An Ever-Smiling Maze~

She's the smoke
She's dancin' fancy pirouettes


They were recruits, fresh meat, babies, neophytes. So they didn't count for much. They stood in a straight line, heads held high with respect. He marched by, each step emphasized with the stomp of a thick soled boot. Numbuh 60 was kind of like fear incarnate. Maybe if he wasn't so…stony, he'd seem nice. But, the rumors were that he had never cracked a smile in his life. He didn't know how.

There was a uniform. Black boots and gray pants for the boys. Boots and gray skirts with white socks for the girls. Hers were pink. Bright pink. He stared at them, confused. He watched her head tilt the littlest bit higher as 60 walked past, as if she was not at all ashamed to have worn the wrong uniform. "Recruit Numbuh 83, where are your socks?" 60 asked, stopping in front of the young girl.

"I don't know."

That was when he knew for sure. She was a little bit crazy. He'd had his suspicions when she had asked earlier in the week if they could ice skate in the main hall. And then again when she cartwheeled around in a circle to confuse the simulation robots. She made him want to smack his head against a wall. But she just smiled with those perfectly white teeth.


Swan diving off of the deep end
Of my tragic cigarette


Then, in a fateful turn of events, she was assigned to the same sector as him. Led by a kid who he was certain is nuts, no maybe's there. She ran over to join him and that slightly weird red-head. Her white sock slipped down to reveal a pink one underneath. He didn't know whether to be happy or not. He flicked his yo-yo a few times. She just smiled with those perfectly white teeth.


She's steam
Laughing on the windowpanes


They weren't like the other sectors. Somehow, they were better. Even though they didn't have a medic or a hand-to-hand combatant or a pilot. He knew they were a random bunch. The KND's first ever tactical yo-yo specialist, a treats officer, a self-proclaimed freak show, and a kid with some serious personal bubble issues. After their first mission, a surprising upset for the adults if there ever was one, he mentioned this to her.

She glanced around at the team, shrugged, "We work."

He chuckled. He loved when she was carefree Numbuh 83. But, then they arrived back at the treehouse. The very dark treehouse. That carefree girl was gone in the flick of a yo-yo.

He held one arm and Numbuh 85 held the other as she trembled. They walked through their headquarters, turning on lights as they went.

It was light, and so was she. She smiled with those perfectly white teeth.


The never-ending swaying haze
Oh, that ever smiling maze
Oh, that ever smiling maze
A Ballet


Harvey was the one who messed it up. Him and his dumb problems. They sent him to the chambers. And there was only three members left of their misfit group.

Then Numbuh 85 took his sister's position and Numbuh 5 dissolved Sector W. Just like that.

He stared at her, looking for a glimpse of that shuddering, darkness 83. Because that was what he felt like on the inside, he just didn't show it in the same way. He hadn't spoken in a couple days. He had put his yo-yo down and left it sitting on the table for a few hours. He didn't think anything was 'cool'.

She just reached over and held his hand as the Supreme Leader decided where they would go.

He hoped he would not lose her, would not be separated from her. He was really only halfway done solving that puzzle that was the girl with pink socks. Every day it became easier to solve, the pieces flowing together like a dance.

His insides clenched; she just smiled with those perfectly white teeth.


Perhaps, I was born with curiosity.

A/N: A 83/84 fail! Something new! This song (The Piano Knows Something I Don't Know by Panic! at The Disco) has been swirling around in my head begging for a fic for a while, so here it is. It reminded me of Kuki at first, but then I thought of Sonya...and this happened. There are parts I like...I don't really know

~Terra