AN: This is my first real STORY STORY. All my other fics have been one-shots or related oneshots so criticism is preferred and begged for. I dug this up very recently even though it was written a while ago (a few months). I've been meaning to put it up for a long time and thought of it only now. So please attempt to enjoy :P

Disclaimer: umm... I don't own it. yeah. Duh.

September 13, 2002

Two children ran sat at the rear balcony of the treehouse on 5th street gulping down their candy. They had jus celebrated their two year anniversary of being in the KND. Next week, they would be receiving two more operatives around their age and the week after that was another. They were so excited about the newcomers!

"Hey, Abb-I mean, Numbuh 5, this is going to be sooooo great!" said a very energetic and hyper Nigel Uno, "I can't believe we're going to have more people. I mean, I had always thought that there was only a limit of 5 in a sector, but EIGHT! Oh my gosh, this way better than Numbuh 9's latest 2x4 techs! We've never had newcomers before. I mean, it was always you, me, Maurice, Cree, and Chad since the Eight Twins went away. By the way what happened to them?"He finally calmed down and just plopped his back onto the floor.

Abby, on the other hand, looked quite nervous, as if something bad was going to happen, which it really was. A few years ago, Cree had told her something that changed the KND universe and all its glory. Abby disregarded her emotions and spoke: "Ummm, Numbuh 1, there's something Abby needs to tell you about why the Eight Twins went away. And it's kinda why Cree's gonna go away too." Nigel sat right back up with a confused expression on his face. Cree was going away? Numbuh 5 shifted positions, attempting not to fidget or appear nervous and failing in both. She finally calmed down and just told it straight out to Nigel: "They make you forget."

Now Nigel was really up in arms. What did she mean by make you forget? He thought. And he said it out loud as well.

"Well, you know how everyone becomes a teenager—practically an adult—teenagers are very dangerous to the existence of the KND. If any graduates of the KND ever remembered all the secret codes, names, and people, then they could easily infiltrate all the bases. So, on your thirteenth birthday, they make you forget, decommissioning is what it's called." Numbuh 5 sighed, glad that her part was overwith. Or so she thought.

"But why? I don't want to forget any of you. I love the KND. Being a kid is what makes life fun. It's not fair."

"But it's the rules," came a voice from the back. A girl with chocolate skin, short black hair, wearing a pink t-shirt and blue jeans walked out onto the balcony, it was Cree. "I'm pretty mad about the rules myself, and there's always more than one way to get out of the KND. I heard rumors that some teens are put into a secret sect of the KND to help spy on the teens. Others simply run away. I turn thirteen tomorrow, just as you will turn ten on the 18th. Everyone has birthdays Nigel, this one is just mine." She walked off the balcony, sad and with her head hanging low.

"I don't want to grow up." whispered a determined Nigel.

"What?"

"I don't want to grow up!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "In fact, I refuse to grow up!" He paused for a moment to regain his composure and pondered more softly. "If only I knew how."

Numbuh 5 sighed again and slid over to wrap her arm around Numbuh 1's shoulder. "No one really does, Nigel. It's just that we all have to. Like sometimes you have to clean your room, even if you don't want to, but you just know you have to so you can find your socks next week. It's like that. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," the boy fibbed, as Nigel was still determined as ever. He silently vowed to himself, "I'll find my own way not to grow up."

Eh. cliche. But that's for YOU to tell me.