swam through my head once again.

"Lunch."

I smirked. "Okay then. When you're all better I'll take you out to lunch."

Suddenly, Numbuh's 1 and 362 stood at the doorframe. They looked at each other before walking to the foot of the bed.

"Well, The Interesting Twins From Beneath The Mountain have escaped." Said Rachel.

"And we have no idea where they'll strike next." Added Nigel.

Me and Fanny put our heads down. "We should've pummeled them when we got the chance." Fanny muttered.

"It doesn't matter now. Next time we'll make sure we capture them." Rachael smiled confidently.

"But uh… there's something we have to tell you guys…" Nigel said while rubbing his arms.

"Uh… this isn't easy to say." Stuttered Rachel, rubbing her neck.

"In fact this is down right embarrassing." Nigel laughed nervously.

"Me and Numbuh 1-T was having a talk and… well we both realized something was going on between you two."

"But we knew you'd never admit to it so we thought we'd send you on a fake mission."

"We thought that if you had some alone time you'd… you know… get together."

Fanny's face was nearly as red as her hair. "You mean you sent me on a stupid fake mission!" She yelled. Nigel and Rachael took a step back. "Do you have any idea what we had to go through?"

To tell you the truth I was just as mad as Fanny was. "Yeah!" I yelled. "We were so close to being killed."

"All this just to get us together?"

Rachael smiled uneasily. "But we didn't know it was real."

"When we received the mission, we thought Numbuh's 44 and 44 were playing a joke, as always." Nigel said.

"Well you managed to complete the mission anyways." Said Kuki. "They kissed and now Numbuh 2's taking 86 out to lunch! Isn't that sweet."

Nigel and Rachael grinned triumphantly. "Oooooh!"

Fanny growled. "WHEN I'M ALL BETTER I'M GOING TO KILL YOU GUYS!"

Rachael's watch beeped. "Oh, would you look at that I'm wanted at the Training Base." She laughed nervously. "Better get going."

She knocked her feet and rockets popped out from underneath and she flew out of the ship. Numbuh 1 chuckled nervously as me and Fanny gave him a hard glare.

"Well… hehe… lets head back to base. Numbuh 2 we need you to fly the plane."

I made a salute still glaring at him. I kissed Fanny on the forehead and walked to the nose of the ship where Numbuh 4 was clicking a few buttons on some computer. I sat down at my seat and started the ship.

I was unconsciously flying the plane and before I knew it we were at base.

Nigel, Wally and I just stood outside the center door when Abby just walked through. "You guys don't have to worry about Numbuh 86." She said. "Kuki is taking good care of her."

I sighed relief. Abby walked to her room.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go to my room too." Muttered Wally. As soon as he walked out of the room, I glared back at Nigel. He chuckled nervously.

"Do you have any idea, the dangers we had to go through?" I asked almost annoyed.

"Well it's not my fault!" He protested.

"It's entirely your fault! A mission like that is more suited for the senior TND. Just to get me and Fanny together!"

"Well, you got together didn't you?" He smirked.

I opened my mouth and closed it again. "Okay you were right there probably was something between us two." I said almost sarcastically. Nigel just grinned in triumph.

"But ya know…" I cupped my chin and grinned at him. "We could probably send you and Abby on a dangerous mission together to get you two together."

Nigel blushed. "W-what?" He stuttered.

"Oh we all know you have a crush on Abby."

"I so do not!"

"Yeah, it's the reason you broke up with Lizzie isn't it?"

"No me and Lizzie are still together."

"Wait you're together? I thought you broke up with her last week… oh you know what just forget it."

Nigel has been going out with his on-again off-again girlfriend Lizzie. Know one knew whether he was still with her or not. I guess he's too scared she might go on a killing rampage if he broke up with her. "Well is doesn't matter anyway." I said. "You still like Abby anyways."

"Look just drop it." He replied a little too quickly and walked away.

The door of the med center opened and out stepped Kuki. "You can go see your girl-friend now, Romeo." She giggled.

"Oh ha, ha very funny." I said sarcastically. She giggled once again.

I walked towards Fanny lying on a bed. "Hey." I said.

"Hey." She greeted back.

"So… lunch… where do you wanna go?"