Dexter stands in the kitchen, fanning a plate of chocolate chip cookies throughout the house. Dee Dee dances into the kitchen with style and grace on her toes.
"Dexter, do you smell…cookies!"
Dee Dee sits down and starts eating the cookies by hand. She drinks from the glass of milk Dexter brings her.
"Thanks Dexter." She continues munch on the cookies.
After he turns off the fan, he says, "So…I bet you're wondering why I made these cookies for you." He looks at her as she continues to eat without stopping. "Right…so while Mom and Dad are out shopping, I'm taking this opportunity to let you that I know about your second life…and I need to activate you."
He looks at her as she still continues to eat happily without stopping, drinks milk, burps loudly, and then giggles at herself.
"I'm sorry Dee Dee. Activation code…purest life, hand sanitizer, training wheels…RTCESEP."
He watches nervously as Dee Dee immediately drops the cookie in her hand and replies mechanically, "R-e-s-p-e-c-t." She wipes her mouth and hands clean with a napkin and put the napkin to the side of the plate.
"Dee Dee?"
She answers coldly, "I expected to be reactivated one day, but not from my baby brother."
Dexter replies, "I'm sorry Dee Dee…"
She turns to him. "I'm a soldier, freedom and the ability to maintain it has it costs. What's the situation?"
Dexter takes a moment to adjust to Dee Dee's new personality. "We have to save the world."
"I'll call the girls." Dee Dee gets up from her seat and walks towards the phone.
"Wait…you mean Lee Lee and Mee Mee are part of the program too?"
"Why else would we dress and play alike? Think about it Dexter."
Dexter scratches his head and then snaps his fingers. "You were training, constantly. Interesting…your brain wasn't really changed just the constructs it perceives, so its accuracy can be adjusted as needed."
"Exactly, our performance aligned with the reality."
"And to keep the performance high, like being able to sneak into my lab constantly, your mind just changed the facts by just changing the truth of your reality."
Dee Dee picks up the phone and looks at Dexter and says with a long but empty look that sends severs through his back. "You actually thought I was having fun smashing your projects baby brother?" She makes a call and says, "Lee Lee… activation code pink is red…the cover in the sleepover is removed. Get Mee Mee and come to my house."
She hangs up and walks to the fridge.
"Where are you going, we need to discuss a game plan."
"Not without the girls and they'll need root beer."
Dexter gasps. "The hard stuff?"
Dee Dee smiles.
"And what makes you think they'll be here so soon. They'll need to find a cover story. Then they'll…"
There's a knock on the kitchen door.
"Be a dear and get that Dexter."
Dexter opens the door, Mee Mee and Lee Lee walks in with their matching pastel clothes on, but they share Dee Dee's sudden shift in mood.
Dee Dee cheers, "For the 27!"
Mee Mee and Lee Lee cheers in union, "For the 27!"
He found it interesting as he watch the girls drink and toast from straight from the bottle how devoid they were of their normally outwardly bliss and joy. Only a chilly presence remained.
Dexter asks, "What is the 27?"
Dee Dee answers, "Do you actually think our squad started with only three soldiers?"
Dexter continues watches as they continue to toast. He had one thought that followed: What have I done?