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Title: It's Gonna Be A Long Night

Summary: As tradition states, all new fully-formed sectors must spend one night in complete lockdown-ification. It's a sort of vigil; a night to decide if you're really committed to this job or not. Numbuh 1 is new to leading; Numbuh 2 tries to stay awake; Numbuh 3 just wants to have a tea party; Numbuh 4 wants to punch things. Numbuh 5 watches over to make sure everything goes okay.

...

Numbuh 5 watched in amusement as Numbuh 3 wrapped her comrade into a hug, squealing.

"We did it! We did it!"

"Yeah, yeah." Numbuh 4 grunts, prying at her arms. "Now lemme go!"

She did so with glee. "We're finally operatives! Aren't you excited?"

"Of course I am! I can't wait for my first mission." He punched the palm of his hand. "I'll kick the crud outta anyone who gets in our way."

"Man, I remember our swearing in." Numbuh 2 laughed, but she saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes.

"It certainly was... surprising." Numbuh 1 agrees, with a glance at Numbuh 5.

"It wasn't that long ago." Numbuh 5 states. "And it was everything a real operative deserves, and more. Just like this one."

All of them perk up. Numbuh 5 gives herself a mental pat on the back. If anyone should feel bad for the extra hoops that were jumped through to get to this point, it was her. She'd specifically made it that way. If they were caught, all they'd have to do was retake the test. With time and a few missions under their belt, it'd be a breeze. She'd be the one to face an early decommissioning.

It was a risk she was more than willing to take; Sector V needed a leader. She could never be that again, not after... well, you know.

"First root beers are on me." She smiled at them reassuringly.

Drinks procured, operatives shuffled about the room, recruiting and congratulating. A few spared them a word or two, but mostly they left them be. They already knew they were taken.

"Numbuh 1 of Sector V?" An officer tapped him on the shoulder. "The supreme leader would like to see you."

Numbuh 1 stumbles in his attempt to hurriedly stand. "A-Already?" He coughed and nodded. "Of course. Numbuh 5, would you mind saving my seat?"

"On it." She sprawled her legs across the chair. Numbuh 5 made a mental note to tell him that leaders didn't tend to lose their seats later. Respect, and all that.

"Is Numbuh 1 in trouble?" Numbuh 3 watches him go with the beginnings of a frown on her face. "He can't be; not today!"

"Nah. He's leader now. 'S only natural that the higher-ups would call him to talk about secret stuff."

"What kind of secret stuff?" Numbuh 4 leans forward in his seat. She shrugs.

"The kind of stuff we don't need to know. Let them handle it." Making big decisions is the mark of a leader, she thought. Whatever it was they needed to talk about, it'd be good practice for the future.

She took a slug of her root beer, smiling at the sensation of it bubbling up in her belly. She could get used to second in command.

"Uh, Numbuh 5?" A pale hand taps her shoulder. She turns. Nigel stretches and falls on his tip-toes nervously. "I need some help locating something."

Numbuh 4 rolls his eyes. "Then ask the guy bringing 'round the drinks."

"No need." He lifted a hand up halfway. "I'm sure Abby can help."

Taking that as her cue, she slid off her stool. "Alright. Let's go."

The bald boy quickly leads her to the darkened hallway outside the moon base cafeteria. "What's up, Nigel?" She asks once the door shuts.

He shrugs, praying she'd know what he was talking about. "They want us to close up the base for the night."

Numbuh 5 slowly blinks at him. "Oh. That. It's a bit early for that, ain't it?" She lifts her arms into the air. "They just got their Numbuhs, for cryin' out loud."

"The sooner, the better, they said." He glances at the floor contemplatively. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you this, but they're locking down almost half of all the bases tonight. A mass lockdown-ification."

He looks at her like he's expecting her to be angry that he shared all of this with her. Numbuh 5 shuffles her feet and leans back a little, a sign of discomfort. "Sounds like a risky move." She observes.

"It's tradition." Is all he says.

"Alright then." Risky or not, orders are orders. "Want Numbuh 5 to call our parents?"

He looks surprised and relieved by her offer. "If you wouldn't mind."

Numbuh 5 sighed. "Listen, Numbuh 1. You don't gotta be so polite all the time. As leader, it's your job to give orders. Tell me to call ahead. Tell me to watch your seat. It won't bother me."

He shuffles his feet and twiddles his thumbs; another sign of discomfort. "But... you're my friend. And you were leader before me."

She winces at the reminder and crosses her arms. "That don't count. Look, I ain't saying you need to tell me what to do every second of the day. I'd smack you if you tried. But when we're on a mission, 'if you wouldn't mind.' just ain't gonna cut it."

Numbuh 1 looks down, squares his shoulders, and nods. He looks far more confident when he meets her eye. "I'll keep that in mind, Numbuh 5. You should hurry; before everyone finishes celebrating."

She gives him a crooked smile and a half-salute. "You got it, boss. Make a toast to the new Sector V for me."

Author's Note: If you haven't noticed, this is more or less gonna be fluff on top of fluff. I haven't written one of these bad-boys in awhile. Also, only my second or third attempt at canon characters and lingo; if something is off, by all means, inform me.

How's everybody doin' today?

-Mandaree1