Two girls sat side by side on a swing set.

They were the only two kids in the playground but that was okay. It was getting late anyway and they'd both have to be getting home soon.

"So….birthday tomorrow huh?"

"Yeah…"

The darker skinned of the two dug one of her shoes into the gravel beneath her swing. Almost panicky, the girl turned to her friend, the words falling from her mouth in a rush

"We'll still be friends right?"

Swinging her swing to the side to give her friend a playful nudge, the other girl smiled as she answered.

"Always."

The first girl smiled at the other's promise before worry chased it off again. "How can you be so sure though? No one ever remembers the Kids Next Door after decommissioning."

Her friend lightly pushed against the ground. "I just do. We've been through too much for me to just forget about you Cree. Remember what we promised each other that first week at the Artic Base when we found out how close our birthdays were?"

Cree nodded. "Through thick and thin…"

"….we'll be best friends forever…"

"…long after we're out of the KND" Cree finished.

Her friend nodded. "Exactly. Sides, how could I honestly forget the operative whose saved my butt more times than I'd like to admit?"

Cree couldn't help shooting her friend a teasing smirk. "Well maybe if you and your team weren't so foolhardy, my sector wouldn't have to bail you out so much."

The girl laughed as she pushed a strand of frizzy blonde hair back behind her ear. "We're only 'foolhardy' because your sector's too busy trading Yipper cards to take any incentive to fight adult tyranny."

"Oooh no. You did not just go there."

Her friend stuck her tongue out at her. "I did. Whatcha gonna do 'bout it?"

"Get off that swing and I'll show ya what I'm gonna do to ya" Cree teased.

Before their banter could go any further, however, a woman's voice rang across the playground. "Giiiiiiiirls! Wrap it up please, it's getting late."

The two girls' smiles shrank as they looked at each other for what would be the last time as Kids Next Door operatives.

Cree held out a hand to help pull her friend off the swing.

"It's been a pleasure working with you Numbuh 27."

The girl nodded as her grip tightened around Cree's fingers. "It's been a pleasure working with you too Numbuh 11."

Before Cree could say another word, her friend had pulled her into a deep hug. "See you on the other side Cree."

"Promise you won't forget me." Cree whispered.

"I won't if you promise not to forget about me."

"Promise."

The two broke apart; Numbuh 27 offering Cree one last warm smile before turning towards her house.

Cree watched her go, trying and failing to shake the feeling of dread that clung to her as she waited for her best friend to disappear from view. Only then did she start heading her home as well.

Impatiently, Cree shifted her weight for what felt like the thousandth time. Realistically, she knew she'd only been standing outside of April's house for about a minute but it felt like forever and a half.

Finally the door opened. A plumpish woman with graying blonde hair smiled down at her.

"Why hello Cree. I was wondering if you'd stop by today. Come on in."

"Hello Mrs. Springingstein." Cree replied as she made her way into the house, tightly gripping the present she'd brought with her. "Is April upstairs then?"

"Yes indeed-y! Haven't seen the birthday girl all day myself she's been so busy redecorating her room."

Cree bit her lip. "...redecorating?" that didn't sound like April at all...maybe Mrs. Springingston meant she was cleaning before their joint birthday party later this week.

"I'll uh just head upstairs then..."

"You do that dearie. I'm sure April will be just delighted to see you. Let me know if you girls need anything."

Giving the adult a quick nod, Cree ran upstairs to April's room. The door was wide open and for a second, Cree was sure she'd somehow ended up in the wrong room.

Every inch of every wall was plastered with a poster of some boy band or some sad eyed puppy dog.

It was the very definition of teendom.

"Oh hey, you're early!"

Cree smiled at the familiar voice; meeting her friend's eyes, Cree was relieved that April remained about the same. Sure she may have covered her walls with some boring teen heart throbs, the decommissioning process was known to have some strange side effects from time to time, but she still remembered her. And that was all that mattered.

"I wanted to give you your present early!" Cree teased back, tossing the girl the boxed gift. "That way it's not buried under the mounds of other gifts you're sure to get."

"A gift from you? Buried? Pffft nah; it'd be at the top of the pile!"

Grinning, Cree sat down on April's bed. "So, whadda waiting for? Open it!"

With a smile just as big as Cree's, April flopped onto the bed right next to her and eagerly unwrapped the gift. As soon as the paper had been ripped off and the box discarded however, April's easy smile and changed into a forced one.

"Uh thank you? This isn't the actual gift is it? Like, this is just a joke right?"

Cree's smile froze and deep inside, an icy ball of dread was making itself comfortable in her belly.

"No...of course not. D-Don't you like it? Just last week you were telling me all about the new Rainbow Monkey doll you wanted. Isn't that the one you wanted?"

April stared at the doll for a moment before crinkling her nose and shoving the toy back into Cree's hands. "Oh my god Cree! Why would I want some cruddy kid's toy? I'm thirteen years old for god's sake!"

Cree could feel tears forming in her eyes as she stared at April in horror. "But yesterday-"

"Grow up Cree" April snarled. "I'm too old for baby toys and you should be too. God. I don't know why my mom's making me share a party with a kid like you."

She was shaking. From anger or hurt or both she didn't know. But what Cree did know was that April had lied. She hadn't remembered her and had become a cruddy teenager to boot.

Settling on anger, Cree stood up and threw the toy at April's stupid promise breaking face. "Well FINE! I don't want to share a birthday party with you either! I hope you choke on your birthday cake you brat!"

And with that, Cree stormed out of April's room before she could say anything back or worse, see her crying her eyes out.

"You don't understand Maurice, the girl I was friends with is gone."

"Well maybe if you tried talking to her again Cree, I'm sure-"

"There's no talking to her! Don't you think I've tried? It's not working. I hate her. More than any adult we've ever fought."

"You can't honestly m-"

"Just yesterday I caught her picking on Abby. On Abby. She used to adore her. Numbuh 27 doesn't exist anymore. The KND killed her."

"CREE! You know that's not true! The kids next door would never hurt another kid. Are you listening to me? Cree?"

"Are you sure Cree? Mama gave you this hat-"

"And I'm giving it to you. You've earned it kiddo." Cree smiled as she pulled the hat out of her sister's hands and placed it on top of her head. "You look good in red. Better than I ever did."

Abby grinned. "I don' know 'bout that. You look good in jus 'bout anythin."

Cree's smile shrank a little as she gazed down at her sister. "You'll take care of them, won't you Abby? These knuckleheads won't survive without a little tough love and common sense every now and again."

Abby pulled the hat down over her eyes and grinned. "Of course I will. But that won't be till another couple days ya know. You're still leader for just a little longer."

"Actually Abby...I'm not. You are."

"Whadda talkin 'bo-?"

Before the younger girl could finish her question, her sister had given her a hard shove into her room and slammed a fist on the control panel beside it-causing the door to slam down between them and lock.

"Cree? Cree! Whadda doing?! Cree open this door! CREE!"

"You'll understand when you're my age Abby. The Kids Next Door don't help kids. They ruin them."

Turning on her heel, Cree walked away; ignoring the cries from her sister and the sound of small fists hitting a metal door.

She'd almost made it to the hanger before one of her former teammates grabbed her by the shirt and slammed her against the wall.

"Cree, listen to me. You're making the biggest mistake of your life."

The soon to be teen glared at him. "Am I Numbuh 9? Because from where I stand, I'm making one of the best decisions of my life."

"Oh yeah? And what kind of example are you setting for your sister? That when things get tough, when former operatives don't remember you, to turn traitor and sabotage a mission?!"

"If that's what it takes to keep my memories, to stay the person my sister and family and friends know me as then yes. And I hope to God Abby doesn't stick with this bogus organization long enough for you to erase the kind of person she is either!"

Not waiting for him to even try to counter her reasoning or worse, bring her in for decommissioning right then and there, Cree rammed her knee into his stomach and ran for it as he crumpled to the floor in pain.

She would never let them catch her and erase her memories, erase her.

And if she had to, she would wage war on the entire organization so they couldn't do the same to her sister as well.