A Walk in the Park

A Codename: Kids Next Door Fan Fiction

By

~CallMeButLove~

KND © Mr. Warburton

A Walk in the Park

Writing Operative: ~CallMeButLove~

"Calling Numbuh One!"

The KND Central Computer linked to his wireless communicator headset through the Sector V tree-house proxy sounded in the bespectacled team leader's ear as he strategized frantically from within the familiar, yet admittedly constricting, confines of his locker. This was the place to find twelve year-old Nigel Uno if you happened to be looking for him during a free period in any given school day. Not that you or anyone else could get to him there since he had suffered through that unfortunate incident with a certain red-head. As far as Nigel was concerned, lunch was highly overrated and besides he could avoid interruptions here and work in peace for the whole hour he had to burn. Burn it he did, working at a steady pace, nibbling on the occasional snack as he progressed just to keep his energy up, his senses sharp. Adult tyranny and the fight against it was a much more pressing matter than minor things like hunger.

Nigel Uno's most refined skill, his forté if you will, has always been planning. As a tactical specialist he could come up with multiple methodologies, several stratagems, tweaking and perfecting them until they would play out seamlessly in his mind. Then his team would be briefed and together they would polish the plans even more until despite any obstacle they could execute any contingency with expert agility and finesse. Yes you could say he was proud of them, this little motley crew, so different from each other, so outwardly mismatched. No one would pick them out and say they'd make great friends, miles divided their personality traits, acres stretched between them academically, even their looks and backgrounds did not line up. Five totally unique individuals brought together solely by the KND. Somehow they could work together as though there was a physical link bonding them to share thought. No one outside of the tight knit team of five really ever understood it. Sector V was just awesome, no one bothered questioning why anymore. Numbuh One could always count on them. His team would never let him down, never!

"This is Numbuh One. What is the message computer?", he posed the question without halting his work.

"Numbuh 362 has issued a direct order for you to report to the following coordinates immediately. Please proceed without delay", the computer's response filtered through the earpiece sounded a bit hollow, like tin. Nigel made a mental note to have Numbuh Two look at them after the mission. After all there was no good reason for poor sound quality in this situation. Not when the best tech specialist in the whole KND is on your team.

"Right. Transmit the data to my team via the communicator link 'SVT', Password: ******** ", he replied as he saved his previous work and gathered his things to get started.

"Also, deploy our decoys so that if the mission runs long we won't be missed in class."

"Negative."

"What do you mean, negative computer?", Numbuh One was perplexed to say the least.

What possible reason could there be for the Supreme Leader to order a mission and not include the whole team? This was absolutely unfathomable, this was unrealistic, this was – a trap! That had to be it. The transmission must be a fake. Some evil adult enemy had actually hacked into the KND mainframe and, and... These rather overzealous musings were cut short by the sudden realization that the computer had made a reply and that the answer was still the same – no team, just him. He asked his follow-up question without preamble and included his rationale in the interest of thoroughness. He still hadn't actually stopped working all the way, as the unusual nature of this message had him completely flummoxed and work calmed his nerves.

"I mean, I need their help to complete whatever mission this message refers to, so clearly they need the coordinates as well. Unless - ", he paused in thought and proceeded to answer himself. The computer did not even register the pause it was so brief.

"Unless Numbuh 362 wants us to all arrive at our destination in one vehicle instead of our personal transports. Is that the concern computer? If so then I can certainly..."

"Negative. Numbuh 362 specifically requests that you treat this as a solo mission, Numbuh One. Confidentiality is also highly recommended as to your destination and the mission as a hole", the computer responded with it's usual efficiency.

"I see", the young Brit mono-toned.

He did not see. He had absolutely no frame of reference with which to decipher this situation.

"She has never ordered me on a solo mission before...", he pondered aloud.

He truly did not see, not at all. Also, the secretive nature of the mission was abnormal. It was not as though confidentiality was a problem for him, no he could in all honesty keep anything necessary to the cause of kid kind 'close to the vest'. His training had not been for nothing. Sometimes Team Leaders were entrusted with more info than the rest of a sector for security reasons. Keeping quiet was not an issue at all. He had just never actually been asked to do it before. Nigel had chosen NOT to specialize in espionage for a reason. The hint of deceit required for the job just plain rubbed him the wrong way. Of course he could do it, very well indeed, any operative worth his commission could. It just wasn't exactly his favorite aspect of the job. Nigel Uno was a naturally honest person. Lying left a sour taste in his mouth, it felt like selling out, so he avoided it for the most part. It intrigued him to no end how the issue never seemed to plague Abby. She managed to shrug it off and become a stellar, perfectly natural member of the intelligence unit. Yet no one ever distrusted her, she remained just as honest and credible as he was. Nigel just resigned himself to the fact that he was simply not cut from that same cloth.

Numbuh One broke from his reflections when the computer hailed him to confirm receipt of the mission specifications, which he should have given a full three minutes ago. That delay in response, a technical breach of protocol, served to underscore just how rattled he was by this mission.

"Numbuh One, please confirm", the computer system pressed him.

"Transmission received. Mission accepted, computer. Thank you", he finally gave the appropriate reply.

"Confirmed."

As the computer's voice faded from Nigel's perception, he began to run scenarios in his mind of how this mission would, or could, go. Since the specs the system had given him were vague at best, there were multiple possibilities. Without his team to back him up, Numbuh One felt rather ill-equipped. He landed his personal transport a short distance from the appointed place. Driving the black convertible would be far less conspicuous than flying it in at close range.

No one ever seemed to notice someone so young driving along the streets of Cleveland in a pint sized, albeit very nice car. They would probably notice said car flying though. Normally obtuse adults could be annoyingly perceptive at all the wrong times, he knew. Never one to underestimate a potential foe, he checked his weapon quickly and replaced it in the holster. Ammo? Check. In working order? Check. He parked the car in a secluded area which would still be accessible to him readily in the advent of a hasty retreat being called for and closed in on foot.

Stealthily Numbuh One made his way toward the destination dodging between trees and bushes for cover in case the enemy should mark him. This could be a trap, or an ambush and when working solo, one could never be overly cautious. One wrong move and you'd - *SNAP* A twig betrayed him from beneath his booted right heel. Numbuh One hissed in a breath and prayed that his location was not revealed by the sound. Just as he felt able to release that breath and continue forward, he felt it. The cold, hard, unforgiving barrel of a weapon digging into his back.

Author's Notes:

I am sorry to leave you with a slight cliff-hanger. It should not be too long before the second (and final) part is ready, I'd say a week or less at the most. In the meantime, please review and tell me what you think. I also apologize for the shortness. I am clawing my way back from writer's block hell and I can't yet handle another multi-chapter story. Sorry. At least this one is not a dratted one-shot... I am tired of feeling inadequate when that's all I can manage. ;-)

Also I forgot to mention at the outset that this is a slightly altered timeline, since I needed Nigel to be older for the plot to work. You can interpret the change in one of two ways: Either the Galactic KND recruiting him never happened, or as I prefer to think, it happened later in his life - closer to decommissioning age.

As any regular readers know, I LIVE for reviews so please tell me your thoughts! Thanks!