Before letting you read the story, I should said that this, rather than a multy chapter story, is a compilation of one shots each one covering the twisted relationship between one of the Delightful Children and his former Sector Z self, for these, it would be possible to read the chapter with no order at all. Also, for the plot, I would separete the children from each other, but not for long; I like to think that they are capable of being away from each other, but chose to stay together.
The first one is about Constance and numbuh .5
KND and all it´s characters were created by Mr. Warburton. I am doing this just for fun
Converations with Sector Z
By Cracker Tales
Numbuh .5
You are horrible! Everything you do is! What happened to your promise to keep children safe?
"There is only four more children I want to keep safe"
What happen to having fun?
"I have lots of fun! it´s just different now"
What happen to who we used to be?
"you mean, who YOU used to be… I was never her"
A maddening, sick and twisted conversation that once in a while took place on the mind of Constance of the Delightful Children, between her and the girl from sector Z she was once. The first time it happened was horrible, she was so scared to hear her own voice telling her snap out of it, she even considered telling father about it, but the uncertainty of what his reaction would be kept her from seeking his help. Instead, she found comfort in her siblings for she later learned they had experienced the same terrible thing before. That how they promised that every time it happened again, they seek for one another so together, they can scare the other people and the uneasy feeling away. Most of the times they talked to each other inside their minds, just because they could, and It wasn´t weird or awkward in reality, since they already act and think as one being most of the time. Yet, it could get a little annoying sometimes because despite their closeness, sometimes they would like some privacy, some time alone, away from each other minds and voices, and still, Constance will be there, willing to help if ever Ashley, David, Bruce, or Lenny needed her and she knew they would be there to for her as well.
But there were sometimes in which she allowed that other girl living inside her head to speak up, to take out all her frustration and sorrow. She was annoying as any kids Next Door operative, but tolerable. According to what she had seen on the girls memories, Numbuh .5 was brave, smart, capable… and irritatingly obstinate. Always wanting to see! Always wanting to know things! Always wanting to get out! Some people could just not see when they were done! She had won! The clever, proper, and delightful Constance had won and there was nothing, absolutely nothing, Numbuh .5 could do to change that, nor there ever be.
But the KND girl was not of the kind of quitting, and, even when the internal fights inside the girl with glasses had become more and more civilized, Numbuh .5 still talked from time to time, and Constance always listened to her, if she was on the mood. It amused her how the other girl seemed to think that she could convince her to do things that were not so good for a proper and good girl
"I hate you!" There she was again, trying to manipulate her like a brat would manipulate their parents. Pathetic
"Please, Numbuh .5, don´t be so… impolite, there is no need to cast your frustration to me…"
That´s right! It´s him I hate! that man turned me this… abnormality!
Constance felt irritated, but was able to control her annoyance
"He allowed me to be born"
"He is a sick man who destroyed my life"
"He created me, I am me because of him"
"He is a… a cruel , horrible and pathetic man who need to kidnap children to feel complete…"
"DO NOT TALK ABOUT MY FATHER LIKE THAT!"
Silence came after the outburst, it made Constance wonder if the other girls had decide to sleep again
"He is not you father…"
"Yes, he is"
"No! He tricked me and my teammates! He used that infernal machine to turned me into you!"
"I did not existed before that, I suppose that makes him my father. You better get used to it"
And numbuh .5 did not answered, she knew to recognize when logic had won a battle, and she was sick of fighting in a war that was clearly lost.
Still, mybe she could find somepity for the fallen.
"Constance, Can I see him, please?" This was a question she wanted to ask since long ago
"Who? Father?"
"Not him, you idiot!"! Constance rolled her eyes at the commentary "You know who I mean! And besides, why are you away from the others anyway? Don´t you do everything together?" the mocking tone in her words was more than evident, the delightful girl did not liked when her 'other self' acted like that, like she was the owner of their body and mind
"Yes, but I thought you would like some privacy to talk, so I got away"
"Yeesh, how considerate!"
"That´s how we are" and she smiled wide and sweet, to herself. In the most delightful way possible. It wasn´t long before Numbuh .5 decide to came back with her little request
"Please, let me see him! Let me see Numbuh .4, please!"
"I can´t."
"Please, I would not affect you at all"
"I am sorry, but It´s not something I can do! He is trapped inside Lenny´s head"
"He IS Lenny"
"Not anymore! He is not the boy you knew all those years ago"
"Please, Constance, I want to see into his brown eyes again…"
"He´s got blue eyes"
"No, they are not supposed to be like that! He had the most beautiful dark eyes I have ever seen! Warm and caring"
"But they are blue now, cold and stunning blue, like mine, like the other's"
The KND girl had a hard time accepting this fact, even when she had known it for so long
"I want to see him, He means so much to me! We were so close! I always wanted to…"
"Yes, I know, I have seen your memories" interrupted Constance, she didn´t wanted to heard that, it made her feel all weird
"then you understand!"
"How can I? It´s… disturbing"
"It´s not that hard to get! I love him as I would never love anyone else…"
"How can you tell? You are only a confused child!"
"One is never too young…"
"But… but Father says…"
"Forget what that crazy freak said! Trust me, I know my feeling Constance! I do love him!"
"Stop! Don´t talk like that!"
Why not?! I am only trying to get you to understand!
"I would never understand, dumb little girl"
"Are you really that damaged? You can´t understand love?"
"HE IS MY BROTHER! YOU CAN POSIBLY BE IN LOVE WITH MY BROTHER! it´s sick"
Cold, unsetting silence filled her mind, neither of them would said a thing for a minute
"I am not… He is not your brother, Constance."
"Of course he is, stupid girl"
"No! I met Lenny when we both were cadets!. He was shy and kinda awkward at first, but he got confidence with time. Later I learned he was pretty smart and really good with hand-to-hand combat"
"Lenny is smart, I give that one to you, but he despises hand-to-hand combat… it´s kind of barbaric if you ask me, he prefers robots and weapons" Constance smiled, she was so proud of her brother "He is very good at it"
"Oh, and that´s so muuuuchhh better, I suppose!"
"It´s just how things are now"
Silence again. the worst part of having another "person" living inside your head is that you have to make sure she is asleep to continue with your life. Numbuh .5 was definitely awake
"I don´t ask for much, I just want a minute with him"
"I am very protective of my brothers and sister, Numbuh .5, I don´t like the way you think of him" she made a pause to let the other girl think about what she had just said "It would be the same if you had feelings for Bruce or David"
"Are you treating me?" Asked the voice in her head in an incredulous way
"How can I?" Constance was getting sick of all this "You are inside my head!"
"I am. I have lost everything." Numbuh .5 was no longer demanding or annoying, she just sounded sad and defeated. And for some unknown reason to herself, Constance could not be glad with this victory "Everything has been taken from me! My family, my friends, the kids next door… sometimes I wonder if my team mates are still fighting like I do or they´re just long gone…"
"They are not gone" interrupted the sailor suited girl lowering her gaze "My siblings talk about them once in a while! Bruce says numbuh .1 is terribly annoying" she let herself chuckle, the other girl joined her
"He had a bad attitude from time to time, but he is pretty cool"
"That would explain many things! Bruce is …" but she could get herself to stop there, it felt weird to talk about their family with… a parasite
"and what about the others?"
"They are fine" the answered was cold and cutting, Numbuh .5 got the message. Still, there was no way she would stop from asking for her little request to be fulfilled
"Can you please get to him? To Lenny? I just one you to tell him something"
How a dangerous thing is curiosity! It makes people act in unpredictable and stupid ways, but is also the first step to find something very educational or at least interesting. This was the reason who made Constance let the other girl talk
"Most of the time I stay in darkness, but there are time in which I can hear the others, there are very special time in which I can see the things you see, as a reflection, and only for a very brief moment… sometimes I even get to feel your pain when you are hurt"
"What are you trying to say, Numbuh .5?"
"I´m trying to get you to understand why I need to see him now! I can´t control this, is random and unpredictable but I have this feeling that today, that now is a perfect time to see him"
"If I do" said the the girl in a sailor suit "Would you cut it out?"
"I promise" was the delayed answer. Anyone could have tell it was sincere.
Constance did not said a thing, she just straight herself up and walk through the hall until she reached a nice white door, she hesitated before opening it… but she did and there she found all her 4 siblings inside the room, together, as they should be
"Oh, Hi Constance" they said in their monotonous and synchronized voices. After the greeting, they offered her a sincere smile which she returned, but her expression became glom soon after and the other children quit smiling as well "it´s everything all right, sister? You look a little distre… Hey, what are you going?"
She pulled her helmeted brother out of the group, all five of them felt the separation, and yet she did not stop nor care, not at the moment
"Sorry, guys!" she apologized to the others who were very confused and have started talking out of sync "I just need him for a moment! We will be back soon"
And so she left the room with a confused boy and left behind 3 slightly offended siblings
…
He took her brother to the closest room she found in which they could talk in private. It was a regular mansion room, it had a table and two fancy sofas close to a big window with beautiful drapes. A huge bookshelf was covering a whole side of the room, and a desk with multiple office supplies was available to use.
Lenny was very confused by his sister attitude and actions, he would have tell her that taking him to another room without asking was rude and certainly, not a good girl´s behavior, but decide not to when he saw that she was clearly distressed, he wonder what was the reason behind
"Constance?" he asked, but she refused to talk. Her hands were curled into fists and her eyes were forcefully shut. He tried to offer some comfort by placing his hand over her shoulder, but she took a step back, her hands went directly to her head and a desperate "shut up" left her mouth. The boy in the football helmet felt very offended
"What´s wrong with you?" he demanded moving nothing but his head. A minute or two passed and when he did not got the answer he wanted, he decided to see if any of the books Father kept on that room were remotely interesting. Constance saw him go to the bookshelf and lowered her sight.. she notice some burned spots on the rug. Father must had been making tantrums again. They would check if he was ok, or at least bearable. Later.
"Lenny" she called walking to where he was, he responded with a "yes" but his eyes never left the book he was holding Constance could notice it was about sports "interesting reading?"
"Don´t really know" he said "I am just looking at the pictures" and smile behind the darkness of his helmet
"Tell him! please"
Again the annoying voice on the girls head. But she, somehow decide to granted her… companion this little wish, after all, if she did not do that, Numbuh .5 could keep being annoying for a larger period of time, and Constance didn´t want to deal with it.
She said nothing at first, just acted, and the sudden tensed body language of his brother marked the point of no return
"Constance…?" he asked in a low confused voice "Did you…? You disconnect from us?" but she did not answered at first. Lenny looked at her with his brow frowned, intrigued by the sudden action of his sister for even when it was not uncommon for them to "disconnect" ,as they like to called it, they never do it without a brief and proper announcement inside their minds. This is why Lenny was so uncomfortable with the situation, he could understand if she wanted to be alone with her thought for a while, he himself have that rare urge once in a while, but if that was the case, why bother to force him to come with her? Her leaving felt forced and unnatural to him. Almost unreal. He had to confirm if she was truly out of their common mind and try to do their little trick: talking together
"My! are you rude today" he chose a simple phrase that expressed what he was thinking, but he end up being the only person on the room that talked, she remind silent. He tried to talked inside her head, but he could even find her in the bunch of minds he could talk into.
He straight himself up and looked at her a little irritated, he did not like the feeling of being separated, none of them did.
"You really are out. How… " but he could not finish his sentence. With a fast movement she grab him by the helmet and forced him to be at her height level. The poor confused boy almost lost his balance with the sudden movement
"Listen, dear brother" she said with some urgency on her voice "I need you to tell the others that everything is fine, and then disconnect as well"
"Why?" he said a little too high pitched
"Just do it! I don´t want them to be worried"
He hooked her eyes to hers, his facial expression was stoic. This was the moment in which she realize her mistake: Numbuh .5 was pushing her so hard that she had stopped thinking properly. She should have said good bye! She should have made him disconnect first to check he really did! She felt very stupid and incompetent at the moment, her cheeks became red with shame
"Please, Lenny" she said a lot more calmed
"Would you say why?"
"I have message for Numbuh .4"
At couple of seconds of silence followed her answer. Lenny´s eyes became noticeable bigger in surprise and curiosity, then, looking at her and with a clear voice he said out loud what he was telling their other siblings in their mind
"Don´t worry, Constance is fine, we just need to talk. Do not come. See you, guys" and so, she released his helmet.
"Thank you" she said, her voice was soft and a little ashamed.
"You… are welcome"
Awkward silence, especially because they were not use to have any. The boy could not take it much longer
"So" he said after clearing his throat "Numbuh .4?"
And Constance bite her lip in nervousness
"tell him! I need him to know!"
"Do you guys talk often?" was the question that left the girl with glasses mouth, her brother was slightly taken by surprise by this, he was expecting something else, even though he wasn´t sure what was it
"Well" he started "Not much. Most of the time I left him talk and just ignore him."
His smallest sister felt proud of him for not paying attention to the brat living in his mind, she wished she had that self-control
"He is not as annoying as he should be, though" exclaimed the boy and fake a smile that came along a shoulder shrug
Silence again. There are somethings a girl is not supposed to tell her brother and one of those was definitely "someone I really despite, and who is also me, in a way, is crushing on you… kinda" so she remained quiet, avoiding the thing at would anyway come. She was already there! She better do this now. She asked Numbuh .5 what the message was.
And the KND operative told her, and Constance, as an interpreter would do, repeat her words to her brother who was seriously intrigued
"Lenny" said her sighting "Could you take your helmet off"
And he did. His sister repress a chuckle when he did, he tried not no felt offended
"Listen carefully, Brother" Constance had suddenly recover her composure and serious demeanor "Numbuh .5 says that your look quite… funny in those braces…"
"Don´t sugar coat it, girl" was heard inside her head but she ignore it, the operative continue with her speech and the delightful with her telling of the message
"…And she wants you to tell Numbuh .4… that she thinks he is wonderful…" She stop to see Lenny, he looked at her with no visible expression in his face or body "… Not only that, she believes he is smart, and fun, and easy going… and, well, cute"
"I take compliment on that last one, since we share the same face" said the boy in a terrible attempt to make the situation more easy for his sister
"Yeah, I suppose you can do that" she answered him "She also wants him to know that she wishes she could have told him all this when they were… themselves. That she tried not to forget that they were only friends. She tried to suppress the feeling but she could not fool herself… she was planning to tell him a day before they were turn into us but her cowardice did not allowed her… she hates herself for that"
A little pause, this was difficult to said and it made Constance sad somehow
"She just wants Numbuh .4 to know that she had always love him, since the moment she knocked out a cap the was wearing and he apologize to her for being distracted. She loves him because of who he is, because he is brave and determinate and very admirable…"
And so, letting herself carried on with the emotion put into the 'dreadful girl' ´s speech, Constance took Lenny is face in her hand, even then, he didn´t move a muscle
"Numbuh .5 says she loves his eyes, they were dark and caring, not cold like yours, brother. And the very sight of his smile make her happy" a knot was forming on the girl´s throat, before continuing, she gulped trying to make it disappear, but it did not worked "She would have like to share many things with Numbuh .4, she likes to believe that, if this thing had not happen to them, they would be together even after decommission. She likes to pretend that he returned her feelings, because the mere possibly of the opposite breaks her heart" and Constance could not continue for a moment, the knot became too unbearable. She let her hand fall and cover her face with her fists taking a couple of steps back
"I hate her, Lenny" she told her brother in the middle of sobs that were more and more incontrollable "I hate her feelings and that her sadness affects me so much! Why did she makes me tell you this?"
She raised her eyes when he placed a hand on her shoulder, offering comfort. When she look up to him, he notice the tears that were running down his face, but she could not tell if he was genially sad or was just mirroring her
"It… it is ok, sis" he said with a broken voice "I understand"
"Lenny" she continued after calming herself down "She understands that the possibilities of not being loved back are big, so she ask you and Numbuh .4 not to respond to this confession, let her live in her little fantasy world, let her believe that they would love each other for all their youth and further. If… If he only wanted to, they would be together and she would be so happy"
The silence that followed this time, was not as terrible at the ones who had preceded. This time, they look at each other's eyes and let their thoughts to be arranged. The confession had been sweet, heart touching, sincere… and so very awkward for them both. Lenny reflected of the situation for a while. A girl had just used his own sister voice and body to confess her undying love to the person he was no more
"I… " he started saying nervously "I am sure he would be flattered, Constance, I sure am!"
"It wasn´t for you, idiot!"
He smiled
"I know! I know! But I can help it!" he placed his hands in front of him in a defending fashion "I am a young boy who likes attention like everybody else, What can I said?"
"You could let that behind already! Do you have any idea of how difficult it was for me?"
"I would if you had not disconnect from me!"
"Well, I promised her I would do that, it makes her feel safer, I believed"
And they both share a sweet chuckle. Lenny placed his helmet over his head again, where it belonged.
"Tell Numbuh .5 that her message would be delivered"
Constance smiled gratefully and took his hand on hers.
And lead him outside to the room. Gentle this time, slowly and with his approval.
The first thing they heard once they had return to their siblings presences in both body and mind, was an irritated complain and reprimand
"Where the heck have you two been?" asked three mad voices "Father has called us and we should not keep him waiting! Get back here and let´s go!"
And Constance smiled gladly. It was over. Her strange act of mercy was finally over and it went pretty well. Her brother patted her head in an affectionate way before getting in formation, she understood the gesture as an indication of that nothing had change between them and that made her so very happy. The voice inside her head was pleased as well, she could tell it for the words she talked before going to sleep for the next months:
"Thank you, Constance! I won´t forget this act of kindness"
This made the delightful child so proud of herself.
...
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Somehow, I am not completely pleased with his one. I may improve the writing later.
I notice that many people ship Lenny and Constance and I wrote a shot of how I feel for the paring: I like it, but at the same time It feels awkward because I see them as siblings. This is how this particular chapter came to be.
Also I notice that most of the stories concerning sector z, picture the Delightfuls as bad or mindless creatures at the service of Father. I wanted to do somethind different
Thank you so much for coming here and taking the time to read! Reviews would be appreciated
Cracker Tales