Operation: RECLAIM, Part 1

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Kids Next Door mission…

Operation:

R.E.C.L.A.I.M.

Reclaiming

Enterprise

Causing

Life-threatening

Accidents

Intending

Murder

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Chapter 1: Kuki's Busy Day

Beatles Household

"Jonathan, put a hold on the coffee, I won't be able to have it until 3. Jeremy, are those forms ready, yet? No, Donavan, we decided against that brand of strings, you know those never hold good." Kuki Beatles had one phone pressed to her shoulder and two more in her left hand, while her right hand pulled a briefcase, the businesswoman bypassing Joey Beatles, who was playing with blocks in the hall.

This was a daily thing in the life of Kuki Sanban-Beatles. She wasn't the happy, cheerful girl everyone remembered from 20 years ago. In her early 20s, she got a job working for the Rainbow Monkey Corporation, which had long since lost its original president. Her love and new ideas for Rainbow Monkeys had earned her the title of President itself. Since then, she wasn't the same. The happiness and freedom that once made her soul had been abandoned. The strict, humorless aura of a businesswoman overcame her. After all, someone of an important position and power doesn't have time for games when there's so much work to be done. …She had a lot of her mother in her.

"And Jon, I hope you did something about that Noid." Kuki told her assistant sternly. "I dunno WHERE that thing came from, I dun' care, just get rid of it."

Her husband, Wally walked by her as she entered the living room, and said quickly, "Hope ya have a great day, Ho-"

"Yes, thanks, Wally, hold my dinner, I won't be home 'til 8." She walked by without giving him a chance to kiss her. "Yes, thanks, Jer, see you at-" Kuki stopped when her 10-year-old daughter, Kirie Beatles, ran and blocked her way to the door. "Siiiigh. I have to go, guys, something just came up." She hung up and asked in a dull tone, "What is it, Kirie?"

Kirie began to make signs with her sleeved hands, saying, Mom! Mom! Can we play with the new Rainbow Monkey I got for Christmas?? I've been waiting to play with you for like, ever! Well, actually it's been 11 days since Christmas, but who's counting!

"Kirie, Dear, I don't have time to play, we sold a lot of Rainbow Monkeys on Christmas, we need lots of time to restock, so play with Joey, 'kay? Later." And she walked out the front door without another word.

Kirie frowned in sadness as she trudged down, sitting on the floor beside her 5-year-old brother. "Let's make another fort, Sis!" The younger child said happily. Kirie began to drearily stack blocks together, still upset about her mother.

Downtown Cleveland

"NEW SHOOOES! Hello? NEW SHOES! Come on, fellas, this is a once in a lifetime deal. You don't get decent footwear this often! New shoooees for only $29.95! Sound good? NEW SHOES!" Things were not so successful for Mr. Sebastian Mogul and his assistant, Simon. Once the President of the Rainbow Monkey Corporation, he was stripped of his title during his 20-year period of being frozen in liquid nitrogen. And Rule #83 of the Corporation Handbook reads that a president can easily lose their title if they spend too long frozen in liquid nitrogen. Just like Walt Disney. Now the two former businessmen were reduced to selling shoes on the street. "Come on, Simon! You're not waving that sign enough."

"Uh, yessir." The assistant waved a wooden sign that read 'New Shoes' in thin, light-green marker.

"NEW SHOOOES!" As Mr. Mogul shouted again, a chubby man in a brown trenchcoat approached him.

"Where'd you get these shoes?" he asked suspiciously.

"Nnnn, that's none of your business, do you want these shoes or not?" Mogul glared.

"Yeah. I don't think you got 'em legally. 'fraid I'm gonna hafta confiscate him."

"Ho ho! What are you? The Shoe Police?"

The man smirked coolly and reached under his coat, pulling out a badge. "Yeah."

SHOE POLIIIIIICE!

Seconds later, all the 'New Shoes' were taken and stuffed into the man's car. "See ya down the road." With that, he drove away.

"Uuuugh. This is no good, Simon. We haven't made any money since we entered this shoe business."

"Um, but we're not officially a business, we got those from-"

"Silence, Simon!" he bonked Simon's head. "I haven't eaten anything decent since that dumpster sandwich. We need a way to make MONEY! There must be something we could do."

Right away, a white convertible-limo came and parked beside the villains. Mad Mod was driving it, and Mumbo Jumbo, Killer Moth, Johnny Rancid, and Master of Games were with him. "'ey! Don't you blokes wanna come to Brotherhood Base? We got enough free food to last ya 'til yer 90. And by free, we mean stolen." Mod smirked.

"Away with yooou! Weee don't need pity from commoners." Mogul stated.

"Aaaaah, your loss. Orright, boys, le's get back, round up the poker table, 'oever loses hauls the load in our next steal."

"YAAAAAAH!" With that, they drove off.

"Hoo-oo-oo-oo!" Mogul shuddered with anger. "If I hadn't been frozen, I'd still be buhmillionaire! But thanks to those lousy Kids Next Door, my precious corporation was robbed right from under me! Ooooh, if I ever found out who's responsible…" his fist trembled.

"Oh, it was that Sanban girl, Sir!" Simon responded.

"Say what??"

"Just look in the paper." He held up a newspaper, showing Kuki Beatles' serious image.

Mogul snatched it and stared closely. "'The Rainbow Monkey Corporation, biggest breakthrough in 20 years. All thanks to the leadership of Kuki Jin Sanban. OOOOHH! !" He shook the paper, becoming more angry. "I knew that girl was no good! I could've forgiven the fact she ruined my plans to-" he whispered something in Simon's ear, "-those Rainbow Monkeys. But after stealing my corporation, my pride and joy, and not to mention my number one money-making business!" A spiteful look burned in his squinted eyes. "I must take my revenge on young Ms. Sanban right now. Simon! Hand me by eyewash!"

"Uhh, y-yessir."

Unknown Location

A white-furred ape sat on his floating chair in a dark room, his uncovered red eye staring at the screen before him. His henchman, a green-skinned ape in a purple cape and taller, dome helmet, spoke as he presented images of the Rainbow Monkey Factory, and happy children playing with Rainbow Monkeys. "As you can see: analysis of this human-owned factory suggests they sow stuffed, colored monkeys, with rainbow heads, which are then distributed to little human children, who in turn play with these stuffed monkeys, therefore triggering the adult humans to produce MORE of these toys, to sell more to kids, which will cause the adults to make MORE, which will make the kids BUY more, which will further ensure production of-"

"Okay, I get it." The white ape, Specter, cut him off. "Once again, you've made your point most redundantly, Mojo." He spoke with a toneless voice. "Still, you are right. Children already seem to adore and worship these monkeys." Specter smirked. "Perhaps they are the key in bringing down Adams Tech Co., and furthermore, conquering the world. Our first priority would be to locate someone with intel on this company."

Their monitor showed the front of the factory as Mr. Mogul and Simon approached with cartons of eggs. "Hmmm… they should help."

Specter kept his smirk as the former businessmen began chucking eggs at the building.

Outside Rainbow Monkey Factory

"Huuu! Take THAT! This, too! Oh ho ho! Are you ready to give up, Ms. Sanban??" Mr. Mogul had enacted his grand scheme of bringing Kuki down: chucking eggs against the left wall of her building, leaving it covered in the gooey, scrambled substance.

"Um, Sir, I-I don't think this method is the most efficient way of-"

"Silence, Simon! And keep throwing eggs! The gooey mess of her building will ultimately convince her to quit and give the job back to me!"

They kept chucking eggs as Kuki decided to look out her window, from her office near the top-most floor. (You can tell this factory is going to be the action stage, just like that.) She looked down at the jobless businessmen, her emotionless, serious face unchanging. "Siiigh… every day with this. SECURITY, we got two hobos throwing EGGS outside." She yelled, walking away.

The two threw more and more eggs until a group of security guards came. "All right, you two, drop the eggs, let's getcha outta here."

"EEE! Reinforcements! Run, Simon!" the two dropped the eggs and hightailed away as the guards chased. "Quick! We shall escape them, by making you look like a-" Suddenly, a trapdoor opened, and the two fell inside.

"WAAAAAAaaaaahhhh-"

"Silence, Simon!"

"Yessir."

Underground hideout

"Oof-oah-ow!" The two rolled and thudded at the slide's bottom. The two got to their knees, finding themselves in a pitch-black chamber. Lights flashed on, startling them into shutting their eyes.

"Apologies for my rude invitation. But I was dying to meet you." (Play Specter's Theme from Ape Escape.)

The two squinted their eyes open. The room was still dark, except for the group of spotlights shining on a figure in a floating chair, and a taller, shadowed figure beside him. "Friends… my name is Specter." The person in the chair said. "How convenient you two ran where I set up that trapdoor. Might I ask what you were doing at that lovely vicinity?"

"Ho ho ho! I should be asking you that." Mr. Mogul glared. "Who authorized you to set up secret hideouts underneath my factory?"

"Your factory? Hmmm… that is curious. You see, we moved into this sewer for the purpose of studying this place. I have a special fascination with monkeys, you see, and have always wondered, why humans find these colorful toys so enjoyable. I have been aiming to get into this business… but my ideas would not bode well to the factory's heads, I don't think. But during my research, we have deduced that that lovely lady with the hair-bun runs this factory… is this not so?"

"She does NOT run this factory! She froze me with a sooper freezer-doodle and stole this factory from meeee! It's bad enough that she ruined my plan to-" he whispered something, which Specter didn't quite catch from his distance, "-but why did they ever let a child work in this place ANYWAY?"

"Actually, the paper said she was in her 20s when she-"

"Silence, Simon!" Bonk.

"Yessir."

"I see…" Specter's hands were folded. "Well then… I believe I have a proposition for you, Mr. Mogul. You see, I am also in the business, and am under the employ of someone of the highest power." The deviousness in Specter's red eye was the only thing that shone on his shadowed body. "And I assure you… my employer is a man that can make anything happen. It's in my best interest to serve him… but how can I… when my resources are so very limited." His eye squinted slightly, his smirk growing. "That is why… I need your help. More specifically, your factory. I wish to combine your resources with my own. With peoples' ever-expanding need for Rainbow Monkeys, your company has the capacity to dominate the world. Someone like Ms. Sanban would never allow it… but under your command, the business can become a true power, with my employer as your sponsor. And I will be willing to get your factory back… if you would permit me?"

"Yoooou wish to use my business in your selfish quest for world domination?? …" Mogul grinned approvingly. "You are a good man indeed, Mr. Specter. And your employer has my regards. It would be an honor to work with you."

"I'm sure it is. Just tell me what you would like me to do, and my associates will comply…" (End song.)

Kuki Sanban's Office

Kuki sighed as she placed a hand over her forehead, returning to her desk. Her eyes directed to the small photo frame sitting on her desk. She and Wally were happily smiling with their 5-year-old daughter, Kirie Beatles. She looked a lot happier in that photo… it made her sad, wondering where all those good memories had gone.

HOOONK

She flinched when her PA speaker gave a screech, and a woman on the other end spoke. "Ms. Sanban, Stan and Dan would like to see you about their new invention."

Kuki sighed in annoyance as she pressed the button. "Yes, Leslie, I'll be right down." She spared one last, depressed glance at the picture before walking out of the office.

Downstairs; factory

The colorful factory was bustling with workers doing various jobs as Kuki walked through nonchalantly. She walked alongside a blonde secretary with glasses, a red jacket, light-blue shirt, and holding a clipboard. They began to talk to each other very fast, "Leslie, is my meeting still scheduled for Thursday?"

"Yes."

"At what time?"

"Five o'clock."

"Reschedule for 8, I have a product examination."

"Yes, Ma'am."

"And what's the status of The Noid?"

"Working to catch him in the Munchies Wing, Ma'am."

"And did we agree to remove that secret product from the Munchies?"

"Already taken care of, Miss."

"That's good, Leslie, and how's the husband?"

"Ohhhh you know, the usual."

"Wonderful, now let's see this new invention."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The two entered a small room where two bald, chubby, nerdy men; with huge, puffy beards and mustaches (one orange, one black), awaited them before a machine. The machine was a huge, purple chamber connected to several cords in the back, and had a chair inside. Directly above that chair, in the middle of its ceiling, was a ray device, and the chamber's roof had six rods laying horizontal like a propeller.

"Sigh, hokay, Stan and Dan, what've you got for us today?" Kuki asked uninterestingly.

"Zis is ze breakzrough of child entertainment technology!" the orange haired; Dan exclaimed.

"This better not be another shrink ray." Kuki stated in disbelief.

"No! Ve call it ze Heart Bringer!" the black-haired, Stan exclaimed.

"Ve place a Rainbow Monkey inside, and eet BRINGS it to LIIIFE!"

"Observe!" Stan grabbed a purple Rainbow Monkey and eagerly sat it on the chair in the machine. They pulled a lever, and the six-rod propeller began to spiral around as energy surged. The laser inside the chamber zapped the stuffed toy with a blinding light.

When the light faded, they looked to see the purple monkey still sitting still. But after 5 seconds passed, the monkey suddenly shook its head and bared a vibrant smile. "Hi!"

"HUUUH!" the scientists gasped widely, and even Kuki and Leslie looked impressed.

The Rainbow Monkey hopped off the chair and approached Kuki, still smiling. "Will you be my friend??"

"Awww, isn't it adorable, Miss?" Leslie smiled, squatting down to pet the monkey.

Kuki studied the device. "Hmmm… it is impressive. But I wonder if-"

"HUHUHU HA! HUHUHU HA! HUHUHU HA! HUHUHU HA!" At that instant, a short creature in a red jumpsuit and rabbit ears shot in and started bouncing rampantly.

"Miss, watch out!" yelled a man with a net as he and his partner came in.

"He's lost his mind!!" the partner exclaimed.

"Isn't he always?!" Kuki yelled.

"HUHUHU HA! HUHUHU HA!" The two men hurriedly swung their nets, but The Noid was quick to avoid. He jumped between the two, tricking them into catching each other. "HUHUHU HA! HUHUHU HA!" He jumped into Stan and Dan's beards before leaping to the lever, pulling it down, then hopping into the chamber. "HUHUHUHUHUHU HA!" It sat on the chair, still smiling psychotically, as the laser zapped down. Immediately, the creature hopped around too fast for their eyes to keep up, and he looked impossible to catch.

The Noid bounced around and around the walls, forcing them all to duck. As he shot at them again, his eyes widened at something. "Huh? OOOH!" Leslie swung her leg fast as lightning, sending him against the wall. The Noid now lay defeated, his tongue sticking out.

The four men looked at Leslie impressed as she stood with a fierce, battle-ready pose. "MISS LESLIE! THAT WAS AMAZING!" the men yelled with heart-shaped eyes.

The assistant walked over to pick up the fallen Noid and toss him to the net men. "Make sure he's sealed with two straightjackets, maybe three."

"Well… at any rate…" Kuki spoke, readjusting her glasses. "The machine feels a little controversial."

"Huh?" Stan inquired.

"What do you mean?" Dan asked.

"A machine with the potential to, not only bring toys to life, but also add extra energy to already-living beings. I can already sense several things going wrong with it."

"But zis vas research in the planning for MONTHS!!" Stan cried.

"And, uh, I must remind you, the Corporate Presidents For Children's Entertainment are expecting ze grand unveiling of a new product in zree days." Dan reminded.

"He does have a point, Miss." Leslie followed. "We'll need to have a product to present to the Heads."

"Cancel my meeting with the Heads." Kuki ordered. "Until we have another new product to present to them."

"Understood, Miss." Leslie wrote it on her clipboard.

"YOU CAN'T JUST DO THAT!!" the scientists yelled.

"Look, I'm the president of my company, I'll decide when to meet with corporate bigheads." Kuki stated simply. "Now shut that thing down and get to work on something less, well, generally threatening to the human race."

"Awwwww!" the nerds slumped in sadness.

"Hiii!" Kuki looked down, seeing the smiling, happy Rainbow Monkey doll clutching her legs with its soft, stubby hands.

Kuki gave a light smile and bent down to pick up the toy. "Buuut… I suppose it's not TOO bad."

"Haaaa!" the monkey sighed and hugged Kuki happily. With that, the woman carried it back up to her office.

Soon, everyone else left, and two monkeys peeked out from behind the door. They were kid-sized, and had brown fur, yellow shorts, and had strange helmets on their heads with red, spiraling lights on their tops. "Ay-eee!" They faced the machine with excited expressions. They then faced the two men carrying The Noid away and gave a nod.

Uno Household; 6:30 p.m.

Cheren stared intently at his clock. 6:30. He's never been so focused on the time before. This was because he had a special date tonight. No, not a date with Panini, Nebula, or any other girlfriend he has. It was a date with a certain, special someone.

Cheren's sister, Aurora walked in his room as Cheren stood up. "Well, I guess I should get there early." He said. "Wouldn't wanna keep him waiting."

"Cheren, are you sure about meeting him?" Aurora asked. "The last time you met was when you nearly killed him. What if he's trying to trap you?"

"Relax, Aurora." Cheren smirked. "I'm packing the treasures, just in case. I also got a tracker in my pants. Hehe. Besides, this guy might know something important, so I have to know what it is."

"But you're already worrying about these random candy mobsters. Wouldn't you rather have a little on your shoulders at a time?"

"Ahhh, don't worry. If anything, it'll involve another random quest to find some collectibles and save the world. Nothing we aren't used to, right? It'll be fine." And with those words of sureness, Cheren left the home and began his walk down the street.

"Okay…" Aurora chose to trust her brother's instinct. But she was worried, not just if this was a trap, but for her brother hearing something he wouldn't be able to handle.