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Operation: SEPARATION

Seafaring Enemies a Problem, Antagonism Results in Assigments for Troubled Inplanted Operatives, Not good.

"So how come you gotta just call Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 2 up here to talk to you?" The African girl flicked her long pontytail aside and glanced at the Supreme leader from beneath the depths of an overgrown red cap.

"Just bear with me here, Numbuh 5." 362 paced over to the desk and pressed a button. "Send Numbuh 20,000 to my office with the package." She turned back to the irate agent. "You and Numbuh 2 were ordered here because of your respective… unusual field history."

"An' what does that to do with anythin'?" Numbuh 5 snapped. "None of us have been on any mission's except what the team has been. That's how sector's work, ain't it?"

"Yes… ideally." Numbuh 362 nodded. "However, in a team, there will inevitably be some who gain a specialization that the others will not have."

"Just what are you talking about, sister?" Politeness was no more a trait of Abby's than deference. "Numbuh 5 never did like all this dodging about. Nothing ever gets done."

Numbuh 362 chuckled. "You better be thankful you're not up in higher command, then. Ahem." She coughed. "Very well. In brief."

"A coastal attack?" Numbuh 2, or Hoagie as his friends called him, frowned skeptically. "Aw, come on, Numbuh 86, how bad could it be? We don't even have all that many treehouses near the waterfront."

"That's what you'd think, BOY!" The global tactical commander clicked some buttons on the desk in front of her. "Yoou wouldn't remember little things like Sector H in Hawaii, or the undersea lab base, or even the Arctic Training base!"

"They got the Artic base?!" Numbuh 2's eyes widened in shock. "B-b-but how? I mean, why weren't we notified, or…"

"Shut up!" Numbuh 86 screamed. "No, of course they didn't get the Artic base, you stoopid boy! But it was a very near thing, and our operatives were hard pressed to hold them back. Our scientists think they may be planning to use a vast quantity of salt to melt the ice surrounding the training base."

"And once that happens, we'd be dead in the water." Numbuh 2 responded. "Hah! Get it, dead in the water?" He winced at the glare he received. "Okay, okay. Sheesh. So what does this have to do with me?"

"A good question." Numbuh 362 turned around thoughtfully. "First, let me say, that we're not exactly sure who attacked us."

"What?!" Numbuh 5 frowned. "You're trying to tell Numbuh 5 that we just had an attack on the second most important installation in all of the Kids Next Door, and we don't even know who it was?"

"The situation is complicated." Numbuh 362 pressed a button, and a picture of the artic base popped up onscreen. Explosions were everywhere, operatives were running all over the place, and two dark, fuzzy shapes could just be seen on the horizon.

"These are our attackers." Numbuh 362 pointed. "They didn't show up on any of our scanners, they were too low for radar, and it was a foggy night, so we couldn't get a good visual. The question we can't figure out is why they didn't come closer."

"Maybe they figured they could pound us just as well from there." Numbuh 5 suggested.

"Maybe. But Intelligence has another theory." There was a buzzing noise and Numbuh 20,000 walked in, holding a metal tube. "Evidence recovered suggests there were two parties. They must've planned separate attacks on us and accidentally planned an assault at the same time."

"Numbuh 5 thinks that's an awfully big coincidence."

"Probably." Numbuh 362 took the tube from 20,000, who saluted and stood at attention. "But it's the only theory we have. Anyway, they probably got confused and started firing at each other. Once they realized their mistake, they gave up and sailed off." Numbuh 362 stepped forward and shook her finger in Numbuh 5's face. "The only reason this attack failed was because our enemies made a mistake and started fighting each other. If they decided to team up to take us down… well, you can guess what would happen."

"So who are these guys, anyways?" Numbuh 5 was exasperated by all the talk.

"That's where you come in." Numbuh 362 opened the tube and slid the contents into Numbuh 5's hand. "We think you may have experience with him."

Numbuh 5 looked at the item in her hand.

It was a burpleberry sucker, covered in red, sticky hair.

"Oooookay, this is starting to make more sense." Numbuh 2 was staring at the screen. "But Stickybeard's never used salt before. He hates the stuff."

"Obviously!" Numbuh 86 shoved him aside and started tapping some more keys. "But since your stoopid leader did that craaazy stunt with the pretzel chamber, his cannonballs are coated in the stuff. All he has to do is shoot, and the ice starts to melt. And nobody's going to eat their way out of this gum."

"No kidding." Numbuh 2 agreed. "Salty bubblegum? Bleah!"

"WILL YOU STICK TO THE POINT!?" Numbuh 86 screamed at him. "He could incapitate half of the Kids Next Door! We don't have the resources to deal with this kind of weaponry!"

"Okay, Okay!" Hoagie backed up a few steps, trying to escape the furious female. "So it's dangerous! All we have to do is figure out how to neutralize the stuff! Have you tried pepper spray?'

"In case ya forgot, you stoopid boy, we still have the other enemy to discuss." The screen flickered spasmodically and came to life, showing an interior view of the Artic base.

Hoagie squinted. "Ooh! A salad garden! When did we get that? Is Numbuh 60 starting jungle training sessions?"

"Stoooooooooooooopid boy!" Fanny screamed. "We don't have vegetables in the Artic training base! The recruits would die of fright. We train them to face that kind of thing!" Fanny clicked some more buttons, showing other parts of the base. Artic prison. The code module. Training area. All of them covered in leafy, green foliage.

"Some kind of projectiles penetrated the ice wall." Fanny sniffed at the sight of the vegetable infestation. "No one paid much attention, but when they came back, they found this. The projectiles must've been some kind of seed." She turned away from the screen, visibly stricken. "The artic base is completely out of commission. Half our recruits are traumatized. We can't access a third of our vessels there. If they attack again we won't hold them."

"Numbuh 86…" Hoagie looked at the global tactical officer, shocked by her sudden loss of bravado. He moved forward, but she brushed him off, walking over to the control panel. She typed in some commands, and a small tube popped out of the console. Labeled on it in large black letters were the words Toxic Material: Sooper Yucky Stuff.

"Some of our Dorky-Boy scientists are working on cleaning up the contamination." She said, handing him the tube. "They sent us this sample of the plant infecting the base."

Numbuh 2 popped off the top of the tube and glanced inside.

Spinach.

"Your sector's dealt with this material before, yes?" Numbuh 362 cocked an eye at Abby.

"Get this stuff away from Numbuh 5!" Abby hastily tossed the tube back to the Soopreme Leader. "Yeah, Numbuh 5 and her friends had to handle a little conquest by some whackos who wanted to spread this stuff. But Numbuh 2 took 'em down and signed a peace treaty with them. They ain't been no further trouble."

"Did they say anything about stopping their invasions?"

Numbuh 5 thought a moment. "Yeah. They said 'we shall not try to take over Gallagher elementary and force little kids to eat disgustin' green leafy things.' Numbuh 5 wuz there."

362 sighed. "And none of you thought to tell them to stay away from the Kids Next Door?"

Numbuh 5 rubbed her chin. "No."

362 groaned and clutched her forehead.

"That probably wasn't a smart idea, was it?" Hoagie eyed the raging fury at the control console.

"SMART IDEA? You Stoooooopid boy!" Fanny screamed. "That was one of the most careless oversights you could possibly have made! At the very least, ya coulda thought to warn them, or put some kind of clause against future oppression, or somethin' of that nature!"

"I didn't think of it before!" Hoagie whined, crouched over, head in hands. "I'm not very good with treaties and stuff like that!"

"ANYone with half the experience you have should know better than to leave an enemy unchecked!" Fanny stormed about. "Now we're dealin' with brussel sprouts in the Training Base and a pending invasion, because of your mistake!"

"Hey!" Hoagie dared an angry glimpse back up. "If it hadn't been for me, the rest of Sector V would still be trapped in that school, getting dunked in spinach and having to listen to dorky sing-and-dance numbers."

"It woulda served ya right!" Fanny shrilled into his face. "When I talk to your leader, I'm gonna have a lot to say about this slip-up!"

"I'll have to talk to Numbuh 1 about enemy protocols." 362 seemed thoughtful. "It's not like him to miss something like that."

"Aw, Don't be too hard on Numbuh 1, sister." Abby was very protective of her sector leader. "He wuz under a lotta stress at the time, and we wuz happy just to get them crazy nuts outta there."

362 nodded. "True. Still, I'll talk to him about it."

Numbuh 5 shook her head, but let the subject drop. "What I still don't get is why you called Numbuh 5 and Numbuh 2 up here special to talk about these things. Couldn't ya just gotten all this from the records?"

"What does this have to do with me anyway?" Hoagie finally asked.

Fanny stopped in the middle of a tirade about Celtic culture and matriarchal society. "Oh… that." She seemed to deflate once actually brought down to business. "You were directly involved in the Spinach incident, yes?"

"You've gotten to know Stickybeard and his crew pretty well, right?" 362 cast a thoughtful eye at Numbuh 5.

"Oh yeah, I was actually part of the order for a little while." Numbuh 2 rubbed the back of his neck. "Kinda cool, until I found out what they were doing."

"Numbuh 5 knows him and the boys about as well as anyone." Abby glanced over at Numbuh 362. "Why you asking?"

362 paused a moment, tapping her finger on the console hesitantly. Finally she turned to face the operative.

"I want you and Numbuh 2 to run a spy mission."

"A spy?!" Numbuh 2 was all excitement. "Like with disguises and top-secret investigations and cloak and dagger stuff? Do I get a cool watch that sets off bombs or tells me…"

"NO!" Numbuh 86 had recovered her ire. "Listen! We need you to go to Spinachia, or wherever their base is, and offer to join their little garden party. We want you to figure out their next move, and if possible, get them to go up against Stickybeard, so the two of them wipe each other out!" She handed him a tiny earpiece. "You'll keep in constant contact with Numbuh 5 so the two of you can coordinate tactics to move them against each other. You will be working together, but Numbuh 5 is in charge of this mission." She glared at Hoagie. "Do you think you can remember all that, BOY?"

"You can do that, right?" 362 studied Numbuh 5

"Yeah, Numbuh 5 knows where they hang out." Abby nodded reluctantly. "And they should let Numbuh 5 onboard. Sticky even offered Numbuh 5 the position of First Mate once. But listen, sister, I don't much like the idea of turnin' them people against each other so they knock each other down." She frowned. "They're enemies and all, but they've saved Numbuh 5 and her friends once or twice."

"I know." 362 sighed. "But we don't have much choice. If they go around for much longer, they'll start working together, and then we'd have a big problem on our hands. Don't forget what happened when he attacked the Moonbase."

"Yeah, yeah, Numbuh 5 remembers." Abby agreed. She remained silent for a while, fingering the lollipop in her hand, then suddenly spoke up. "But if that's all this was, why'd you split us up like this, in secret briefings and all?"

"Why'd you split up me and Numbuh 5 like this?" Hoagie stared at Fanny. He had started to absentmindedly to munch on the spinach leaf. "If we're supposed to be coordinating our moves, wouldn't it have been easier to just give us the information together?"

"Well…" Numbuh 362 put a hand to the back of her helmet.

"Ah-ha." Fanny let out a nervous laugh. "Yes, well…"

"Numbuh 86 suggested it." 362 studied her boots. "But I do have something to ask you that is best kept from Numbuh 2."

"Numbuh 362 specifically requested separate briefings." 86 fiddled around with her holster. "But I do have some highly confidential matters to discuss with you."

"The fact is, " Numbuh 362 drew herself up and tried to look her most commanderly. "I need you to give me a sooper-secret appraisal of a member of your sector, your leader, in fact."

Numbuh 5 eyed the Soopreme Leader skeptically.

"Numbuh 1 is being considered for a... delicate position, and I need your input on his commanding abilities."

"I was just wonderin'" Fanny rubbed her sleeve with her free hand. "KND leadership thinks it might be good to have a new recommisioning module available for emergencies."

Numbuh 2 gave the Global Tactical Commander a disbelieving stare.

"You know, just in case we had another mistake, like with the whole business with Chad and you guys." Numbuh 86 tried a smile.

362 walked over to a low bench and sat down, still speaking. "In particular, I need you to list how he handles threats to his teammates, his loyalty to KND administration, attachments outside of the Kids Next Door and how strong they are likely to be…"

Numbuh 5 cut her off. "Girl, stop there a minute."

362 froze, her mouth still open.

Abby looked at Rachel. "You wanna know if Numbuh 1 likes you, don't ya?"

"As one of the chief experts in 2x4 technology, I have been asked to secretly commission you to rebuild the module using the remnants stored in the KND museum. Once finished, you shall hand it over to Global Command…"

"Wait a minute." Numbuh 2 held up his hand, stopping Fanny. "I offered to do this earlier, right after it broke. You guys told me that the module was too dangerous, because it could be used to reactivate Grandfather."

86 bit her lip. "We did? Well…" She gave out a nervous chuckle. "We changed our minds, haha!"

"86…" Hoagie looked at Fanny. "Global Command didn't ask for this. You did. Why do you want me to rebuild it?"

Fanny stared at him, at a loss for words.

Understanding dawned on Hoagie's face. "Your birthday. You're worried about being decommissioned, aren't you?"

Rachel stared at her feet, silent. A faint tinge of red could be seen on her cheeks.

"No, I… Of course not! I just…" Fanny dithered awkwardly.

"Oh, sister." Numbuh 5 sighed, shaking her head. Rachel's silence was enough answer. "It's cause of what happened during the whole "It" thing, ain't it?"

Rachel nodded slowly. "I'd admired him for a long time, but that was the first time I really got a chance to talk to him one-on-one. Even then I didn't think much of it, but later, when the Global Tactical position came up, he was the first one I thought of and after that…" She sighed and suddenly changed subjects. "I think everyone was impressed after the whole thing with Numbuh Zero. I thought it would wear off, but…" She shook her head.

Numbuh 5 remained silent.

"I just…" 362 tried to find the right words. "He just… He seemed so concerned. Not just from a logistics standpoint, more from the view of an old friend." She looked up at Numbuh 5. "Do you know how long it's been since anyone in the KND talked to me as a friend, and not as a leader?"

Rachel hid her head in her hands. "I guess… it just stuck with me. And then I started to notice all the times he went on missions, all the little things he did, how he always came through…" A shaky half-laugh escaped her hands. "It's silly, isn't it? Me, the Soopreme Leader of the KND, acting like a little girl."

Numbuh 5 came over and sat next to her leader on the bench. "Ya know, you may not believe it, but Numbuh 5 used to feel that way once."

Rachel's head came up from her hands. "You did?"

"Sure." Abby nodded. "Back in basic training, Numbuh 5 fell for Numbuh 1 like nothin' else. Course, back then, I was fallin' for nearly every boy in the camp, but I really fell for Numbuh 1."

"But…" A grin was starting on Rachel's face. "You're… you… never…"

"Yeah, Numbuh 5 knows." Abby laughed. "Numbuh 5's supposed to be the big tough girl. But Numbuh 5 wasn't like that back in trainin'. Numbuh 5 still played with her sis and had a good time once in a while. And Numbuh 5 liked Numbuh 1. You know the Kids Next Door entrance exam?" She glanced at Rachel. "Numbuh 1 never passed it. Numbuh 5 hacked into the KND computermabob and changed his grades."

"You did?" Disbelief was all over Rachel's face.

"Sure did." Abby smiled. "Numbuh 5 was crazy back then."

"So… why did you…?" Rachel let the question fall

"Well, Numbuh 5 changed some after her big sister left." Abby's face grew sadder at the thought. "But there was something else." She remained silent for a moment in memory.

"Numbuh 5 should say something first." Abby paused to explain. "As a leader, she still likes Numbuh 1. Even after Cree left, Numbuh 5 still kinda liked him. He's a good man and all, and he knows how to lead a team, that's for sure. As far as operatives go, you don't get much better than Numbuh 1"

Rachel nodded. "But?"

Abby sighed. "Ya don't always wannna hang out with someone who's so… serious all the time, ya know? I mean, Numbuh 1 is all business. He never does anything for fun, he practically lives for the KND." Numbuh 5 shook her head. "That's great and all, but Numbuh 5 got enough business in her already. Sometimes she wants to kick back for some rest and re-laxation."

Abby bent over, her eyes hidden by her hat. "An' sometimes, what Numbuh 5 really needs is just someone to help her laugh."

She picked up the end of her long ponytail and began to play with it. "Numbuh 5's got enough things to be serious about. Sometimes, all she wants to do is forget them and find some fun in life."

There was a moment of silence. "I'm sorry." Rachel said, finally.

Hoagie shook his head. "Look, I feel bad for you and all, 86, but you gotta follow the rules! You should know that as much as anyone. Every Kids Next Door operative, once they turn thirteen…"

"I know!" Fanny snapped suddenly. "I know all about that, you stupid boy! I know all the rules and regulations, the protocols and the established order. I know all about that!" She screamed. "I know everything about the decommissioning procedures, I've had to live through them for ten years. Ten Years, d'you hear me!?"

Fanny's voice grew a little shaky. "For ten years I've been the watchdog of the KND. Ten years a' chasin' down teenagers. Ten years a' turning against me own operatives. Ten years of wipin' the memories of anyone who could ever try to be my friend! Ten years!" Fanny's voice choked. "An' I loved every minute of it."

Hoagie stared at her. His jaw hung open and his arms hung useless at his side.

"I was the best…" Fanny leaned against the console for support. "The best. I was the elite, the top girl, the hardcore soldier at the front of the action. I led the toughest, the meanest sector in all of the KND, and I was the one who took them down when they were done. I even took down Numbuh 274 when he turned rouge."

Hoagie, confused, raised a finger. "Now hang on, Numbuh 1…"

"I was the best." Fanny didn't even seem to hear him. "And now I'm just another operative, just another number in the computer. Just another…" She hid her head in her hands. "just another teenager waiting for my time."

There was a short period of silence. Hoagie started to say something, then stopped, then started again, then hesitated, and finally just walked over to Fanny and sat on the control panel. He looked at his feet for a moment.

Finally he spoke. "You know, I wonder why they choose the best to a-rrest people."

Fanny glared at him.

"Okay, okay." He winced. "Geez. Just trying to help." He looked down and twiddled his thumbs. "You know, it isn't really all that fun trying to be the best all the time. You have to always be serious, and have to keep worrying about what you what might do wrong."

Fanny sniffed. "And what would you know about that, BOY? The only thing you're good at is that stoopid 2x4 technology we always have you working on."

"Hey!" Hoagie turned to face her. "That technology is vital for the KND operatives. Besides," he huffed. "I've been trying to be the funniest guy in the KND for years. I know what it's like to try to be the best."

"THAT?" Fanny started, incredulous. "You have the worst jokes I've ever heard."

"They're not so bad!" Hoagie protested. "And I'm always thinking of new ones. I just got this really funny one about a priest, an elephant, and a jar of strawberry jelly. See, the priest walks into a mushroom patch…"

Fanny glared at him.

"Right." Hoagie sighed and gave up. "But don't you see, that's what we've been talking about! I try to be the funniest guy, and it's the part that doesn't work out for some reason. All the other stuff, I know I'm no good at, so I don't even try, and it ends up being lots more fun. I can't fight, so I let Numbuh 4 handle that. I don't know how to lead, so I just do whatever Numbuh 1 tells me too. And I'm the second most clumsy guy on our team, so I let Numbuh 5 handle stealth. I've never been number one at anything, I've always been second best. And it's fun."

Fanny sat silently, mulling over his words. Hoagie studied her, worried. Finally she looked up.

"You're the best technician, though." There was a hint of amused scorn in her voice. "Doesn't that ever bug you?"

Abby shook her hair back and straightened up. "Aw, don' worry about it, sister." She answered in her old tone. "Numbuh 5 found another man to make her happy. 'Sides, things wouldn't 'a worked out anyway. Numbuh 1 don't know how to have fun. He's a great leader, but he's way too focused."

362 gave a little chuckle. "Focus. That's him alright."

"Among other things." Abby nodded. "He's real devoted. He lives for the KND, it's like its his life or somethin'. Even when he don't have to do anything, Numbuh 1 is always looking for new problems and hopin' to fight adults. Numbuh 5 used to think that the reason he was always talkin' to Numbuh 5 was cause he liked her." Numbuh 5 smiled. "Now I just think he was making sure the team was doin' okay."

"Are you kidding?" Hoagie looked at her. "The reason I play around with that stuff isn't because I want to be the best. The reason I play with it is because it's fun!" He stared. "If I didn't like it, I'd stop doing it."

Numbuh 86 snorted. "Don't tell me that. You work too hard at it for it to always be fun."

"I do not!" Hoagie huffed.

Fanny glared at him.

"Well…." Hoagie sighed. "Okay. It's not as much fun as it used to be. But it's a different kind of fun. It's harder, more obscure kind of fun, but it's deeper too, a… a… I don't know! It's still fun! Just… not the same kind of fun."

Fanny raised an eyebrow skeptically. "And this is why you keep working on those stupid contraptions?"

"There are other rewards." Hoagie grinned. "Did I ever tell you about that one hamster project I was working on the time we caught Cree?"

"Yes." Fanny glared at him.

"Oh, yeah." Hoagie chuckled nervously. "Well, anyway, the point is, girls are attracted to intelligent, refined men like myself."

"Not any girls I know." Fanny scowled.

Hoagie smiled. "I can think of one."

"Number 5 ain't into that dark and mysterious type so much anymore anyways." Abby set her hat at a jaunty angle. "There's too many of 'em."

"Hmmm." Rachel studied the ground. Finally she spoke. "So… you think… maybe he was just concerned for the Kids Next Door? That's why he helped out?"

"Whatever." Fanny snarled. "But you still haven't answered my question yet." She set her feet apart. "Can you rebuild the recommisionin' module? Global Command orders you too, even if the Soopreme Leader doesn't." Her eyes burned into him. "What do you say, BOY?"

Abby shrugged. "Girl, you know better than Numbuh 5 what happened there. From the sounds of things it was pretty hairy, but Numbuh 1 lives for that kinda stuff. As for the talkin' to ya bit…" Abby smiled a little. " I never known Numbuh 1 to talk to anyone about anything except missions."

Rachel looked up.

"But then," Abby shrugged again. "who can understand what Numbuh 1 does any of the time? He's crazy!"

"You should know better than that!" Numbuh 2 whined. "The materials are being kept under close guard at the KND museum. Only 362 has access to them now! Besides, even if I could get at them, I have no idea how those things work! You and Numbuh 1 are the only ones who have operated it, and no one took a good look to see how it worked before it broke." He collapsed in an indignant huff. "And anyway, we don't have Numbuh Zero's genetic material anymore."

All the air seemed to go out of Fanny. She bowed her head in silence.

"Of course." Numbuh 2 continued. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't want to try."

Rachel remained silent a long time. Abby stood there, calmly studying her, waiting for the leader to speak. She came to attention as Rachel finally gave a sigh.

"Dismissed." Said Numbuh 362. "I'll send your mission specs down by teletran."

Numbuh 5 nodded. "Gotcha." She moved to the door and left.

Fanny didn't respond. Hoagie stood there, awkwardly at attention, shifting weight from one to another, waiting for an answer. He coughed once, twice, three times. No response.

"So, is that all you wanted?" He tried.

He waited. No answer.

"Okay." A pause. "I… I guess I'm dismissed then, right?"

"Yes." Numbuh 86 finally answered. "You're dismissed."

"Okay!" Numbuh 2 moved toward the exit, glad of an excuse to leave.

"Numbuh 2!" Fanny's head was to the floor, but her voice still stopped him.

"You… you might have a point there. Mebbe I should retire."

"Glad to hear it!" Hoagie squeaked, before turning and running down the hallway.

Numbuhs 2 and 5 met in the hanger bay next to their SCAMPER. "All set, Numbuh 5?" Hoagie asked, a little too quickly.

"Yeah, Numbuh 5's all set." Abby looked him over. "What's the matter wid you, Numbuh 2? You're as jumpy as a rabbit."

"Oh nothing." Hoagie opened the door and just climbed inside. "I'll drive, okay?"

"Brother, you always drive." Abby glared at him. "Numbuh 5 thinks it's her turn to drive."

"But I'm the official pilot!" Hoagie whined. "And you're not cleared for this kind of aircraft!"

Abby just stood in the doorway and looked at him.

Hoagie dropped his arms, defeated. "Fine, you can drive, Numbuh 5." He grumbled, starting to climb out of the seat.

"Ha!" Abby jumped into the passenger seat before Hoagie could climb out of the driver's. "Numbuh 5 was just kidding. She don't want to drive, she wants to relaaax." She leaned back into the seat's cushion.

Hoagie stared at her. "Okaaaaaay." He straightened in his seat and engaged the engines. The SCAMPER floated out of the hanger bay and began its descent to earth. Hoagie glanced over at the seemingly comatose girl in the seat across from him several times before finally shrugging it off to concentrate at the flight plan.

"Why are you so nervous, anyway?" Abby's voice broke in on his thoughts.

So she wasn't asleep. Hoagie turned to face her. "Oh, nothing much." He tried a laugh. "Just this mission they gave us, I guess. What'd you talk about with 362 for so long?"

Abby shrugged. "Girl stuff, Numbuh 2. Nothin' you'd be interested in. What you'd talk about with Numbuh 86?"

"Guy stuff." Hoagie completely missed the strange look Abby gave him. "Nothing too interesting, Numbuh 5. Pretty boring really."

A giggle interrupted him. He turned in astonishment. "Numbuh 5? You okay?"

"I'm fine." She chuckled. "Numbuh 5's just fine. It just…" She shook her head and exploded into a new set of giggles. Hoagie looked at her, absolutely bewildered.

"Ya know, Hoagie," Abby finally gasped out. "you are so funny sometimes!"

Hoagie could do no more than stare at the giggling girl as the ship made it's way toward the brightening earth.

Please Review. It helps me out a lot with stories, and it really motivates me to write more. I'd like some measure of how you guys like this and what you'd like me to do. Thanks to MusicGirl101 for her constant reviews so far.

Ironically enough, I was in two minds about this, and still am. The narrative structure is somewhat taken from Brave New World, where several dialogues are layered on top of each other. I was thinking to split it into two chapters just since it's so stinking long, but I finally just decided to submit it since I like the unity(ha ha) of it like this.

Now I'm wondering whether I should just let this stand by itself and continue on these one-story studies, but I don't think so. I think I'll add more chapters.

By the way, the whole SEPARATION angle is here, but it will continue in the later chapters. Abby and Hoagie are going to be rather severely… tested in this spy mission.

Oh, and hey, I did a picture based on Numbuh 5 talking to 362. Check it here: .com/art/Separation-5-and-362-59814356