Title of Fan Fiction:Operation: Decommissioned
Department Eradication Can Overwhelm Most Members Indicating Small Sacrifices In Order To Negate Eternal Destruction
Author: Venom Malfoy
Origin: Codename: Kids Next Door
Genre: Romance/Adventure
Rating: PG-13
Chapter: 1 - Abigail Lincoln
Disclaimer: I do not own Codename: Kids Next Door, nor do I own any of the characters, settings or plots that Codename: Kids Next Door uses. However, I do own this story, so if you are planning on taking it, be whatever use you have of it, you had better credit me. If you don't, and I find out, there will be hell to pay.
Sumary: The Kids Next Door operatives of Sector V are preparing for their thirteenth birthdays, along with their decommissioning, but when no one wants to leave, Numbuh One strikes up a plan. But when Father finds out, there is hell to pay.
Summer had gone, and with it went trips to the beach (even with Numbuh One's begging, they had all gone), ice cream comes, full time adult fighting, roller skating to the park, camp outs that let them stay up all night, and their last vacation together as Kids Next Door agents. With the autumn came eighth grade, homework that lasted far into the night and the thirteenth birthday of Abigail Lincoln who would be decommissioned from the Kids Next Door in only four days. For the last week and a half, the tree house known as Sector V had a mixture of sadness, regret and even in some cases stupor.
Numbuh One stared at the screen in front of him. Behind his sunglasses, his light blue eyes were clouded over and unfocused on the profile on the screen. He had known her longer than any other Kids Next Door operative, and that even included Numbuh Eighty-Six, whom he had met in kindergarten, and now in just four days time, Numbuh Five would have her memory altered and she would forget all about their team, but most importantly to Numbuh One, she would forget about him and their friendship.
"Nigel?" Numbuh One jumped, crying out in surprise, at the sound of her voice. He whirled around in his chair to face an almost teenaged Abigail Lincoln, dressed in a blue bathrobe, white fuzzy slippers, and her traditional red base-ball cap. Numbuh One smiled to himself, because for as long as he had known her, she had always had that cap. In fact, that cap was the ending factor in one of their earlier missions when they were much younger. "What you thinking 'bout, Numbuh One?" she asked, which snapped him all too forcefully back to reality.
He sighed and turned back to the computer, closing the window that housed her profile. "I guess the day we met." Numbuh Five closed her eyes and smiled, pulling a chair next to her friend. "The Delightful Children from Down the Lane were teasing me about my new haircut." Numbuh Five laughed softly, remembering Nigel's butchered bleach blond haircut. "You came over and threatened to beat them up if they didn't stop teasing me." The familiar sound of taunting laughter rang from Numbuh One's memory. "They scoffed at you, and took out a ray gun…their first ever weapon…and shot me, making all my hair fall out. You chased them away, threatening that if they ever came near me again, you would really hurt them, and then you gave me your hat to wear until I could explain to my mum and dad why I was bald." Numbuh Five smiled and reclined in the chair as Numbuh One adjusted his sunglasses. "Did I ever tell you, thank you?"
Numbuh Five shrugged and shooed away his comments with one hand. "Don't worry about it. You would've done the same for me." She gasped as Numbuh One took her hand in his and peered over his sunglasses. For the first time in a very long time, Abigail felt her heartbeat quicken at the sight of his beautiful blue eyes. "Nigel?" She asked in a hushed whisper.
"If you ever need…anything…just let me know. Okay, Numbuh Five?" She sighed softly and lowered her gaze to her knees.
"Don't let them decommission me," she pleaded as she felt Numbuh One lean back in his chair. She looked up and noticed that he looked to be in a state of shock, his eyes open wide and his mouth slightly opened. Abigail felt a sudden urge to lean forward, but resisted. 'Don't do anything you're going to regret, Abby,' she told herself.
"Numbuh Five, I wish I could do something to prevent all of us getting decommissioned, but I don't have that kind of power. Numbuh Eighty-Six is in charge of decommissioning. She, unfortunately, outranks me." He scoffed and walked towards the window, staring out at the moon. "Hell, she pretty much outranks everyone. Even Numbuh Three-Sixty-Two knows her by name. She's second in command of the whole operation! If I could, I would in a heartbeat, but I…"
"Numbuh Five understands," she whispered, walking over to Numbuh One. She sighed sadly, and stared up at the moon with her friend. "I wonder what it'll be like, not remembering anything about my past. Maybe it won't be so bad." She scoffed and buried her face in her crossed arms on the window sill. She sighed again and cast her gaze back on the orb. "I'm going to have a great view of the earth on my birthday." Numbuh One cast a confused glace at his friend and she turned to face him. "The moon will be full when we go up there in four days." She laughed sadly and turned around so her back was to Numbuh One. She sniffled, "It's ironic. The more the moon grows, the closer it gets to my birthday, and the day I lose my memory. Then the day after, it starts shrinking until it disappears and then reappears on Numbuh Two, preparing him for his decommissioning." Her voice broke and Numbuh One spun her around, shocked to see that she was crying. His own eyes welled with tears as she cried softly in front of him.
He gasped as she flung herself into his arms and sobbed into his red sweatshirt, clutching onto him as if her life depended on it. "N-Numbuh Five?" he stuttered as she gripped him tighter. Feeling helpless, Numbuh One slowly undid his hands from her shoulders and placed them comfortably around her waist and arms. Out of all the years he had known her, she had never cried in front of him, and never, not once, had relied on him so much for support. He closed his eyes and buried his face in her shoulder. One good thing about growing up was the fact that as they grew older, they grew taller, and now Numbuh One towered slightly over her. "It will be okay, Abby," he whispered, shushing her, but she shook her head negatively. Numbuh One led her over towards the couch and the both of them sat down, still in the same position. Numbuh Five's sobbing subsided and she rested her head against his chest. Before either of them knew what was happening, they had stretched out on the couch and fallen asleep in each other's arms, Numbuh Five lying on Numbuh One, cradled in his arms with her head next to his heart.
"They couldn't have possibly…"
"Open your eyes, man! Look at them!"
"I think it's cute."
"Oh, honestly, Numbuh Three, you think everything is cute!"
"Take it easy Numbuh Two. She was just…"
"Back off, Squirt!"
"Don't talk to Numbuh Four that way!"
Numbuh one yawned and cracked open an eye, noticing that he was in the living room of the tree house. Behind the couch, Numbuh Three had grabbed Numbuh Two's shirt and was glaring at him, while Numbuh Four was blushing and looking at Numbuh Three with a newfound fear…or was it admiration? "Can you guys please keep it down? I'm trying to sleep here," he said, and found that his voice cracked.
"Well, well, well, looks like Mister Uno is finally awake!" Numbuh One could tell that even through his goggles Numbuh Two was shooting him death glares. He tried to sit up from the couch, but found a heavy object was on his chest. Memories of the night before flooded his brain and his jaw dropped. Numbuh Five's face still had tear stains on it and Numbuh One felt his heart drop into his stomach.
"Numbuh Five," he whispered softly, completely forgetting the other three, and felt a slight stirring on his body, "wake up. It's time to wake up." Her head shook again and he saw that her eyes shut even tighter. He sighed agitatedly and rolled his eyes. Finally, an idea struck. "Numbuh Five, someone broke into your secret stash of candy."
Numbuh Five's eyes shot open and narrowed dangerously. "They must have a death wish or something, because no one touches Numbuh Five's candy except for Numbuh Five!" Numbuh One groaned as she climbed off the couch and disappeared into her room. He watched as she disappeared, his eyes beginning to get misty behind his sunglasses. Numbuh Two coughed loudly, bringing Numbuh One back to the living room. Numbuh Two was glaring at him again while Numbuh Three and Numbuh Four were behind him, casting soft glances towards one another when the other wasn't looking. Numbuh Two rolled his eyes.
"Have a good time last night, Oh Great and Mighty Leader?"
"What's your problem?"
Numbuh Two tore his goggles from his face and curled his hand into a fist. "What's my problem? Oh, let's see. I wake up and find you and Numbuh Five sleeping together!" Numbuh One and Numbuh Four blushed as the first thought of what Numbuh Two had just said crossed their minds. Numbuh Three, the ever innocent-minded one, just stood, with an almost uncomprehending look on her face.
"We weren't sleeping together…we were just sleeping…together," Numbuh One muttered under his breath glancing down at the couch. Finally he turned back to Numbuh Two, and narrowed his eyes. "Besides, you know that I love Lizzie!"
Numbuh Two scoffed. "Lizzie? You couldn't stand Lizzie a few years ago and now you claim that you love her! I swear, Nigel, if you dare hurt Numbuh Five, I'll…"
Numbuh Three and Four looked at each other and instantly broke out in song, "Hoagie and Abby sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage…" Numbuh Two instantly silenced them by giving them a deep death glare. They giggled sheepishly and turned towards the kitchen.
"I'm warning you, Numbuh One, do not hurt her…" he whispered, pulling Numbuh One close by the collar. "If you do, you'll have to answer to me."
The four days that they had actually had together seemed to fade away faster than an ice cube on a hot sidewalk in the middle of summer. Numbuh Two was still hot under the collar at Numbuh One, especially since Numbuh Five had locked herself in her room, refusing to come out and only allowing the British boy in to see her. Finally, the night before Numbuh Five's birthday had arrived and Numbuh One was no where to be found.
As midnight rolled past, Abigail Lincoln sighed heavily from underneath her blankets. She was officially a teenager now. She pulled the covers from over her head and leaned against the backboard, crying softly. 'Today's the big day. There's nothing I can do about it. I knew this day would come eventually," she sighed sadly and brushed away a tear. "I just didn't think it would be so soon."
She jumped at the sudden knock on her door and silenced herself. "Numbuh Five," the all too familiar voice of Numbuh Two echoed from behind the closed door as she forced her nerves to return to normal, "can I come in?" Numbuh Five felt as her heart raced. Sure, it was true that she liked Numbuh One, but somewhere deep inside her heart, she knew the truth. She may have liked Numbuh One, but she loved Numbuh Two. "Please? It's just me. The others are still asleep. They won't be up for another couple of hours." She felt another tear trickle down her cheek and sighed inaudibly. "Abby, are you awake?" Her heart raced faster. Just the sound of his voice was enough to send the poor girl over the edge. "Can you hear me, Abs?" Her breath caught in her throat. When was the last time he had called her that?
"Numbuh Five, watch out!" An eight-year-old Numbuh Two cried as a rather round adult in a bumblebee suit flew by, nearly missing Numbuh Three, and yet knocking Numbuh Five hard into a wall. She fell to the ground with a sickening crack. Numbuh Two's eyes clouded over as he fought off a beehive bomb. "NUMBUH FIVE!" he screamed, knocking the hive into a dumpster. It was true that he had only really met her a few months ago, but Numbuh Two, formally known as Hoagie Gilligan, felt the sudden urge to protect her, no matter what the cost.
Eight-year-old Numbuh One lowered his weapon, and directed Numbuh Three and Four to keep the hives busy. "Numbuh Two, see if she's okay!"
"Roger, Numbuh One!" Numbuh Two quickly replied.
He turned back to look at Numbuh Five and widened his eyes as Numbuh Three went sailing across the sky and crashed, back first into a tree. Somewhere behind him, he heard Numbuh One and Numbuh Four both scream, "Numbuh Three!"
"Ouch." Numbuh Five muttered and grasped her ankle. Numbuh Two quickly ran over to her and gasped as he saw her eyes welled up with tears of pain.
"Are you okay?" he asked quickly, and instantly regretted asking her when she gave him a look that clearly said she wasn't.
"It's my ankle." She whispered.
Numbuh Two wasted no time in scooping her up in his arms. For such a little kid, he was surprisingly strong, and Numbuh Five gasped at his strength. "Hold on to me," he said, protectively cradling her, "and don't let go."
"I can still fight!" Stubborn as she was, Numbuh Two refused to set her back down. Her ankle was swelling to an unreasonable size, and more than likely, it was broken. "Numbuh Two," Numbuh Five whined.
"Don't be stupid! You're hurt. You need to sit this one out and get some ice on that ankle," he argued and brought her back to the Cool Bus. Suddenly, the adult bumblebee charged and knocked the two of them to the ground. "Buzz off, bumblebee butt!" Numbuh Five made a face and cocked an eyebrow.
"Buzz off, bumblebee butt?" Numbuh Two looked back at her sheepishly. He had been working on that since they learned about their first mission.
He chuckled softly. "Would you have preferred, "not in the mood for a spelling bee right now"?" He pushed himself to his feet and picked her up again, making his way to the Cool Bus once more.
Numbuh Five rolled her eyes and groaned. "Who wrote that anyway?"
"I did," Numbuh Two proudly said, "Are you impressed?"
"Impressed isn't the word for it, Numbuh Two," she said, as Numbuh Two smiled proudly. Suddenly, a flash of yellow and black light erupted from where the other three were fighting, knocking Two and Five to the ground. Their noses touched and they stared at each other, dark blue eyes mixing with hazel gold.
"Sorry about that, Abs," Numbuh Two muttered, feeling extremely shy, heart fluttering and palms sweaty.
Numbuh Five blinked away some dirt and stared at the young boy, misunderstanding in her eyes. "What did you call me?"
"Abs: it's short for Abby."
Yes, that was the first and last time, with the exception of just a few moments ago. The knock came again, louder and faster than before. "Abby, if you're awake, please let me come in. I haven't seen you in three days! Please!" Numbuh Five sighed to herself, and brushed away the last remaining tears.
"Come in," she muttered and watched as the door cracked open, letting a stream of light from the bathroom flood her room. "Hey there, Hoagie," she whispered, bringing her knees up to her chest. Numbuh Two sighed sadly as he sat down on her bed. "What time is it, Hoagie?"
"Three in the morning," he answered softly. "They'll be coming to get you at seven. We'll get to see you off, if you don't put up a fight. Otherwise, we can't say good-bye." Numbuh Five felt the tears well up in her eyes again and leapt forward into Numbuh Two's arms. "Abby?"
"I don't want to say good-bye," she cried into his chest. 'The last three years had been good to Hoagie,' she thought. 'He's gotten thinner and more muscular.' Numbuh Two pulled his goggles off his head and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face into her black, braided hair. Slowly, Numbuh Five raised her head until her forehead was resting on his chin, and he complied with her actions, lowering his head until they were nose to nose, yet neither of them expected the action that followed. They both leaned forward, and in a tender soft moment they shared a kiss.
The doors of the moon base's decommissioning room slid closed as Numbuh One disappeared down one of the many corridors. Numbuh Eighty-Six sighed. "Anything for you…Nigel," she whispered sadly. Her heartbeat raced in her chest. On the outside to anyone who knew her, she was a cold, heartless bitch. But on the inside, she always had a soft spot for Numbuh One, and when he arrived in her decommissioning chamber, asking for a favor, she was more than happy to comply.
She wiped a tear from her eye and turned to Numbuh Three-Sixty-Two. They shared a simple nod and began to work on one of the many decommissioning pods.
Abigail stood at the entrance to one of the decommissioning rooms, her eyes filled with tears as she stared out at her friends. One-by-one they all said their goodbyes. Numbuh Three had leapt into her arms and cried. Numbuh Four smiled sadly and hugged her. Numbuh One had shook her hand and brushed away a few tears. And finally, Numbuh Two had walked up to her, hugged her and tenderly kissed her for the last time.
"I guess this is good-bye then," she whispered to her friends, casting her gaze down to look at her white shoes.
"We'll miss you, Abs," Numbuh Two replied, smiling as she blushed at her nickname. They both stared into each other's eyes until Numbuh Five turned towards the sliding doors.
"See you around," she paused as comprehension dawned on her, "oh, wait…I guess I won't. Bye, guys." With that she passed through the doors and they shut on her, sealing her fate.
Numbuh Two silently cried. Numbuh Three was sobbing into Numbuh Four's chest. Numbuh Four had a mixture of sadness and pure happiness on his face. And for some reason, Numbuh One just smiled at the closed door. "We'll see, Abigail. We'll see."